Jaded. Bitter. Indifferent. Wronged.
That was what I felt on the day I decided to leave it all behind.
It took 9 mistakes for me to do 1 thing right. Nothing ever went my way.
Have to be at work by eight…get a flat tire at 7:45…
Favorite show comes on tv….transformer get hit, knocking out the power.
The list goes on. I couldn’t take it anymore.
All my life I had heard about “The Hookah Man”
-rumors
-myths
-legends
-dreams
Envisioned in different forms but basically the same principle. Find him and ask what the meaning of your life was, and the answer will be given.
My quest was to find him. I was done with the way things weren’t working our for me.
My belief was that he sat on top of a mountain, overseeing everything. He smoked off a hookah pipe, meditated, prayed, and waited for someone to come to partake in his knowledge.
I knew he was waiting for me. I went in search for him.
I searched every corner, angle, length, width and depth of our world I could find in my journey.
After what seemed like months, I came to a 3 pronged crossing at the base of a huge mountain.
Path A- led to a long rickety old rotted wood walkway around the mountain. At the top stood a temple.
Path B- led into the mountain. A small tea candle was at the entrance. I guessed that would be the light if I chose this path.
Path C- was the road I stood on. It led up the mountain on a gradual slope that also reached the temple.
Reasoning told me I might as well stay on the path that got me here. It ended up at the same place anyway. Up to the top of the mountain I went.
I reached my destination with little struggle. Inside the open temple was “The Hookah Man” exactly as I envisioned him.
I walked inside. He motioned me to sit in front of him. He took along pull from his hookah and said, “Speak of why you have searched high and low to find me.”
“Naturally, I only have one question. What is the meaning of my life?”
He scoffed at my question and shook his head. He paused to regain composure then answered.
“Your kind amazes me. You spend your time in the realm you have been given, and you spend it worrying about yourself. More money, more recognition, more me, poor me nothing ever good happens to me… Quick solutions to lengthy problems are the norm. Forget about the next guy, it’s what about me. The easy way is the only way”
He continued, ” You knew I was waiting for you. I knew you were coming. I always know when someone is coming. They always take the same route. 3 paths are given for a reason. The 2 you chose to disregard are paths to enlightenment. Each have difficulties in traveling but upon arrival here, the traveler is released of their selfish “me”
encompassing ways. Those 2 paths are never chosen. Fear of not reaching the goal of the temple wins out. You were no different. The answer to your question…..there is no meaning. You are born. You live. You die. The answer may have been different, but your selfishness will not allow any other.”
I reply rather stunned,” So that’s it? What kind of God are you? I come all this way and you give me I live then die?”
A long drag is taken off of the hookah. He exhaled and says,” You came here to ask one question. I gave you 1 answer. Had you taken one of the other paths to reach me, all your questions would have been answered. Even the ones you didn’t even know to ask. I have been here for centuries. I sit and wait for a being to enter my temple from the enlightened paths so I may pass along the vital information AND so I may be released to another realm. CENTURIES! I was the first of the selfish to come here. I will stay here until the unselfish one arrives to show ME the way to enlightenment. Your question is answered to the best of my ability. You may take the information I have given you to alter your destiny…or live then die. I have nothing more for you….”
He looked at me….through me…exhaled a large plume of smoke, and turned into stone.
I stood staring at the statue for a long while. Contemplating……pondering…..
Then slowly turned around and made my way back down the mountain.
Good2begone 
Great Post. I love it!
Thank you! This is my first attempt at writing a complete fiction post.
very good. So you are a short fiction writer?
No sir. To be honest I have never ventured into the realm of professional writing. Starting this blog is my first attempt at putting words or stories to share with anyone.
Well we are in the same boat then. Good to be following you!
Dang it, you mean it’s FICTION??? I am so bummed, I was about to ask you where this mountain stood. I’ve been searching 30-something years, I was about to give up. Are you sure it’s fiction?
I actually picture Jerry Garcia’s face as the Big Dude. Or maybe Jim Henson’s. Sometimes Jimi Hendrix. Maybe it’s the whole J thing, (Janis, Jim M., Jim Croce, Jack K, James Dean, Jethro T…) dunno. But I digress (as I often do.)
Feels a little like Five For Fighting’s “The Riddle.” Not exactly, but a little.
This is really, really fine work. Can’t wait to see what else you dream up. You’ve got “something” special. 🙂 More please.
Extremely happy that you found a connection with it!! Thank you. My smile got a bit bigger with your comment! More to come….
I really, really loved this. Hitting the like button just wasn’t saying enough.
Wow! Thank you so much!
Are you freaking kidding me?
I came looking for this mountain post… Then I see that it was your first fiction piece, M, and then I see that of all the people in the Internet… Jennie commented right after me.
I didn’t even know Jennie then.
And now she is my bestie and we’re working on Words together and this mountain post had led us all full circle.
This feels like a Dean Koontz novel.
Synchronicity…..
Wow.
Wow.
The circle had to start somewhere…why not here? Lol. Strange days, indeed!
Wow, I’d only had my blog for maybe a few weeks! g2b was one of the first blogs I followed when I started Daisies.
“We know you
They know me
Extrasensory
Synchronicity … ”
Actually this is a perfect story to begin a circle at, if you think about it. 🙂
Every quest for answers requires a search, which leads to journey. During our quest in searching for our own personal hookah man, we cross paths with others on their own journeys. It is with these others that make the quest for answers worthwhile. Thank you both, Christie and Jennie, for continuing the journey and picking up souls along the way to further expand the search that completes the circle.