A boat in stormy seas

It hurts, everything hurts, his head hurts, his body hurts, his spirit hurts.

"I wish I died that day", the boy has forgotten how many times his cracked and tired voice said those words.

He had no idea how long ago he had fought his father, when your blind, there is no way of knowing. There was a time he tried to bite off his tongue so he can finally die, but he couldn't, out of fear that it would just make things worse if he survives only to discover that other than becoming blind he has also become mute.

"Don't say that, you know there's more to life than-", the stranger, whose deep calm voice is different from anyone he has heard, bits his tongue as the horse-drawn wagon makes one of its jumps through the ragged terrain.

"Ouch...Arghh...There's more to life than wishing you're dead.", the stranger continues.

"And it would be quite a shame, dying. After I tried my best to keep you alive. Right, my lovely sugar", as the stranger spoke to his horse, which of course, Evander doesn't know.

"Sugar? Who the hell you calling sugar.", despite his body's ache while lying with fever on the surface of the hard wooden wagon, he tried to rise up to face the man, who he thought was calling him lovely sugar.

"Sorry, sorry, I'm talking to my horse. But it's not an easy operation you know, taking out both of your eyes. Who did that to you, young man? If I hadn't took it out earlier your eyes would've rotted and you would've died from infection."

"I wish you just left me dead."

"I think and I know you just need to rest a bit, get a vacation."

"And what? See the world?"

Silence falls on the two men. Only the sound of rickety turning of the wheel, Sugar's huffing and trots, could be heard, as if trying to join the conversation. A breeze softly blows ruffling tree leaves. When it passed a laughter breaks the silence. It was Evander.

"At least you have your sense of humor." The stranger spoke

"Maybe because I lost my sense of sight." again Evander laughs, while tears trickles down, from under the piece of clothes that bandages his eyes. Like a dam bursting, Evander begins to shout out the troubles in his heart.

"I'm blind! I'm blind! what kind of life can I live? How can a blind exact revenge? What! by waving his hand around until he hits something?! Why me? I won't care if it had happened after I have killed him! But now?! You Stranger! You Sugar! What can I do now? What could I have done? No one is born in a family he chose to be!" Evander rants while banging the bottom palm of his fist on the wagon.

"Look at it this way-", the Stranger interjects with the hope of comforting him, but it only made him shut his own mouth, hearing the words he had told the boy.

"Look? LOOK!? I AM BLIND! Where the hell can I even look? I don't even know where I am! Why even save me? Did I ask you to do that?" Evander huffs, catching his voice. Again silence falls. This time it was the stranger who breaks it.

"A group of men covered in dark robes brought you to me, knowing I came from the Severo Empire just North East of here, which is quite a journey I tell you. They told me to take you, far, far away. Which I did. Not because they told me to, but because I wanted to save you. My faith won't allow me to let you die, a priest who leaves a person whose body and soul is dying, cannot call himself a priest.", the stranger takes a deep breath.

"I see-...sh*t...A priest. What's your name?", Evander asks.

"Lorenzo Andrea Luis. You can call me Father Luis or Father Lorenzo. You, what's your name?", the priest answers smiling, feeling a bit jolly to finally have a sort of peaceful conversation with the young man.

"Stevie...Stevie Wonder...No, I mean Evans. You can call me Evan the Blind, or Blind Evans for short. Father Luis right?"

"Yes, Evans."

"Do you know who did this to me?" the young man points at his bandaged eyes.

"Who?"

"It was my Father."

The peaceful conversation didn't even last. As Evander's sarcastic laughter echoes. Father Luis looks at the skies above and felt the changing weather, rain is coming. He kept within his heart the words Evan spoke, and prayed to the God he believes in, as it would take quite a long time for Evans to heal because the wound is deep. Soon he hears the boy's soft breathing who has fallen asleep.

Luis, pulls the reign which made the horse slowly trot to a stop. He stooped down and enters the roofed wagon, making sure he doesn't hit any of the supplies he has bought and he has to sell.

There in the center of the wagon, sleeps Evan. The priest sits cross-legged beside him, as he wipes with a warm towel the abrasion on the boy's hand caused by hitting the rough wooden floor. After that he fixes the blanket covering the boy, and checks his fever by putting his palm on the child's forehead. Feeling the warmth, Luis stands and goes out of the wagon bringing with him a raincoat for horses.

The priest stared at the sky with dark grey clouds, as he puts a raincoat on Sugar, then returns back inside the wagon. He looks at Evan then went back staring outside, he rolls up his pant's left side and removes his false leg from the knee joint. He reminiscences his own past and finds it incomparable to the boy's grief.

"Truly one can't compare one's life to others. But we need to go on living, you know. There's more to life than this, Evans...There's more to life than this." the priest murmurs to himself.