Secrets

I once told a fairy tale….

Lebtty was a secret-keeper. Her job was to collect all the men’s secret and keep it in the safe. Without realizing how daunting this challenge could become, she embraced the task willingly. She tried to collect every man’s secrets as soon as possible so that she could rest earlier but she underestimated men. Men were creatures with too much pride and ego, they were not willing to submit what they had and they were afraid to expose themselves to anyone.

She was disappointed but she was not ready to give up. When she was endowed with the power of keeping men’s secret, she was also granted a weapon that was so powerful that no man can resist it. A weapon that she should use cautiously, warned by her predecessor.

Unable to accept the early disappointment, she used that weapon on the second day as a secret-keeper. Under an apple tree, she sang:

“Oh, innocent men, denounce your pride!
Oh, ingenious men, denounce your ego!
Let go your arrogance, origin of all sins
Entrust me with your secrets…”

Men couldn’t resist the temptation of her sweet voice. After listening to that, all men succumbed to an invisible force that drew all of them towards that apple tree.
Not everyone of them was willing to share their secrets but they were so compelled to spout out their filthy little secrets. While she continued to sing, more men were drawn to her and more secrets had been collected.

She was delighted but she saw something very disturbing. There was a guy standing on the hill with his hands crossing in front of his chest. “How could he not be tempted?” Flummoxed, she sang in even higher pitch, trying to lure him to her.
She sang:

“ Why do you keep something to yourself?
Are you ashamed with yourself?
There’s nothing you can’t share with me,
There’s nothing you can hide in front of me.”

He was not moved. On the contrary, he also sang, in defiance and in even higher pitch.

“Why should I succumb myself?
All I have in my heart,
Is love,
Without condition and grievance.”

She followed, in no hurry.

“Secrets are your filthy past.
Let go and you will be cleansed,
Save yourself and save people around you.
Tell me your name and come here.”

As if he had just heard something most incredulous in his life, he chuckled and broke into convulsive laughter.

“My name is Hanis, beware of my prowess,
My secrets though not worthy are not filthy,
Never ever insult me with your phony tone, because
Secrets should not be inquired, nor to be pilfered stealthily.

Ridiculed, she lost her patience. She sang forcefully,

“All men are sinned!
Accept yourself,
Forgive yourself,
Confide in me, confess yourself!”

He was not intimidated. His attitude was almost cocky, though not aggressive, he still sang gracefully, sneered sarcastically.

“How about your secrets?
Who do you want to entrust with?
You have no room for your secrets.
Don’t you have secrets?”

She was shaken. She reminisced the journey she had gone through, her pasts. They had come back to haunt her, everywhere, they were omnipresent!!! She couldn’t run, couldn’t hide.

She had to recover her secrets. Where were them? Who should be the secret-keeper of her? Too many unanswered questions, too many faceless secrets she stumbled on. She looked at herself, all she had were other people’s unworthy secrets. How could she find hers?

She hollered in agony.

No sound came out though, all she could hear was the singing of Hanis

“Search, ask and reminisce.
Secrets shouldn’t be asked, do not force, you fool!
Secrets are meant to be told, shared.
Do not force, my foolish Lebtty.”

X


What a boring story, my friend ever told me.
“Never ever tell me this kind of crappy story again!! My friend warned.
I frowned.