A – Alone

A –  Alone

Alice was all alone. It’s not that she lived by herself. There were plenty of people in the house where she resided. That would be her husband and 3 children, but she was still alone. Things went on, as usual, food got prepared and served, her children went to school, her husband to work, and she even had a job to go to. But she was alone. It was like she didn’t exist at all.

It was surprising that nobody noticed when she was around. They just accepted the work that she did and that was that. She had no interactions at all. Was this the way life was supposed to be? She hoped not. But as far back as she could remember this was the way it had been. Obviously, there must have been a time when she grew up and met her husband to be, and had the children that she didn’t feel alone. But she had no memory of it at all.

She had finally had enough and decided to do something. She made a wish. It was a simple wish. “I wish not to be alone anymore.”

The change was immediate. She began talking to others. People she worked with responded to her and asked her advice. Her husband paid more attention to her as did the kids. The more she interacted with everyone, the more they interacted with her. She had friends now and everywhere she went she was recognized. All for the price of a wish.

Yes, wishes always come with a cost; and they rarely let you know what that cost is until you’ve already made the wish. You see, once you are known and accessible, that is when predators enter the frame. Alice began to get calls from unknown people and services, promising her endless wonders and adventures. She was smart enough to refuse most of them. But they kept on coming. Her friends, family, and relatives all hearing about these offers chimed in trying to persuade her to take the offers and asked to be included in them. 

There were times she said yes, and adventures she had. Most involved gaining or losing money. Some others involved risky and dangerous situations. But she wasn’t alone. She always had company. But when people see the benefits of getting rewards through friendship with you, they can get greedy and want more.

It got to a point when Alice no longer wanted all of this. All she wanted was time to herself, time to be alone. She yearned for the days of the past when she had comfort and security. So she made a wish again. It was a simple wish.“I wish I was back to being alone again.” And it was granted.

But as I said before, all wishes come with a cost.