UA&P - I AM S.T.R.O.N.G: The Fence

Jewelz would like to share a short story written by her dad when she was back in highschool...

The Fence

(A message for world peace)

There was once a white child, a black child, and a brown child. By fate or what seemed like predestination, they were born exactly the same date.

They were next-door neighbors too.

They were energetic and smiling babies, so innocent and care-free, brought to earth in times of unrelenting chaos among nations.

As they grew up, they could constantly hear the voices and laughter of one another.

But they could not meet.

They could not play with one another.

And this made them lonely and isolated.

Each of them could not understand why there was a fence separating their homes.

The years slowly passed by, and the lack of much-needed friendship pushed them to study hard and pursue brilliant careers. They traveled far and wide.

They eventually ended up as the top leaders of their respective powerful countries, handling delicate matters of utmost importance to world peace.

Planet earth was continuously bombarded by myriad of problems arising from greed and the desire for world dominance.

Like an inflated balloon, the bursting point was near.

The world was heading for the ultimate war.

The white man, the black man, and the brown man were called upon to personally meet and try to resolve the most volatile conflict in the history of mankind.

One humid, summer afternoon, a round table was prepared with three simple chairs. There was a lighted candle, a flower, and a dove at the center of the table, in the hope that these three powerful leaders with diverse backgrounds would come to terms and avert the total annihilation of mankind.

The burdens on their shoulders were enormous with so little time left. The future hung on the wisdom of the three, with their advisers and statisticians whispering mixed opinions. The media were in a frenzy, the armies were alert, and the entire populace were uneasy.

They met.

They merely stared at one another, unmoving, with total concentration and focus.

Not a word was spoken.

Somewhere deep in their subconscious mind, an inexplicable feeling of loneliness was suddenly released, a euphoric sensation of happiness.

They meekly smiled.

Unexpectedly, with outstretched arms, they embraced.

The three of them in a glorious triangle of unity.

Together they lifted their tightly-clasped hands and showed their genuine smiles for the whole world to see that peace is the ultimate solution.

Everyone in the room broke down in silent tears, amidst thunderous applause and a standing ovation from the gallery.

Still not a single word was spoken.

Everyone could not understand the wisdom of the three men.

But the three remembered the fence. They knew. They understood.

After that fateful humid afternoon, the three exhausted leaders passed on their instructions to their respective governments and opted to return to their neighborhood where they were born.

The fence was still there.

Dehydration seemed to seep into their bodies and with their last ounce of strength, all three embraced, and the fence gave way to their combined weight.

A gentle breeze swept through their neighborhood and the three men looked high up in the heavens and seemed to fly into the skies above.

And the clouds accepted them.

There were no need for words.

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning appeared from out of nowhere and struck the fallen fence into tiny pieces.

A breathtaking rainbow appeared for all the world to see. And from thereon, planet earth was a beautiful place to live in all eternity.

Written By:

Boogie Lim

Cebu, Philippines

*Brought to you by UA&P I am S.T.R.O.N.G.
What do you think of the short story? :)