He was never really an accomplished funambulist in the first place. In fact he was one of those people who managed to throw a surprise at people when they least expected. At times he displayed sparks of genius in whatever he did, yet sometimes he gave the impression that goddess luck was his favorite mistress. The only thing consistent about him was that he performed marvelously under tremendous amount of pressure. It was like a bizarre quantity of pressure was the only fuel that sustained this possessed man.
Nash Skye, was near about thirty or so but could easily pass off as someone barely out of his teens owing to his rather frail looking yet slightly athletic body. His eyes had some sort of ambrosial charm the womenfolk of the village spoke about in fancy terms. Strangely he never got carried away by any of the adulation he got and it almost seemed like he was blind to the beauty around him. No one knew where he came from but the village elders would vouch for the fact that he was a typical drifter who had his heart set in a land of hopeless dreams.
During his last act, when the villagers were about to write him off, he did the unthinkable. He took the biggest risk of his life and pulled it off with incredible gusto. He let himself fall off the rope exactly when he reached the middle and even as the unsuspecting villagers let out a scream he hung on to it with his two toes and swung like a pendulum until his body came to a rest. No one had ever seen anything of that caliber ever before. Suddenly the tightrope walker was the new God in the little village.
The dumbfounding story of Nash Skye and his incredible act spread like wildfire. It was only about a week back when less than twenty people waiting to tear him apart with their cynicism witnessed an act of divinity. Today there were easily a hundred of them gathered around to see their 'God' perform once again. They waited with bated breath as he walked towards the middle of the rope. THUD! The pale thin man fell halfway through his act & lay paralyzed in a pool of blood even as the spectators began to walk away. Some of them walked away hastily to avoid being in a nasty scene while the others quickly decided to grab a cup of tea from the nearby tea-shop. One thing was quite certain. Everyone in the village had found a new topic to discuss for many days to come
-The fall of the tightrope walker!
[Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/91515119@N00/1795141144 ]
5 comments:
I loved it. I was relived when he swung like a pendulum, as I thought he had be granted reprieve from a bloody suicide from the author. One as talented as he could there be any other explanation? Although it's been said we see the world through our own experiences and having lost ones to suicide could be why I see it that way. Perhaps he fell, Even the fall of a man they put on a pedestal as "god" would make people so uncomfortable as to leave in a hurried and hushed manner. Would that he had also won their love - so that at least one would have rushed forward to cradle his dead/dying body in their arms. Seems oft times peoples expectations are either too high "god" or to low "drifter" and they miss the human being within. That is the tragedy you've written my Nishiime. Great writing as it makes me wonder and think and I like that!
So well written that it kept me glued to the end..Felt like i was watching a good movie. :)
@ Crayola: Thank you for writing in. Glad you liked the post. Yes, sometimes we unnecessarily put make a common man a hero & then put him up on a higher pedestal & treat him like God. Thatz where the fall begins... eventually culminating in a real, physical fall. I believe thatz what happened to the character in my story. Unfortunate for him though. People missed the 'human' side of him.
@ Dimple: Thank you so much for the wonderful compliments Dimple... I'm glad the story kept you glued to the end and gave you a movie-like experience. Makes me feel special :) Thanx. Take care.
Hey I just read this one now..Good one! Brief n make the readers stick on till d end. N the meaning you conveyed thru d story is wonderful.Keep writing! Glad to see it :)
Thanks a bunch Apsie :)
Yup. Wrote it quickly before I get into the usual Procrastination-Mode. Thatz why its brief & almost to-the-point without much dilly-dallying. Glad you liked it. Hopefully I can be more inspired & write more in the coming days. Thanx again! Take care.
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