Lunar Sentiments 2.0

'Credence'

A short story by DJ Martin 🤘

It was an auspicious Thursday evening, unlike any other evening, the moon was not present. The city was not quiet but quite chaotic. At a park, a young man wandered. 

"Hmmm... that's a bit odd" Perry uttered as he sat on the old bench located at the center of the city's park. He was alone, like any other night. It was his routine. But it was not like any other night for he was wondering where the moon might've gone. He was always wondering quite frankly; and he never noticed, not until then. 

Few minutes passed, still nothing- hours, and it got darker, stars were present everywhere but the moon was hiding still. 

Perry was a merchant, paid by his own company and lived in a place isolated from the city- alone. He was always enjoying the company of himself, quite ironically; he never met someone whom he can share his aspirations with. He kept wandering and wondering- "Where could possibly the moon be?" He was left with no answer.

Minutes passed, still nothing- hours, and it got even darker, stars were already massively and vividly present everywhere but the moon was still not in sight.  As he gazed upon the night-sky, he couldn't help but to notice a figure along the road where the park ends. It was man. He was homeless. Perry stood up and walked towards and tried to have a conversation with the man.

"Good evening, sir" he said. 

"Hello" the man replied. "What made you decide to come over here and talk to me?" he added. Perry was in awe, stuck and didn't know how or what to answer.

"Well, haven't you noticed the moon is still not out there?" He said as he pointed up and tried to sit down with the homeless man. 

"I'm expecting for you to come here" the man said. Perry was shocked by the man's answer but still managed to keep composure and humbly said "Really? How so?" Then the man answered "You see, a lot of people sit there then come talk to me after" 

Perry was confused and said "I've always been sitting there but how come I'm only seeing you now?" 

The man laughed and said "I'm homeless. People always see me but they refuse to look" Perry, still perplexed by the words of the man asked "You said a while ago people come here and talk to you after" He replied "They do, they say harsh things. Mean, unfavorable and unforgivable things" Perry felt ashamed. "I'm sorry" he said. "I've been expecting you, but I've never expected on what you have to say though" the homeless man replied as he fixed his sitting position. 

Minutes passed, still nothing- hours, and it got even darker, the night was deep as stars were already massively and vividly present everywhere but the man and Perry were still not being shone by a moonlight.

Perry took courage to establish another conversation with the homeless man. He asked him if how did he end up at the end of the park. Then again the man laughed and answered "I'm a homeless man, any place can be my home" 

Perry insisted and asked "Then how can you be this positive considering your state?" The man replied "I've always been positive. I know that everything will be set to be perfect, in the right time" Perry was still in awe as to how he heard the answers of the homeless man. He then asked "How will even know if the time's right?" The homeless man just smiled and said in a soft voice "Time is always right- it's our choices that sets it wrong" 

Perry was amazed on how the man answered his questions. He was marveled on how the man gave responses considering he was homeless. 

"How are you able to survive the harsh environment this end-park offers?" The man answered "Well, I don't. Because I made this harsh environment you're talking about" 

Minutes passed, still nothing- hours, and it got even darker, the night was deep as stars were already massively and vividly present everywhere.

Perry then decided to go home and invited the homeless man and he humbly obliged. As they were walking home, Perry subtly turned his head towards the sky to see if the moon was already present. To his surprise, he saw a shooting star instead. I have to make a wish he though and so he did.

"I wish to see the moon" he whispered. The homeless man asked him "What's with you and the moon?" Perry answered "I don't know. The moon soothes everything in me" 

When they got home, Perry toured the homeless man in his house and explained how he had been making the place suitable for living. The man said "Maybe you need not to try to fix everything in here because if they really belong here, then everything will be set in their own respective place."

Minutes passed, still nothing- hours, and it got even darker, the night was deep as stars were already massively and vividly present everywhere. Eventually, the homeless man had to go. 

"Thank you for tonight" he said thereafter he bid goodbye. Perry offered his home but the homeless man refused. "Well, thank you too sir" Perry said. Then he shouted "Wait! I didn't get the chance to know your name" He gasped and laughed and replied "I'm a homeless man my friend. And I want to stay and be called the same" 

Perry was still in awe after the man left. 

The next day came, and the next day, and the next, weeks and months came. Never was the moon absent since then, but the homeless man was no longer to be found.