english,
Literary: Miss Adelaide and Her Holy Grail
Part 1: The Curiosity Shop of Miss Adelaide Bell
Part 2: Miss Adelaide Bell and the Nine Circles of Hell
Part 3: The Ethereal Emporium of Mister Augustus Bishop
Part 4: Mister Augustus Bishop and the Flight of Love
Part 5
Adelaide sat on the sidewalk
She grumbled, groaned and sulked
A little girl just told her
She was insane, what an insult
She needed to go back
Because now she also knew of a shop
Looking a lot like hers
So she told herself she needed to get out of there
But she had to figure out how to first
But just as she was about to look
For a place where she could rest and be discreet
Someone else appeared as a vagrant
In the middle of the street
So Adelaide rushed to him
No one else seemed to see how he popped out of thin air
She helped him up and on the sidewalk
Maybe his magic will help her get out of there
“Who are you?” she asked.
“I am Augustus Bishop,” replied the stranger.
She was in shock, this was the new businessman!
The one who supposedly stole her reputation as a trader!
So Adelaide proclaimed to him of her problems
On how she lost everything
And how she needs to get back
Back before he came and she was reduced to nothing
“I hate all of humanity, the cause of my demise
Because of all their sins and transgressions
I’m stuck here in this planet!”
Adelaide said with much aggression.
But Bishop’s face lit up
He found his new meaning
He found a big ball of hate in the form of a woman
And he was going to help her with his every being
“To get back to whence you came
I could teach you how to be redeemed
If sin is what you’re here for,
You need to do good things,” he beamed.
Bishop found a purpose
On his new life on the old planet he lived on
And Adelaide must follow
If she wants to go back to her predestined echelon
To start with how to do good
He taught her the smallest thing:
To show how much she cares,
She needs to start loving her surroundings
Clean up the streets
Start picking up trash
She needs to keep the sidewalks spotless
Even if it wasn’t making cash
She picks up soda cans and crumpled receipts
And every single empty bottle
But for every piece of garbage
Was a silent complaint or a lousy mumble
Bishop lets out a sigh
As she sees her roll her eyes and sulk toward the bin
She wasn’t doing it out of kindness
But rather always expecting something
He asked her how she was feeling
But all she did was grumble and complain
She was clearly unfulfilled
And Bishop watched her claims in disdain
“I’m just a beggar!
I’m the one they should be helping!
How come I’m the one making an effort
When they don’t even appreciate it?
“All darn day I pick up trash
But they never seem to see it!
They still keep on littering
Why do I keep on doing it?”
“That’s not the point of kindness, Adelaide,”
Bishop calmly replied.
“It’s about doing good, even if no one’s watching.”
And all Adelaide did was sigh.
Despite the difficulty, she continued to try
Even when cleaning the streets,
She maintained a kind appearance
And gave a warm smile to everyone she meets
But all she kept thinking was
She needs to go back
She needs to go back
And soon Bishop saw the commitment she lacked
He then understood how nothing was changing
Despite his efforts of helping her be good
She kept looking for something in return
If only he could give kindness to her directly, he would
But he knew it was taught
And then it has to be done over and over
She didn’t see that and was complaining
Not knowing that her own demise was caused by her
One day, all he said was this:
“Don’t think about how many good things you’ve done
Just keep doing good
Because you want to be good to everyone.”
And Adelaide tried such
Doing good because she is
With smiling to pedestrians
And not screaming at little kids
And one fine day, she saw a sad blind beggar
Sitting quietly beside the fountain
She sat beside him and asked politely
If she could sit beside and join him
She looked at the man,
Knowing she’s seen him before
Alas! It was old man Chaos!
But where was the butterfly he adored?
“How are you?” asked Adelaide.
“I’ve gone blind, madam,” replied the old man
“From looking for something for the longest time,
But it seems as though I’m damned.”
It must be that Chaos doesn’t know
That he was talking to the woman
Who caused him his ruin
The one who turned their contract into one whole scam
Adelaide looked afar
And quietly contemplated inside
Until Chaos asked her,
“What made you sit beside me? What made you decide?”
Adelaide fell quiet and said,
“I want to apologize.”
The old man wrinkled his forehead.
“Chaos, I am very sorry. Truly, I am,”
Adelaide held his hand.
“I never knew that my action
Would cause you this state.
I was overcome by greed,
Eaten by my own sense of pride.
I don’t ask for forgiveness
But I hope you would find it in you
To accept my repentance.”
The old man blinked
Once, twice, thrice
His blank, blank eyes
Turned back to black and white
Adelaide’s face lit up
She took the old man in an embrace
“I’ll help you find the wretched butterfly,”
She said as tears rolled down her face.
“That would be wonderful,” replied Chaos.
“But I think there is something else at hand.”
He gestured at Augustus, smiling at them
And then helped the old man stand
Off went Chaos,
He told Adelaide he’ll wait
And she promised the help soon
When she gets back to her gates
Her face beamed at Augustus
“I finally understood what you meant!
Being good comes from within…”
And off in a monologue she went.
She paused in the middle when she saw Augustus
Smiling at her but the gleam was all gone
“Why did you stop?” he asked.
She answered: “I promise I’ll help you too when all of this is done.”
She got back one of her first powers:
She saw what he was thinking
He was happy with how she turned out
But was thinking about leaving
He knew he needed to help other people see the good
Before Earth or Heaven crumbles to dust
And if Adelaide could be good
Others also must
As they were sitting on the edge
Of the fountain in the park
A little girl running
Trips over a rock
Immediately, Adelaide came to the little girl’s aid
“Hey! Are you okay?” she asked
As she helped the little girl up.
“You seem like you were running a little too fast!”
“No, I’m fine! Thank you, lady!”
Said the little girl and adjusted her top
And said: “Hey! You’re the lady I saw days ago!”
And then looked at Bishop.
“And you’re the man who sold me solitude!
Did you sell her solitude too?
Did he stop the voices in your head?
Mine doesn’t seem to be working though,” she cooed.
Adelaide looked into her eyes
And somehow heard her brother’s cackle
“This girl is living in borrowed time, Adelaide,”
Satan echoed in her mind, as the girl went to her mother
Adelaide straightened up
Augustus looked at her with an ashen face
Before he could say anything
She knew of the conundrum she was now placed
Living in borrowed time
Causes much distress in Heaven
And to stop it, the soul
Must be returned to them
The entity responsible
Must be brought before the law and processed
He or she who brought back the life
Should make up for all the loses
And if Heaven doesn’t get back the soul soon
It will crumble and perish and wither
And all Hell will break loose
Now, the decision lies entirely with her:
She needed to be good
But now she doesn’t know for whom
Is she for herself
And will keep the little girl alive?
Is she for others
And will keep the promises she swore on her life?
Or will she serve
An ever loving glory
Sacrificing the girl, her words
And her own story?
0 comments: