Chapter 28: Reality of the Unprivileged
The old man, still laying down threw up a long sinewy arm. His fingers reach all the way to the hilt. The old man flipped the sword, grasped it, and stuck it down in the ground. Zelda, Link and Ganon stood frozen.
"I have a bad sense of humor."
The cold man coughed.
"But really your safe here."
Zelda, Link, and Ganon still didn't move.
"Maybe this joke was too harsh."
The old man coughed.
"Is there anything I can do to make you not scared of me?"
Link look the man in the eyes. Link then walk closer to him and sat down cross legged next to the man. Zelda sighed and sat next to Link. Ganon sat down too, but he sat the furthest from the old man. The space was silent. Eventually Zelda and Ganon edge to sitting against the wall. Link moved to sitting in Zelda's lap.
"What's your story young kids?"
Zelda eventually answered.
"We are traveling to see family."
The old man looked at the bruised bodies of the kids.
"Your family violent?"
"No," was all Zelda said, confused at his question.
"That's good. Family is important. I left mine. I wanted to adventure. I wanted to make something of myself?"
"What does that mean?" asked Zelda.
"My mother farmed land she didn't own. She had nothing. Barely enough to raise me."
"She isn't the smartest lady, or the kindest, but she's my mother. I wanted to give her her own house or something."
"Did you?" asked Ganon.
The old man laughed.
"If I did I wouldn't be here."
"Why didn't you buy her a house?" asked Zelda?
"I ask myself the same question every day. I sure did try. Sometimes I feel I didn't try hard enough. Some days I feel I tried too hard. I left the farm and came to the city for nothing. I joined an army. I survived a war. All my money went to rent and food. When I got out I was broke. I raided a dungeon in vain for some gold. Also I did a few construction jobs. I helped to rebuild some of the inns in this city. Now I'm an old man that's not useful to anyone."
Link hugged the old man. Zelda was surprised. That old man reeked. She would never touch him.
"Why don't you go back to your mother?" ask Ganon.
The old guy coughed a few times.
"A pride thing I guess. How could I go back to my mother a total failure. The saddest day of my life is the day I finally realized that my dreams would never be reached."
"What happened?" asked Zelda.
"My hair by then had already turned half gray. My knees had started making these painful grinding noises. I was between jobs then. On that day I gave a love letter to this lady who I really liked. She said 'Eww.' Not no, not something like that. I was disgusting to her. I was either disgusting or nothing to everyone. At that moment I looked back at my life and realized that I have given up my time, my body toward a hope of a future that didn't exist. I was, I am alone. I am poor. I never bought my mother that house."
"I don't want to be like that," said Ganon. "I want to make my mother feel good about me."
The old guy coughed.
"I got nothing to tell you young blood. I know nothing of success, only failure. Just don't dungeon dive. It is a false hope. "
