The Father of the Barren Woman

[Guest guest]

I know a guy who badly wanted a grand-child.

He believed the survival of his line depended on

that. Everyone one of his ancestors had had a child

that passed the family genes along. This army of

ancestors stretching back to the first human, demanded

the passing of this torch to a new generation. He

could not bare the thought that his only daughter

would let that flame die.

 

His daughter was barren and it much pained her to

see her dad suffering so. She went to the most

famous sorcerer in town and asked him for a child. The

sorcerer informed her it was written in the stars that

she will never be a mother, but for a price, he could

give her an imitation child. It wouldn't be human or

alive, but it would look and act as if it were a real

human. Her father would be completely fooled by this

child simulacrum.

 

The woman payed the stiff fee, and the wizard

mixed a bunch of molecules and shaped them to

look like a baby girl. With a secret incantation

the sorcerer made the molecules behave as if

they were alive. The beehive of molecules behaved

as a newborn child. The wizard cautioned the mother

that she not only needed to treat the beehive as if

it were a child, but she must believe it, and

love it as such, otherwise, it would revert to its

inanimate state.

 

The proud grandfather was static with joy, the

whole family loved the molecule beehive at first

sight and were fooled by it. I, on being shown the

child, imprudently proclaimed, " That is not a real

child. It's just a bunch of molecules. "

 

The whole family looked at me as if I were mad. The

granddad, who was of a philosophical cast of mind,

asked me, " How is it that you can tell, and we can't? "

 

" Easy, I don't love it, therefore, I can see is not

real. Anything that you regard with strong emotion

becomes real to you. Whatever you love, or hate would

seem real. Only dispassion reveals illusion. "

 

The grandfather struck his chin deeply in thought. " I

pity you, my friend, I'd rather love than see reality. "

 

" You're right, reality without love is a curse.

The trick is too love illusion, and still see it as

such. Can you love something and see it as not real? "

 

" No I can't. "

 

" Well, excuse my mistake then, I can see now your

granddaughter is as real as you are, " I said

and left chuckling softly.

 

Pete