Sunset - Afterglow

6

Baffled by what had just happened, Marc stood up and left the church. Slowly, Marc ambled towards home and tried to reflect on the conversation with the priest. He felt really affronted by the man of god because he did not expect an outcome like this. He expected some comforting, maybe even a scolding, but never a condemnation.

"Well, if there was a god, I would not want anything to do with this guy" concluded Marc.

Because if this god was existing, he would have a cruel sense of humour and not be loving like they say. And therefore there must be no god. Marcs mind was set. At least there was something that stayed the same way as it was before that one day.

Since Marc was sure about the inexistence of god, he would have to search for an other reason, for another meaning of life.

It was only now that Marc realised that he was wandering around with no particular goal in mind. He was afraid. He was afraid of going to an empty home, he was afraid of going to rest and he was afraid of a meaningless existence. Mark broke down and cried. He cried until the head pounded stronger than ever before. He just sat next to the road with his tears rolling down his face uncontrollably. The hours passed each other and Marc still sat there. He was not crying anymore and even if he wanted to, he couldn't find one more tear.

The beeping of his phone shook him out of his state. His mum has texted him. Hope came up in Marc as he was hoping for someone to care, anyone. All the hope crushed down to a huge pile of anger and sadness when he read the message. "You still owe us money from your studies. You have our bank details. –Mum". With disappointment, Marc lowered his phone and got angry. He was not angry at his parents or his mum in particular. He was angry at himself. He was angry because he realised just recently that he had no one. How could he expect that someone would pop up out of nowhere.

Marc had to take a deep breath to bring order to his thoughts and got to a conclusion. "Don't expect anything from anyone. Like that, you can't get disappointed or hurt." That sounded like a clear and easy enough credo for Marc, so he got up and was on the way home. Still afraid, but on the way.