But a child (Surely, God's Will is Done) (983 hits)
Category: NoneRating: 1.96 on 32 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Id (View user info) at 2004-11-23 14:10:59 EST
I once asked myself "why has the world grown so dangerous, so bloody, so torn? What force of evil can be behind all this (for surely the death and destruction we as Americans face must be evil)? Where was the beginning, and more importantly, shall there be an end?" I had traveled back, back many years in the past. To seek my answers.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Young Osama played in the sand. His collection of small towers he was building had begun to take shape. As he set about his task, he repeated the day's lesson from the Koran in his head.
If anyone slays a single soul--
unless it be in punishment for murder or for spreading corruption on earth--
it shall be as though he had slain all humankind;
whereas, if anyone saves a life,
it shall be as though he had saved the lives of all humanity.
Thus I found him laboring. For he was only a child.
I approached. But Osama did not turn and flee, did not run and hide, no, he greeted me with a smile and a nod. For he was happy.
"What is your name?" I asked.
'My name is Osama" replied Osama.
"Ah, I see," said I.
I paused, realizing an opportunity was to be had.
"Osama", said I, "I am from the future." Osama nodded. "I have come to tell you of your life ahead, for it will be a wicked life, filled with anger and pain. You see, little Osama, one day you will make fire fall from the sky, you will send thousands to their deaths, you will command fathers, brothers, and sons to end their lives killing countless other fathers, brothers, sons, daughter, sisters, and mothers. Your name will be met with cries of hatred by millions, your face will be spit upon by entire nations, you body hunted by thousands of armed men seeking your death. Surely, you do not want this."
Osama began to cry, not sobs, just tears of horror. For surely, no one had spoken such horrors to him before.
"This cannot be my fate," thought Young Osama. "I am a good boy. I know my heart is good. Surely, this stranger lies. But wait. Perhaps this but a test. Perhaps this is an angel sent to try my faith. Yes, surely this must be true. The young mind of Osama suddenly saw the truth.
Yes. It was a test of his faith.
"Will I say that it is God's will that I do this?" he asked me.
"ummm.....well, yes, you do, but....."
"Then I needn't hear anymore." Osama's face gained grim determination, his eyes glowing in the fading sun. Yes, he was to be tested in his life. His will and faith were to be put to trial.
"And," proudly proclaimed Young Osama as he left me and went to his house, "God's will shall be done."
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Young Osama grew as we know he did. For surely, he was taught nothing but ignorance, nothing but fanatical religious dogma. He learned to hate America, he learned to destroy, he learned to rain fire from the sky, he learned to send thousands to their deaths. And all the while, God's will was done.
And the towers fell.
And my daughter died.
I went back.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Young Osama played in the sand. His collection of small towers he was building had begun to take shape. As he set about his task, he repeated the day's lesson from the Koran in his head.
If anyone slays a single soul--
unless it be in punishment for murder or for spreading corruption on earth--
it shall be as though he had slain all humankind;
whereas, if anyone saves a life,
it shall be as though he had saved the lives of all humanity.
Thus I found him laboring. For he was only a child.
I approached him. But Osama did not turn and flee, did not run and hide, no, he greeted me stranger with a smile and a nod. For he was happy.
"Come with me," said I, "for I am from the future. I will stop the wickedness of your life from happening."
Young Osama believed me, for he was only a child. I took Osama far, far away from his home. Across the ocean, to America. There I saw to it that Osama was adopted by a good, loving family. For surely, as he was but a child, he would not grow into the monster, would not learn to hate America. There I left him, assured with myself that I had saved thousands, maybe millions of lives.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Osama did not grow as we know he did. He loved his new home, convinced that this was God's will that he live in America. He graduated, he became a pilot. On September the 11th, he piloted an airplane. On route to America, he suddenly suffered a heart attack and died at the controls. The cabin door also malfunctioned and refused anyone access. The plane veered off course, to New York City, and slammed into the North Tower. Five minutes later, it fell, tipping upon the South Tower and destroying it as well. All experts agreed that it was impossible, that only one should have fallen, that the physics of it all were just not right.
When interviewed, one of said experts was quoted: "maybe this was God's will."
And fire rained from the sky.
And thousands were sent to their deaths.
And the towers fell.
And my daughter died.
And I went back.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Young Osama played in the sand. His collection of small towers he was building had begun to take shape. As he set about his task, he repeated the day's lesson from the Koran in his head.
If anyone slays a single soul--
unless it be in punishment for murder or for spreading corruption on earth--
it shall be as though he had slain all humankind;
whereas, if anyone saves a life,
it shall be as though he had saved the lives of all humanity.
Thus I found him laboring. For he would only be a child.
I approached, silently wishing he would turn and flee, silently hoping he would run and hide. But no, just a smile and a nod. He was happy.
"What.....is your name?" I asked.
"My name is Osama" replied Osama.
"I know..." said I. Tears began to flow down my face.
"Osama...I am from the future. I have come to tell you of your ahead, for it will be a wicked life, filled with anger and pain. You see, little Osama, one day you will make fire fall from the sky, you will send thousands to their deaths, you will command fathers, brothers, and sons to end their lives killing countless other fathers, brothers, sons, daughter, sisters, and mothers. Your name will be met with cries of hatred by millions, your face will be spit upon by entire nations, you body hunted by thousands of armed men seeking your death. Surely, you do not want this."
Osama shook his head, as I knew he would. The tears I had beheld before began to trickle down his face. For surely, no one had spoken to him of such horrors before.
I waited. I waited for Young Osama to look up, for the grim determination to appear, for his eyes to glow in the fading sun. I knew.
"Will I say that it is God's will that I do this?"
"Yes........" I said, barely whispering, "yes you do...."
"Then I needn't hear..." Osama stopped mid sentence, and looked down at the knife I had thrust into his young heart. He looked up at me, not in anger or terror, but in questioning.
"Why?" he breathed. And then he died.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Osama did not grow. He did not learn fanatical religious dogma, did not learn to hate America, did not learn to rain fire from the sky, did not kill thousands.
On September the 11th, the Twin Towers fell. No one knew why. Some speculated terrorism, as they would, but no evidence could be found to suggest that. Some wondered aloud if structural flaws were to blame. Many people refused to live in high rise apartment for months afterwards. In the end, no explanation was given. Save that is was an act of God.
I had not saved thousands, maybe millions. I had killed one.
And the towers still fell
And my daughter still died.
I had once spoken with God. "MY WILL IS CHOICE. MY WILL IS FREEDOM. ALL OF MAN HAS THE CHOICE, AS I DID WHEN I MADE YOU. I GAVE YOU THE POWER TO REASON, TO LAUGH, AND LOVE. BUT WITH IT MUST ALSO BE THE POWER TO KILL, TO CRY, AND TO HATE. YOU ARE FREE TO LIVE AS YOU WOULD. YOU ARE FREE TO DO GOOD.....AS YOU ARE FREE TO DO EVIL" God had said.
I now knew. The evil we faced was God's will. And surely, God's will was done.
User Reviews
Submitted by Adona (user info) at 2005-03-08 18:01:31 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Very good.
Submitted by Jo_of_the_golden_P (user info) at 2004-11-24 02:04:38 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by darko (user info) at 2004-11-24 01:04:03 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
frankly, i just wasn't feeling this one so much.
Submitted by klebe (user info) at 2004-11-24 00:56:43 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Genius!!!
Submitted by Genko (user info) at 2004-11-23 23:46:18 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Bravo.
Submitted by Kent_Weirdo (user info) at 2004-11-23 23:23:35 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Some parts of it seemed kind of hokey, but who am I to break a +2 streak?
Submitted by creep_firebombing (user info) at 2004-11-23 23:01:32 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by comicbookguy (user info) at 2004-11-23 21:37:57 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
fucking brilliant
Submitted by Seralena (user info) at 2004-11-23 19:28:12 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Wow. Just wow.
Submitted by Davros (user info) at 2004-11-23 19:18:41 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Id (user info) at 2004-11-23 15:42:45 (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Davros (user info) at 2004-11-23 14:24:46 (#)
Ranking: 2
You have some very interesting ideas. Are you a religous person? Or just someone with Faith? Or neither, and I am an Asshole.
- Davros
________________________________________________________________________
To be honest, I don't know. This may be some manner of faith-quest in disguise...and I haven't realized it yet.
I guess I do believe that there is something.....whatever it is.
----------------------------------------------
To be fair that is exactly the answer I hoped to hear.
It makes it so much easier to read your articles as I see you are on a similar level to me.
Touche.
-Davros
Submitted by QueenAshlee (user info) at 2004-11-23 19:08:24 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I'm at work right now, so as much as this makes me want to cry, that is unfeasible, but you should know that this really pulled at something in my heart, which is not easy to do. Thank you for sharing this with me.
Submitted by LadyPlural (user info) at 2004-11-23 16:55:49 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I like this. A *LOT*.
Submitted by munkeypants (user info) at 2004-11-23 16:28:32 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by acrog (user info) at 2004-11-23 15:54:54 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
points to ponder
very interesting
Submitted by i_walk_alone (user info) at 2004-11-23 15:44:54 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
well written and well thought out, the philosophical writing is a nice change. keep it up
Submitted by Id (user info) at 2004-11-23 15:42:45 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Davros (user info) at 2004-11-23 14:24:46 (#)
Ranking: 2
You have some very interesting ideas. Are you a religous person? Or just someone with Faith? Or neither, and I am an Asshole.
- Davros
________________________________________________________________________
To be honest, I don't know. This may be some manner of faith-quest in disguise...and I haven't realized it yet.
I guess I do believe that there is something.....whatever it is.
Submitted by NerfHerder (user info) at 2004-11-23 15:41:05 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
mmmhmm. +2.
Submitted by zakalwe (user info) at 2004-11-23 15:24:06 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Read it again.
Submitted by Durae (user info) at 2004-11-23 15:17:40 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Nice work, as always.
Submitted by Smoothe (user info) at 2004-11-23 15:13:19 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
that is some great fucking writing
Submitted by tinactin (user info) at 2004-11-23 14:50:32 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
First of all, let me once again say that this is beautifully written and well deserving of my +2. I'm glad to say I had even a slight hand in the creation of this post.
It does bring to mind some ideas on time travel, but this isnt the place for those now. An interesting piece on fate, and I can't wait to see where you go with it.
Submitted by GodLovesALittleLovin (user info) at 2004-11-23 14:49:26 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by firefly (user info) at 2004-11-23 14:48:28 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by SAECULUM.AUREUM (user info) at 2004-11-23 14:31:37 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Very well done.
(Fate is the mechanism of our superegos acting within the bounds of infinite time.)
Submitted by Sassmasterr (user info) at 2004-11-23 14:29:20 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
kudos, my hero. - dave grohl
Submitted by lojope (user info) at 2004-11-23 14:27:02 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I love what you are doing with this.
Submitted by Davros (user info) at 2004-11-23 14:24:46 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Superb.
But so was the first one.
I look forward to seeing where you go with the series.
You have some very interesting ideas. Are you a religous person? Or just someone with Faith? Or neither, and I am an Asshole.
-Davros
Submitted by AshK (user info) at 2004-11-23 14:23:03 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
This is excellent.
Submitted by zakalwe (user info) at 2004-11-23 14:19:00 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Forgot to say: WOW!
Submitted by zakalwe (user info) at 2004-11-23 14:18:31 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
So 9/11 was just God venting at the WTC?
Penis envy?
Submitted by BillsSBChamps (user info) at 2004-11-23 14:16:08 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I'm coming to your bumfuck town and kidnapping your magic writing troll.
Submitted by Id (user info) at 2004-11-23 14:13:43 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Hello
This is the second part of what I guess will eventually become a series.
Here's the first part: http://www.ubersite.com/m/51685
I had not intended a series, but then tinactin brought forth this http://www.ubersite.com/m/51870
I got way too many ideas stuck in my head to not continue. So...we'll see how this goes.
Thanks tinactin.