Rough is the road

Rough is the road to knowledge and experience. Early on, he knew that to beat his fear of the unknown and his ignorance of nearly everything about them, he should not be in denial of this ignorance.

He had to discover the truth, be it anatomy, what the masters had written, and, irony, the best time to try. Ah, how impatient he was, as a boy, to have a chance to unravel, to undress the hidden beauty.

Enterprise

Can you imagine what an enterprise it is, starting from the zero of near-innocence? He learned from books and from friends, those who had been there before him.

They had already tasted the forbidden fruit. But do friends tell the truth, or do they create, imagine, their own reality?

Who can one believe, who is dependable, and capable of not betraying a secret?

After many rough trials and errors, and countless missed opportunities, he finally learned from her. She became the first candy he could unwrap.

The discovery did not fall far from his expectations. It confirmed, even if he was disappointed with the outcome, what his best guesses had led him to believe.

He understood the hallucinating nature of the object, as Brassens had sung.

Maturity

Thus, maturity came, slowly, over the years. But is this an exaggeration, a conflation of time, of missed chances, of errors, of selfishness?

He learned also to mitigate, even sublimate his appetite through physical exercise and sometimes violent sports.

His best efforts were rewarded by other encounters, which allowed him to explore colours, textures, and scents, and become a full linguist.

In the same way as gastronomy is enhanced by fasting, he accepted that reflecting on his expanding experience by himself was worth practising.

Between elation and doubt

It remained a favourite. Although over time, he became choosy and aware of the risks.

This grey interval, between elation and doubt, between the rosy clouds and dark omen, is everywhere in the written world.

When he finally settled, he worked hard to become his ideal, his own hero of masculinity: a paragon of loyalty and faithfulness.

He felt a sense of rough, emotional debt to her. She had helped him achieve his long-held childhood dream.

The thrilling desire to unwrap and savour the sweetness of that candy reminded him of his youthful ambitions and taught him a valuable lesson along the way.

He owed her for achieving his youth’s dream, but this time, in a spiritual way.

As he grew older, he transferred his enthusiasm to art, writing, and walks with her through deep woods and mountains.

He aspired to some form of monastic existence and discovered she was willing.

This new project would take time and could end only in the way such adventures ended, as both knew enough of their ability to turn their dream into reality.

“Pour connaître une femme il faut toute une vie“

(To know one woman takes the whole life)

Inspired by Fandango’s One Word Challenge of February 8, by Three Things Challenge #M598, and the candy!