MALE TALES Issue 1.074: Rocky...

Issue 1.074: Rocky Tale....

Once upon a time, there was a rocky hill towering over the land. They called the place ‘Rocky’. As it was so big, it can be seen for miles. You got lost, you looked out at the horizon and you see ‘Rocky’; that’s the way home. As it was so big, many of the inhabitants of the land came to it for shelter and at times, to stand in its shadow as its ‘Rocky’.

One day, “Rocky’ saw some people at the foot of the hill. The people started to work on the base of the hill, taking away pieces of the rock.

‘Hey, you guys. Why are you taking my rocks away?’ asked Rocky.

‘No, we are not taking your rocks. We are just examining them, and we will come back with them soon.’

So they took more slabs and soon a cave was formed. Then they dug in the cave and moved to the core by tunneling. There they took more ‘rocks’.

‘Hey guys. You completed your sampling of me? I can feel you reaching my core, and that concerns me.’

‘Yup, we almost done. You are a fine specimen, and we appreciate your cooperation.’ So the people starts to packed and was about to leave.

‘Hey guys, you forgot to give me back my rocks?’ But the people heard it not. So the tunnel in the base became weak as no one took any notice of it or repaired it. So it eventually collapsed. And with it the side of the hill also do the same. And as the side felled, the other side also fell due to the uneven weight distribution.

And ‘Rocky’ was gone. So were the people, and soon the surrounding inhabitants. No one refer to ‘Rocky’ for the way home. But ‘Rocky’ was now totally gone. It slowly build its way up again, and grew from a mound to the small plateau and then became a hill. And guess what, the inhabitants came back. But there was something not right. ‘Rocky’ was not the same hill they knew. And it refused to let anyone near it, or dig it. So one day, one grass went up to ‘Rocky’ and asked; ‘Rocky, you okay? We wanna come back but you won’t let us? Are you holding back for some reason?’

‘Nope, I am not. I am just still me, although I changed my looks.’

‘So why can’t we live together again?’

‘We can’t, grass. When I was here before, I took all of you as family. And when I was in trouble, none of you told me. Even when I fell, none of you helped me. When I was building up again, you did not helped me too. And now I am back on my feet, you asked me why?’

‘But we did but you did not listen. You let those people drilled you. Me and the other cousins’ grass; we held you by our roots but you shook us off with your boulder. Ma Tree also tried, but you moved your rocks over her roots, so she died in vain. Uncle Goat tried to climb to tell you but you made it steep for him to climb. So as a family we did. But you ignored us. When you fell, so did we, but we kept your rocks around us so you can grow back. As you grew so did we. We never let you go away at all.’

So ‘Rocky’ realised his arrogance and then reunited with his family, and this time, he looked out for them too. And no one can hurt that hill again or its inhabitants. But he made sure they all speak at all times, good or bad. And they named the place; ‘Family’.