The Chamber

I stared out one of the windows on my house waiting for my guest.  He’s a mysterious guest that I have never met before.  I hope he likes my house; it is an odd house.  It’s red with two cracked windows that I always keep dark with the green curtains drawn, and a pink door that stays open most of the time with a white, brick path leading up to my door.  My strange house also has a strange garden to match.  The garden is all in the front yard.  It has many flowers and bushes.  But my favorite part of my garden are the fruit trees.  I have a “patience” tree, a “kindness” tree, and a “generosity” tree.  But those are just a few that I have.  I have many more.  Sadly, my poor little fruit trees are all wilted.

My odd little house, that matches my odd little garden, has many rooms all with different purposes.  There’s the front hall known as “acquaintance”, which is just inside of the pink door.  Many people have been in this hall, but few go beyond it into the other rooms.  Then there is the living room I call “friendship”.  Many people have been in this room, but some decide they don’t like it and leave.  It’s quite rude.  Then there is the dining room/ kitchen called “brotherhood”.  Few people have been in there, but, typically, they always stay and some even get to explore the next room!  “Family” is what I call it.  It’s a lounge where even fewer people have been.  It is decorated with many of my works of art, with many stories and books written by me placed on the shelves, and the many ribbons and trophies I have acquired called “qualities”.  There is a gold vase with the word “intelligent” carved onto it and a colorful plaque with the word “creative” written on it in gold ink.  But my favorite, is my big, blue sapphire heart with “compassion” etched onto it.  But, those are just a few of my “qualities”.  I have many more.  Unfortunately, my trophies called “qualities” are all dusty and grimy.

Then there is my bedroom I call “soul”.  It is the room upstairs where the two cracked windows lead.  I always keep this room dark so no one can see inside.  Even when I’m in the room, I never turn the lights on.  Only three people have seen it.  And they’ve only caught a glimpse inside when I forget to close the door on my way out.  So no one, except me, has ever actually set foot in that room.

    But then there is the basement I call “secrets”.  It’s deep deep below the surface, where it’s dark and hidden.  It’s the only place I can hide my annoying roommates.  I don’t let them out, but sometimes they climb up the mountain of stairs, pick the lock to the door and wander about the house.  Luckily, I always catch them before anyone else sees them.  Who are my roommates?  Well, there is Sadness, who is really irritating!  She always tells me what’s wrong with my house, she especially likes to point out the broken windows.  There is also Fear.  He always tells me what can go wrong.  He makes me doubt the people who reside in the rooms known as “family” and “brotherhood”.  I have to mention Anger.  He likes to mess with my fruit trees.  I don’t like him very much.  There is also Regret, Fear’s twin sister.  She tells me what I did wrong, (while Fear tells me what can go wrong).  She tells me how I screwed everything up and why I don’t deserve my “qualities”.  And I can’t forget Pride.  Pride is the worst of them all!  He’s loud, obnoxious, belittling, and chases people away with his poisonous words and enormous ego!  But, I always lock him and my other roommates in the basement, where no one can find them!  No one is allowed in the basement I call “secrets”.  Not even I go down there.  Now, back to the guest.

    I was staring out of the cracked windows down onto the path that leads to the ever-open door.  On the horizon, I could see him!  My guest!  I rushed downstairs and double-checked the lock on the door that leads down to “secrets” to make sure it was shut properly.  It was so tight that my obnoxious roommates would never get out!  I skipped over to the open door to greet my guest.  I waved excitedly as He waved back.  “Welcome to my home!” I greeted maybe a little too loudly.  My guest smiled and stepped in.

    

My guest stayed in my house for a very long time, he swept through the various rooms quickly.  He was a very nice guest.  He tended to my garden so now my fruit trees now bare the most decadent fruits I’ve ever tasted!  He also polished my trophies and now they have more shine and luster than ever before!  He even repaired my broken windows for me, though he did pierce both of his wrists while doing so.  I don’t know how he repaired those windows, because I didn’t tell him where “soul” was, and He certainly couldn’t have been in there if I didn’t let him in.

One day as I was peacefully reading under my perfectly tended “patience” tree I saw Sadness moping out of the house onto the brick path that leads up to my door.  “I’ll go.  You obviously don’t want me here,” Sadness whined as she drudged down the path away from my house.  Next, Fear and Regret were thrown out into the mud, “hey!  What was that for?!” They shouted in unison, “get out!  You don’t belong here!” my guest shouted from the open door.  As Fear and Regret scurried away from the booming voice of my guest, Anger hobbled down my porch steps mumbling and grumbling profanities under his breath.  He too headed away from my house down the path.  And finally, Pride was stomping out.  “Fine!  Fine!  I’m going!  Geez!” Pride grumbled stomping down the path like an angry two-year-old.  A wide smile shone brightly on my face.  I dropped my book onto the lush grass and rushed up to my guest to embrace him in a grateful hug.  “Thank you, thank you thank you thank you!” I muttered over and over.  My guest looked me in the eyes as I let go, “anything for my best friend,” He smiled.  I could not stop smiling!  I was so happy!  My stupid roommates were gone for good!  “How could I ever thank you?!” I shouted.  My guest looked back into the house through the open door, then back at me, “you could thank me by letting me stay?” He suggested, “oh yes!  Yes yes yes!” I chanted jumping up and down.  I took my guest by the hand, being careful not to touch the holes in his wrist he acquired whilst repairing my windows, and lead him into my house.

He and I happily reside there together with the many other guests that pass through my house.  The only difference between Him and my other guests is that my guest never, ever leaves, and I don’t think he ever will.  But– I don’t think I want him to.