Komorebi

[Mel Rose]

Haze rested her head on her palm, drummed her fingers on the table and gazed off towards somewhere in the corner, thinking about what Olivia had just said. A bird call sounded off in the distance.

"Back on Earth," she started, still looking away, somehow prompted by the bird, "centuries ago, there lived an adventurer by the name of Giacomo Casanova, a wannabe scholar and a legendary seducer of women. He seemed to have a trait that most would envy him greatly for — misfortune just did not seem to stick to him. He described the tales of his exploits in an autobiography, in ten beefy volumes entitled Story of My Life."

"Aside from it lacking any literary merit, it's notable for providing an engrossing account of all the dips and bounces, twists and turns, downfalls and ascents of a man who seemed to have luck on his side. Casanova felt that every time he encountered any difficulty, his lucky star, his étoile, would pull him out of trouble. Every time, when things got bad, an invisible hand of fortune somehow showed up and make them go away."

Without moving her head, she moved her eyes back on Olivia. "Could it be, that this particular mister Casanova was selected by destiny to bounce back from all hardships? We hear of those constantly. Are we down on our luck because all of it has been consumed on the Casanovas of our day?" She paused for a second for effect.

"I don't think so. Of all the colourful adventurers who have lived, many would have been crushed, and many bounced back. Many young boys, I imagine, read stories of Casanova and thought themselves his equal, only to just end up dead in a ditch or impaled by a sword of an angry father whose daughter they tried to woo. And the few who survive believe they are indestructible. People sing their praises. They become extravagant bon-vivants. And even fewer live long enough and gather enough experience to write books, to permanently keep them in memory. That is, of course, until...," she slid her index finger across her throat in the familiar gesture.

"Fortune is not something we control, but just by the fact that we are here, talking, and we have such interesting times behind us is a testament to incredible luck indeed. The longer I live, the more I learn that chance is just a fact of life. Some have it on their side, some don't. It can't be controlled, though it can, I think, in some way be helped." She seemed like she wanted to continue, but the waitress has just arrived with her cup of green tea, which occupied her attention for the moment.

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Jennifer Haze Does Not Exist :: Filing Cabinet :: Swords into Plowshares
Liminality :: Good in Red :: Past to Present :: Fish of the Sea