It’s the Beans!

Forward: The following is a fictional story. It was conceived out of real life events, but the cast of characters are totally made up. It was written with the desire to express feelings, but not with the desire to hurt or harm anyone. If anyone reading this thinks that it is about you and you take offense, then I own that fault and am truly sorry. That being said, I hope that you enjoy my meager attempt at telling a short story.

It’s the Beans!

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there was a man who had a small family. The family had originally moved far away from their home land and were a happy family. One of their main objectives for living so far away from their homeland was because of their love for helping others and helping these other to become happy. The family was not rich financially, but was blessed to have most of their needs met. The family was pleased to live where they did, even though it was far, far away from their original home.

They knew that there was hurt in the world. They knew that there was suffering and evil all around the neighborhood where they lived, yet they were content with living there. The family tried to ease the pain and suffering in the lives of those they came in contact with by doing their part to combat the evil around them.

It was said about the city where they lived that experiencing evil was just a part of the reality of being there. They said that is was not a matter of whether or not people living in the city would get hurt, but a matter of when someone would get hurt. In spite of this, the parents were in hopes that this evil would never rear its ugly head while in front of them or their children. This, however, was not to be and evil did in fact rear its ugly head.

One evening, after the parents had returned home from trying to do their part to pull back the darkness of their part of the world something evil happened. That evening, they were exposed to an aspect of evil that they had never before experienced, nor did they ever want to experience. Evil was brought onto them, not by their choice, but by their circumstance.

That particular evening, the mom and dad were confronted directly by evil, and their innocence was forever taken away. That event was very traumatic. That event was very scary. That event was emotionally painful for the both of them. The husband watched in horror as two bad men kept the him several feet away another bad man ooggeled and oggeled over his wife. The wife watched in horror as her husband was pushed, prodded and forced to give up their possessions. While, after all, things are just that, things, and things can be replaced; a part of this couples’ peace and serenity were pilfered by these bad men.

After this evil event, the couple thought that as tragic as this event was, they reasoned that should be able to walk through their pain and learn to go on with life. After all, having already gone through this experience, they reasoned that they had “been there and done that!” They were naïve to think that the odds should now in their favor. They thought that surely something so evil wouldn’t happen twice? After all, they reasoned, lightening never strikes twice in the same place, right? So much for their reasoning, because this too was not the way that it was to be.

Seven weeks after their loss of innocence, the family and some friends from the “old country” were on a pleasurable evening together. It was a night of good eating, fun and laughter. As the family returned to their mode of transportation, the father of the house was confronted by another evil person. Unlike the time before when evil came in a cluster, this evil was in the form of a much younger, solitary man of evil. The father did what he could to protect his family and his friends. He put himself in harm’s way, allowing his money to be taken. He felt somewhat relieved that no one else was forced into departing with their possessions. This time it was not just the mom and dad who had to lost their innocence, it was their family and their friends.

Also, in this land that was far, far away there lived a boss-man. He was a compassionate man who was as sincere as sincerity gets. He told the man and woman, “if you no longer feel comfortable with where you live, let me know and I will do all that I can to relocate you to a safer area.” The family felt comforted in these words and they gave it their best shot to stay where they were where the trauma had first occurred. They tried and tried to “feel comfortable” in the area where they had once felt safety and peace, in the place where they had lived, before their experience of original evil.

After several months had passed, a suggestion was made by one of the “official”, yet minimal in power, “beanary-men”*. This beanary-man had more “power” and “say so” than the couple. The couple reckoned that this suggestion must have been directed from the “higher-ups”. You know, that special place where edicts are announced and the heavens move because of them. The man and his wife assumed that this suggestion was presented because, after all, they had tried and tried to “feel comfortable” in their area, but in spite of their serious attempt at feeling comfortable, it just wasn’t happening. The suggestion was made that the family needed to consider a move across the Great Divide, to the land of the “Gated Communities”. After all, it was reasoned that living across the Great Divide would be closer to where the children were going to school and to where new works were being considered.

The man and wife were given very strict guidelines on what were to be the conditions if a possible move across the Great Divide was to happen. There were told that there were strict size restrictions to consider. There were told that there were strict accommodation restrictions to consider. There were told that there were strict location restrictions to consider. And of course, there were told that there were bean restrictions to consider.

The man and his wife went searching high and low, far and wide as to what, when, where and how a possible move across the Great Divide might occur. The couple kept constant and vigilant correspondence with the “Powers that Be” to be sure that they were staying within the various considered strict restrictions. They were told that “staying on track” was a must and staying on track is what they did. Heeding the guidelines was essential, so guidelines of course were heeded. Rarely did a week go by that a noted update, via the satellites, with an up-to-the-minute appraisal of progress occurred. The children too were involved in this great adventure. The kids were all excited that maybe, some day, they too would live closer to their school and friends, many of whom already lived across the Great Divide. The family prayed and prayed and prayed some more! They felt good and positive in the fact that there was hope for a new tomorrow!

It was during this ordeal, the Higher Ups questioned the man “if” in the danger zone where he currently lived, or “if” a possible move across the Great Divide, would impact his strategy regarding reaching those who were still being held in darkness? His response was an honest one; “helping people to learn to become happy is not determined by where someone lives.” In the man’s ignorance, what he failed to recognize was that the strategy being used to help push back the darkness, verses the need for his family to feel safe and secure are not the same thing.

Finally, after many prospective locations were sifted through, after one location was discarded from another, and being sure to stay within the strict guidelines of the whos, whats, whens, wheres and hows, a final decision was presented. The mom and dad sent off to the “official”, yet minimal in power, beanary-man the final three best choices. They even included digitalized pictures and a list of pluses and minuses of each location. The final “Say So” was left into the hands of the “Grand PooPah of the Beanary-men” and his minions.

The family waited as patient as anyone could. Weeks went by awaiting the Great Decision. At last, the night before the announcement of the Great Decision, the man received a phone call. The family was informed that there was a 99.9% surety that a move across the Great Divide was just around the corner. The family was told not to start to packing their bags quite yet, but that a “Say So” from those who have the power to “Say So” would give their “Say So” the very next day and that everything was smelling of roses!

Finally, after much research, prayer, constant contact, with open lines of communication for purpose of clarity, making sure that the family had followed the strict guidelines and that everything that had been asked for had been heeded, then with even more prayer, finally a decision was made! The family was told that the Grand PooPah had reviewed all of the precious research, the final three best choices including the digitalized pictures that included the list of pluses and minuses of each location had been reviewed. The family had been told that the Grand PooPah had released his verdict and the verdict was . . .

. . . “Have some estimates made of your current house and do some remodeling to make it safer.”

The family was once again in shock. The family had obviously been stuck in some kind of a time-warp continuum, a vortex of some sort must have been crossed. Maybe the whole bunches and bunches of weeks, the searching after the many prospects of locations, the sifting through of one location after another, the discarding of one property for another, and finally coming to a decision of the final three best choices that included digital pictures and a list of pluses and minuses, the family reasoned that maybe, just maybe, it was all just a bad dream. The man remembered that old TV show “Dallas”, how after Bobby Ewing had been killed, and after a whole season of events went by, it was discovered that it was all just a bad dream. The audience of “Dallas” was left with the story that Bobby had never really been killed; that it never really happened, it was all just a bad dream. Obviously, the man and his family had misunderstood the strict directions and guidelines, the purpose to move across the Great Divide. Obviously, it must have been the family who originally came up with the decision to make this move. It must have been the family’s pushing, prodding, cajoling and forcing of this matter, that caused the Powers at Be to even consider to go along with such a ridicules and radical pursual to move across the Great Divide. After all, the family must have been expecting Pie in the Sky. A new innocence had been taken away. The dad began to think that that although it may be true Virginia that “yes, there really is a Santa Clause”, safety, security issues and the desire to protect one’s family are not all that they’re cracked up to be!

So, with great confusion and an extreme emotional let down, the family did obey the edict as it was handed down from the Great PooPah of the Beanary-men. Estimates for staying in the danger zone and the remodeling their current environment were taken. Moneys were appropriated. Dirt was removed and an electric gate was installed, one with even a remote control!! In all seriousness, the family was truly grateful for the changes that were made. The family did feel somewhat safer, even though they remained in the danger zone.

The family learned from their experiences. But their recovery from their pain was not aided or diminished because of the Grand PooPah of the Beanary-men or his minions. Their emotional recovery did not come from empty words that were full of false hope. They survived the ordeal through the love, patience and compassion of those whom they came to help become happy. For you see, the family learned that it’s not all about the beans, it’s about those for whom we came to serve.

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* Beanary-man – a person who’s job it is to count beans. Beanary-men come in all sizes of importance; there are big ones and little ones; ones of great importance and others with minimal importance. Some times beanary-men of little importance and “Say So” like to feel like that have more importance than they actually have. The bottom line to a Beanary-man is always the beans!