A Quest For Love..
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Synopsis
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A Quest For Love
The sun was very bright in the town of Green Valley. It was the kind of sun that made the grass look like green velvet and the sky look like a big blue blanket. Most people in Green Valley were very happy. They said hello to each other. They shared cookies. They laughed at the jokes the mailman told. But there was one place in the town that felt different. That place was the neighborhood park. It was a beautiful park with big oak trees and a pond with ducks. However, there was a rule that every child and every adult knew by heart. When the big clock on the tall town tower struck four, you had to stay away from the park. You had to pick up your toys. You had to call your dogs. You had to leave as fast as your legs could carry you.
This was because of Mr. Okafor.
Mr. Okafor was a man who seemed to carry a dark cloud over his head even on the brightest days. He was very tall and very thin. His face was not soft like a pillow. Instead, his face was as hard as a cracked sidewalk that had been baked in the sun for too many years. He had deep lines around his mouth that never seemed to move. He had eyes that looked like cold gray stones. Every single day, exactly at four o’clock, Mr. Okafor would walk into the park. He did not look at the flowers. He did not look at the ducks in the pond. He walked straight to his favorite wooden bench. This bench was near the playground, right across from the swing set.
Once he reached the bench, Mr. Okafor would sit down. He sat so still that he looked like a frozen statue. He never smiled at the birds. He never waved at the people walking by. He certainly never talked to anyone. The people in the neighborhood were afraid of him. They whispered about him when they thought no one was listening. The children had many stories about why Mr. Okafor was so mean. Some said he was a wizard who had lost his magic. Others said he was a king from a far away land who had been sent away. But the most popular story was that his heart had turned to stone many years ago. They believed that if you touched his chest, you would only hear the sound of a rock hitting another rock.
Written By: A.F.P.
