The Cold-hearted Man

Today was a crisp and clear morning, Steve was already awake, he had a plan today, after many years of living alone, he wanted to meet people like him, who were also coldhearted, but had no idea where to start. It was not just a plan, but also an obsession with Steve.

He had been living in this cave since he was a young boy, he could not remember anything before that, but it was a long time ago. He learned to fend for himself, to survive in the wilderness and that was all he knew.

Steve would go out to hunt for meat and gather firewood every day, but he never felt a need to talk to people, he was content in his cave. But now, a few weeks after he had made his plan, he knew it was time to change that.

Steve walked out of his cave, in the distance he saw a group of people, they were gathering around a small fire, he could hear their laughter and the sound of their conversations, it was like a different world.

He approached them slowly, he was not sure if he should make any contact, but one of the people noticed him and called out, "Hello there, welcome to the village. We are happy to have you join us. What brings you out on such a chilly morning?"

Steve just stood there with a blank expression, he wasn't sure what to say, he finally broke his silence and said," I was hoping to find someone like me."

The woman who had spoken to him, she walked up to him and said, "Yes, we are a coldhearted people, but we can also be friendly, you just need to give us a chance."

Steve nodded his head, he had never heard those words before, he felt a weight lift from his shoulders.

From that day on, Steve started to make small contact with the villagers, he would share his food and stories with them, but he still kept his distance.

The woman who had spoken to him, she introduced him to her family, and he started to get to know them better.

He learned about hunting, farming and gathering, he learned about their way of life, but he never lost his coldhearted nature.

One day, the woman he had been getting to know better, her name was Sarah, she came up to him, and said, "Steve, I have a surprise for you, come with me."

He followed her, he saw the surprise she had for him, it was a small wooden carving of a heart.

Steve looked at her, he was not sure what to say, but then he said, "I see your gift, but I have one for you."

He took out his knife and carved a heart-shaped carving out of a piece of wood, it was a gift from him to her.

Sarah smiled, she knew that Steve was changing, he was no longer coldhearted, he had found emotions.

The man, Steve, had become hope.

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The ending was not like what I had written, but it just came to me when I sat down to write. I really appreciate the opportunity to share my story and I hope that my story helps someone.

© Hassan Abubakar Olamilekan

Mystery PEN ✍️