Cement for the Chest Cavity

I stared at the man who had fallen asleep on my farm. He was normal in all appearance except for the giant hole in his chest. I nudged him with the blunt side of the machete I held. He started to stir.

“Who are you?”  I asked holding the blade over his head.

“Woah Woah!” he held his hands up.

“Answer me!” I demanded.

“I don’t know.” he slurred.

“What?”

“I’m being honest I don’t know. I can’t remember.”

“What about that?”  I pointed at the hole in his chest, you could see all the way to the other side of the farm through it.

He looked at it, feeling as if checking if something was missing. “I don’t know, I just know something was taken from me. I don’t know what. I’ve been like this for quite a while now.”

“Were you going somewhere? This place is a bit remote, no one comes here without a good reason.”

“Well” he smacked his head, “I wish I could remember, I don’t know that either but I’m sorry for trespassing, I’ll be on my way out soon.”

He got up and started dusting himself.

“Don’t you know where you’re going or if you have anyone looking for you?”

He gave painful smile, “Actually, that is something I know, people see the hole and at once think I’m a bad omen so I have to go almost as soon as I get somewhere.”

For a moment he seemed less of a threat, even human.  He was already putting his hat on though.

I stopped pointing my blade at him and said, “If you’re interested, I have some extra breakfast, I wouldn’t mind the extra company.”

He weighed it for a moment before saying, “that would be nice, thank you.”

As we started walking towards the house I added, “I also am in need of an extra hand. The pay is dirt but you would have a roof over your head and daily meals.”

He smiled at me as he saw what I was trying to do and as he nodded in acceptance I think I saw the hole in his heart grew a bit smaller.

 

 

Inspired by Daily Post: Cavity