The following is an adaptation of Leslie Silko‘s tale telling of how evil first came to be.

A22 entered the world at dawn on a cold winter’s day.  The third child of proud parents A7 and A940.  Relatives from far and wide had come to be present for the birth and after the excitement of the delivery, focus soon turned to the upcoming feast which was to commemorate A22’s birth.  Everyone pitched in except of course for A22, A7, and A940 who, after 17 hours in labor, retired to bed so that they would be well rested come dinner time.  Not even the clanging of pots and pans would wake this child.  The family awoke hours later to find a feast fit for a king (if kings were still a thing).  There were plates heaping with all sorts of delicious fruits and fruit dishes, all freshly and lovingly prepared.  A22 and A940 graciously thanked their family and friends for putting in so much work to make this special day all the more special.

A22’s siblings, A20 and A21, were thrilled to have a new baby in the family.  They took on many of the responsibilities involved in child raising and did so happily.  Neighbors and strangers alike helped one another in all sorts of ways too.  Those who faced challenges with their mobility, those who had a bad crop, anyone who needed help received it without even asking. That is just how things were.

A few days later, while collecting seashells on the beach, A20 came across a body that appeared to have washed ashore.  A20 called out for help and everyone who heard came to help.  This person was alive but barely.  They were dressed in tattered clothes and thin, very thin.  After a warm bath, a hot meal, and some new clothes, this person was well enough to talk.  My name is K5, the person stated, and I have fled my homeland.  K5 went on in great detail about how a once happy existence in his homeland had turned to chaos after two neighbors had a dispute over land.  Things deteriorated quickly and one neighbor set fire to the other neighbor’s crop.  The drought-stricken, parched land went up in flame within seconds and by day’s end most of the island had been torched.  Things had been bad enough due to the drought but now, even the meager harvest had been destroyed in the fire.  Tough times, it would seem, brought out the worst in people.

This was all quite a shock to the As who could not understand how people could turn against one another so quickly.  They had known nothing but peace for their entire existence and tough times were always overcome by the community working together.  They also didn’t understand why two people would argue over land as all the land on their island was shared amongst the community.  K5 was welcomed into this community and given a place to live.  k5 was happy to have been accepted and adjusted quickly to this new found society.  But a few days later, boatloads of people from K5’s island began to arrive.  They too were in bad shape but all of the As helped out to provide food and shelter for the Ks.  Everyone was friendly to one another and get to know each other and hear the stories about the difficult life on the island they had fled.

One day A940 awoke to find K71 erecting a fence around a portion of land not far from their home. “Give me a hand, would you” K71 shouted from across the field.  “Of course” said A490. “What are you building”?  K71 proclaimed that this was to be their new property.  A940, slightly uncomfortably, stated that the land belonged to the community and that his family would be happy to feed and house K71 and K71’s family if they liked.  “No, this will be my home”, K71 stated, and that was the end of the conversation.  

More and more came to the island and more and more fences went up.  Weeks passed, and an uneasy feeling fell over the island.  All of the As, who had been so kind and helpful to the Ks in their time of need, were now suffering as a result.  

Months pass.

Resources are extracted.

Land is abused.

Selfish ways ensue.

A dispute arises.

A match is lit.

A22.

 

Evil does not exist, but selfishness may not be too far from it.  Stop.  Think.  Act with compassion.

 

The preceding story does not necessarily represent the author’s personal views/beliefs.

 

I reference Silko’s tale roughly in this adaptation of how “evil first came to be”.  This is my first attempt at writing fiction, or adapted fiction, and I had not a clear path in mind when I began to write.  I feel as if this story could have gone in many directions and also as if it was bound by the concept of what I perceive to be colonization.  I took more of a literal approach to this theme but home that my focus on peace is what stands out.  To be one hundred percent honest I find it very difficult and stressful living in Canada (Vancouver) today because many, not all, people are incredibly selfish.  To those who have faced challenges such as those of the characters in my story I feel compassion.  I face a constant internal battle about whether to let go or intensify and go after those who are “evil”.  I am still trying to figure out which has the best outcome.

I am far to ashamed of myself to share this with anyone other to the one who I am closest to. This person shared my feelings of, lets call it, outrage towards those who are selfish.  At this point in time (1:10PM, February 1, 2016) I don’t see a major difference between evil and selfishness.  They are comparable.  Any act one commits whether major or minor should first undergo a process in which the feelings of others are interpreted.  To do otherwise is ____________ (fill in the blank).

There is also a hint of current affairs thrown in to the story for no other reason to provoke conversation.

Evil, what’s up with that?

Referenced Material:

King, T. The Truth About Stories: A Native Narrative. House of Anansi. 2003. Online.

Silko, L. M. Ceremony. Penguin Books. 1986. Print.