Parable 7. The Window

 
Two elderly men were put in the intensive care ward at the same time: one by the door and one by the window. Both knew there was no cure and they were doomed. Both had no family nor any children. The one by the door never stopped moaning and complaining. And the one by the window was silent and prayed quietly.
“Do you want me to tell you everything I see outside the window every day? Don’t be sad. At least we’re not all alone.”
From that day on, he would open the curtain a sliver and start sharing.
 “Lord! What a beautiful day... Outside the window is the sun gently shining.......”
“Lord! What a beautiful day... Children are playing ball........”
“Lord! What a beautiful day... I think the fog has cleared and I can see the sea........”
“Lord! What a beautiful day... It’s raining, and the air must be fresh.......”
“Lord! What a beautiful day... The trees are in bloom, and it probably smells like flowers.....”

One day, though, he caught himself feeling annoyed by the previously inspiring words – “Lord! What a beautiful day...” A little while later the annoyance turned into a feeling of injustice. He began to be haunted by thoughts that at first seemed alien to him as well: “Why on earth is he telling me it’s a beautiful day? As if he is worried about me... enjoying the beautiful view and doing me a favor by sharing it with me...”
Ultimately, the mere presence of his roommate, his breath, his ability to touch the curtain, annoyed the one lying by the door. He barely managed to hold himself back, and one day declared that he was not interested in the view from the window. His roommate pulled the curtain shut and turned off the light.
Late at night, the man lying by the door heard a moan. His roommate asked in a strange whisper for him to call a nurse.  The fellow by the door closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep...
A feeling of joy, the triumph of justice, cauterized his heart when his roommate quietly took his last breath.
At noon he would be moved to the bed by the window, the doctor said. Time dragged on more slowly than usual. He was impatient to touch the curtain he so cherished. Finally, it was noon and he was moved to the bed by the window. He slowly grasped the edge of the curtain and lifted it ...outside the window was the black wall of the adjoining hospital building....
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