Friday, 12 June 2009

about two men

There were once two men,both seriously ill,in the same small room of a hospital.The room had only onewindow.
One of the men was allowed to sit up in bed for an hour in the afternoon.His bed was next to the
window.But the other man had to spend all of his time lying on his back.
Every afternoon when the man next to the window was helped by the nurse to sit up for his hour ,he would pass the time by describing what he could see outside:the window seemed opposite a park wherethere was a lake.
There were ducks and swans swimming in it and children came to feed them bread.There
were flowers and grass.Behind some trees ,there was a fine view of the city skyline.
The man on his back would listen to the other man describe all of this,enjoying every minute.
The other man's descriptions made him feel he could almost see what was happening outside. Then one afternoon,he thought:Why should the man next to the window have the pleasure of seeing what was going on?
Why shouldn't he get the chance?One night,the other man suddenly woke up and coughed
without stopping.His hands reached for the button that that would bring the nurse running to help him.
But the man on his back watched without moving——even when the sound of the other man's breathing stopped.
In the morning ,the nurse found the other man dead,and quietly took his body away.
Then the man asked if he could be changed to the bed next to the window.So they moved him.
The minute they left,he supported himself up on one elbow painfully and looked out of the window.
In faced a blank wall.

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