Paradise

In the middle of the country, they came to a fork in the road and they realised they were hopelessly lost. They spotted a medicine man sitting crossed leg up on the mesa, smoking, what looked like, a peace pipe.

“Um, we seem to be lost,” said Nate, hesitantly.

“We’re wondering which way to go?” asked Josh.

“Take the one to the right,” the medicine man said.

“Does it go to Paradise?” asked Nate.

“I don’t know but the other one has quicksand. See the tops of those three cars there, they were the priest, the property developer and the lawyer. They all took the wrong path.”

He looked over in that direction.

“The priest wanted to change the beliefs of the people for his own gain.”

The medicine man’s eyes moved to the next car.

“The property developer wanted to change the living conditions of the people.” The medicine man raised his eyebrows. “And not for the better… but, for his own gain.”

The medicine man’s eyes moved to the next car.

“The lawyer wanted to change the personal responsibility of the people.” The medicine man shook his head. “Again, for his own agenda.”

The medicine man looked back to Josh and Nate.

“Choose wisely,” he said. “Think, why do you want to come…” The medicine man cleared his throat. “Go, to Paradise?”

Josh scratched his head and looked at Nate. What does it all mean, he thought? Nate raised his eyebrows as if in a question. What to do?

“You two seem like nice boys.” The medicine man looked from Josh to Nate and then back again. “In love?”

Josh looked at Nate and smiled. He looked back to the medicine man. “Yes.”

“Good,” said the medicine man. “Love is real.”

There was the noise of a car engine in the distance. The medicine man looked over Josh and Nate’s heads.

“Ah,” said the medicine man. He puffed on his peace pipe. "Step aside for a moment. Here comes the advertising man, he wants to sell the people nothing, claiming it is something, this shouldn't take long."

The medicine man looked over at the three roofs sinking slowly in the sand and shook his head. He looked back at Josh and Nate. Josh was sure he detected a faint smile on the medicine man's face, just momentarily.