Empathy
Added 2019-12-30 15:00:00 +0000 UTC
“Papa. Papa, please come. Snake!” the young boy in the clearing exclaimed.
At the alarm of his son, Enoch rose from his repose against a tree, tossing his books into the grass, each volume a different color and now open to the sky.
“Get back!” The sharpness of Enoch’s tone or movement triggered the snake’s response. It uncoiled, launching itself toward the boy.
Enoch snapped a hand around the snake, just under its bulbous head. Its body thrashed and whipped along his forearm, its eyes, glittering in the afternoon heat, focused on the boy.
“Boy, are you injured?”
Enoch looked coldly at his son. Seeing the boy frozen, his anger rose. The boy had been careless to wander close to such a dangerous animal. A punishment was due to them both.
Enoch’s knuckles tightened at the serpent’s throat, and the sounds of the boy’s tears washed under his attention as heat rose in his face. His own throat tightened as he squeezed the snake.
“Papa, no,” the boy choked out. “Don’t hurt him!” Tears streamed down the boy’s face—not for his own safety, but for the snake’s.
Enoch turned the creature’s face toward his own. Its fangs were bared, an expression of pure wrath, but in the black orbs of its eyes, fear pooled. Not unlike the fear and anger he felt for his son’s safety. The emotions were ugly. He didn’t want to be this way.
“Don’t be afraid,” Enoch said, softening a little. “No one is going to die today.”
He moved to a nearby river, relaxing his grip. Kneeling, he deposited the snake into the cool water, careful not to expose his hand to its venom-filled fangs.
Once released, its body trailed underneath the surface of the stream. Enoch’s anger vanished silently along with the beast.
As Enoch rose, the boy slammed into his father’s back, nearly knocking him down. He could feel his son’s tears soak through the back of his robes.
“No one is going to die today,” he repeated.
