Followers

Wednesday 20 May 2015

Daily Prompt: Placebo Effect

3.11.2013

If you could create a painless, inexpensive cure for a single ailment, what would you cure and why?

Roses on the table in the front garden

I saw these roses in the local supermarket for mother’s day. They were quite expensive in their pot so I decided a little patience would be rewarded and it came to pass that when I visited the supermarket on the Monday after mothering Sunday they had been reduced to half price. Clever me, realising that some mothers did not receive roses and so I bought them. Admittedly some of the flowers are pass their prime, but there are buds hovering beneath the flowers waiting for their chance in life. Fed with love and care and enough water, they will rise again.

“Good idea Mrs. Angloswiss, but if everyone thought like that then I would be out of work.”

“Did someone say something? I hear a voice that sends shivers along my rheumatic pains.”

“Yes, I did. Who do you think you are playing with fate. Since mankind exists it has been my job to deal with death, and now you want a remedy against it. Just imagine the overcrowding, for something I am here.”

“Ah, look who has turned up. The guy with the agricultural tool in his hand and leave my roses alone. Got some fields to reap?”

“You bet I have, but not flowers, it is the purpose of my existence.”

“You exist, nice for you. Do you think that fair, you existing and causing others not to exist?”

“It’s my job. I have been doing it since the world began. Imagine if I didn’t bother. Your world would have overpopulation, the place would be crowded, there would not be enough food for everyone.”

“Sorry mate, but we do have overpopulation and some people in some countries do not have enough food. You know, like famine where the crops don’t grow and people die of hunger. I don’t even think you can invent a medicine to cure that.”

“I still have my work to do. That is not my job, that is the famine department.”

“And you think that qualifies you to walk around in that long black cloak with a hood making your face fall into shadows. Grow up mate, do something about the state of the world instead of looking like something from a horror film.”

“I am the Grim Reaper, it is my purpose in life/death and I really don’t think you want to see my face.”

“You have a face?”

“Not quite, let’s say I have the bare bones of a face, ho, ho, ho.”

“Stop making silly jokes. What about pestilence? Is he around as well.?”

“No he is taking a break, he has run out of good ideas. The humans are getting on with it quite well on their own. Nature gave up a long while ago in keeping a balance. Of course my colleague War is quite overworked at the moment and that is where I come into the solution.”

“How comes?”

“I tidy up the mess he makes. And now I have to go, we have a meeting tonight.”

“You have a meeting? To find a solution to the human problems?”

“Not exactly, even we have to take it easy now and again and we just leave things to the hands of the human race. They do not really need us, they can mess it all up on their own. We are meeting for a game of poker. The winner takes all.”

I decided this conversation was becoming a little eerie and returned to my roses which needed some water. Unfortunately there are some things in this world that not even water, or a placebo can help.



2 comments:

  1. Alas, the ailment I would most like to cure already seems to be totally incurable: Human stupidity!!

    ReplyDelete