Behind the Walls(Marius Robbertze) Behind the Walls
©MFR


Max's life had once been full of promise and joy. He had a loving family, awesome friends, a successful career, and a bright future ahead. But fate had other plans. Tragedy struck, one blow after another, leaving him reeling.

He lost his wife due to a divorce, his children grew up and moved away, and his business failed. The world that had once been so full of colour and light became dull and grey.

Max was tired of always being told he was wrong. He was tired of always being accused falsely. Max was tired of always being told what to do and when to do it by all the people he thought loved and cared for him. That his life was not worth it. Max was tired of always having to take a back seat. Always had to please others and there was never ever any time for him. Max.

Max did his best to make the world go around, but the world had stopped for Max.

Max retreated behind the walls in his study of his home, unable to face the pain and sadness that lurked outside. Max began to drink too much. Alcohol helped to take away the pain and strengthen the reason why he had moved behind his walls. Alcohol took off the edge.

Years passed, and the walls became his refuge, his prison.
He stopped taking care of himself, stopped going out, and stopped living. The world outside moved on, but Max remained stuck in his grief.

His home became a shrine to his past, a museum of memories.
His home became his walls.
He surrounded himself with reminders of happier times, but even they brought him pain, more pain than ever before. He felt like a ghost haunting his own life.

One day, a young girl named Jane moved in next door.
She was curious and friendly, with a smile that could light up the darkness. She tried to reach out to Max, but he pushed her away, afraid to let her in behind his walls. No one was allowed behind his walls. No One.

Jane did not give up. She saw the sadness in Max’s eyes and felt the pain of his emotions and heart. She wanted to help him find his way back to the world. A world outside his walls.

Slowly, she chipped away at his walls, showing him that life was still worth living outside of his walls.

With Jane's help, Max began to rebuild his life. He started a new chapter in his new book of life. He started small, taking short walks outside, then gradually reconnected with old friends and found new hobbies. He put the alcohol aside. The walls that had protected him for so long began to crumble, and Max emerged, blinking in the bright light of a new beginning. The new life, the new book, and the new chapter looked very bright.

The wounds of the past healed into scars, scars of his past that would remain, scars that would be there for the rest of his life. Max learned that life was worth living, and that sometimes, all it takes is a little kindness to bring hope back into our lives. Love, kindness, understanding and forgiveness are the chisels that break down walls, no matter how strong the walls are.

In life retreating behind your own walls can be an advantage to give you a new perspective about your life and the way forward to how you will continue your journey of life and block out the hum of life. The hum of life can be confusing and at times just strengthens the wall, brick by brick.

Behind your own walls is always a safe haven as it is the only place where you are untouchable to the rest of the world.

A place where the abuse, hurt, sadness, despair, and anger of life cannot ever touch or reach you.

Your walls, your safe haven, your happy place…..

©MFR

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