The Highway

A long journey traveling home in my car. I am on a desolant two lane highway for a long stretch. In the distance I can see a silhouette of a figure standing on the side of the road. As I approached it, I could tell that it was an old man. I haven't seen another vehicle for miles and I grew concerned for the old man. Is he lost or disoriented, wandering in the middle of nowhere? I thought to myself.

I decided to stop and check on his welfare. I pulled up next to him and rolled my window down. “Are you OK sir”, I asked. The old man just stared at me. He asked me one simple question, “Do you believe in fate?” I was a little confused by his question, but decided to just humor the old man and answer.. “Yes sir I do, but fate has never found me.” The old man then stated to me, “Travel on!” He turned around. It was clear that the old man didn’t want my help so I drove away.

A mile down the road, I could see the silhouette of a figure standing on the side of the road. As I approached closer, I could tell that it was the same old man. I was absolutely dumbfounded how the old man became a mile ahead of me on the road. I was in a car and he was on foot. I pulled up next to him and rolled my window down. I began to question him about how he became so far ahead of me, but he interrupted with that same simple question as before, “Do you believe in fate?” He asked. I replied yet again, “Yes sir I do, but fate has never found me.” The old man simply stated again, “Travel on!” and he turned around.

I continued on my journey. A mile down the road, I saw the silhouette of a figure standing on the side of the road. As I approached closer, I could tell that it was the same old man. I am now starting to question reality as well as my own sanity. I pulled up next to the old man and rolled my window down. I didn't say anything, just waited for his question to which he asked, “Do you believe in fate.” I once again replied, “Yes sir I do, but fate has never found me.” The old man turned around and I drove off.

A mile later I approached a split in the road. I could see a silhouette in the distance standing in the middle of the split. As I approached closer, I could tell that it was the same old man standing in the middle of the split. I pulled up next to him and rolled down my window. Like before, I didn’t say anything and just waited for him to ask his question. The old man did, “Do you believe in fate?” He asked. I again replied, “Yes sir I do, but fate has never found me.” Only now, he gave me a different instruction. “Turn right,” He said. “But sir, my destination is to the left” I replied. He repeated again, “Turn right!” I didn't want to upset the old man and thought to myself, “what’s the harm? If there is nothing to the right, I could just turn around. Only a few miles out of my way.”

I took the right split. A mile down the road, I saw the silhouette of a figure standing on the side of the road. As I approached closer, I could tell that it was the same old man. I rolled my window down and the old man asked me the same question, “Do you believe in fate.” To which I again replied, “Yes sir I do, but fate has never found me.” He turned around yet again and I drove off.

A mile down the road, I could again see a silhouette on the side of the road. Only now, the silhouette was of a car. As I approached closer, I could see that the car was broken down as the hood was up. I pulled up next to the car and could see a woman standing beside it. I was immediately struck by her beauty. She seemed distressed, so I rolled down my window.. She spoke to me, “Please sir, will you help me. I have been broken down for an hour and haven't seen a single car until you.” I exited my car to help. I could tell that she found me handsome and was comfortable in my presence.

We both began to analyze the engine compartment of her car when I suddenly felt a compulsion to ask her a question, “Do you believe in fate?” She stood upright, gazed into my eyes and replied, “Yes sir I do, but fate has never found me. And you, sir.” “Yes madam I do, and fate has just found me.”

The end