Alfy's Crisis

Alfy was always in the midst of huge crisis perennially . Stars, according to him did this. He believed in astrology and in the fact that some remotely circulating rocks around a remotely placed burning matter controlled his life to the minutest extent. It was of no concern to him that these rocks were infinitely far from him and did not posses any intelligence. 'If they were intelligent then they wouldn't be circulating a fireball for a billion years' posed his guide, friend, philosopher, enemy, ridicule- r etc etc , Green.

Green influenced Alfy's thoughts and life more than anyone because he was the only one who thought it is worth influencing. Green could occupy such an importance in Alfy's life since there was no one else willing to take that place. Green, a person who was loathed by anyone who set their eyes on him, was pleasantly surprised that Alfy wasn't as much bothered by him as he was bothered by those distant, circulating rocks.

Green understood Alfy well, which was bad for Alfy. They spent a lot of time with each other. The togetherness was enabled not due to companionship, but due to the fact that it was either this or no companionship. Alfy, a loner, was always scared to be alone. Green on the other hand was not a loner and was always glad when he was with anyone , only, if that 'anyone' was not glad of his presence. The moment someone enjoyed his company, Green moved on. He derived pleasure out of others discomfort. The more a person was uncomfortable with him the more he loved to spend time with that person. The ones whom Green disliked were the ones who grinned constantly.

Alfy never grinned and Green liked him immensely and he loved Alfy when he was in a crisis. When Alfy was not in a crisis, which is rare, he was waiting for a crisis to happen. He was so habituated to the crisis that no crisis , had become a crisis to deal with. He had trouble when everything was going smooth. He would become a nervous wreck out of anxiety and would be extremely suspicious of the state he had maneuvered himself into. It was unfathomable that his life could be smooth and it just indicated to him that there is a bigger crisis around the corner lurking somewhere. He fretted when the going was good and distrusted everything and everyone. He would become gloomy when his life looked alright. The moment a crisis descended on him he would heave a sigh of relief.

It is in these intermittent good days that he needed astrological predictions to soothe his nerves. It told him whether the good time would continue or would he land into a crisis right away. He referred to a wide range of websites, which kept reassuring him that his life was alright. This would make him a nervous wreck. He read those 'astro' columns with such an intensity that Green's comments had no effect on him.

Green waited too for Alfy to get into a crisis. And he started referring to those same columns just to find out if Alfy would turn lucky and land himself into a crisis. He read Alfy's predictions and never his own. He believed that those boulders rotating in infinite space , would have no effect on him . He never relied on those fortune tellers to tell him which way his life went. He sure needed them to tell which way Alfy's life went.

Alfy and Green would be ecstatic when the crisis finally befell and each would look at each other with an expression akin to gladiators getting ready for a good time in the ring. While Alfy padded up for the battle, Green schemed to see how he can make it more difficult for Alfy. Like the last desperate soldier plunges bravely into the enemy's battalion Alfy would leap into the crisis while Green stood outside and made his life more complicated.

Alfy, smiled, he was glad as he knew "A true friend stabs you in the front." (- Oscar Wilde ).

Can you guys spot the 'Greens' in your life ? Alfy can and boy, is he happy !!