All living beings in hell

Chapter 112 - The Old Man of the Tosk Family

Mr. Tusk didn't listen to Lun's warning, and walked into the office when the lotus lights were on.

"I'm sorry to write, my lord, this child was spoiled by his mother. The men of our Tosk family were doomed to a tragic fate, and were overly spoiled by their mothers and lovers. Alas, this child, it is too early to pass away. , I haven’t experienced any hardships. I have brought trouble to you, my lord.”

"No trouble, it's a matter of work, please sit down."

Mr. Tosk had the same blue-green eyes as Lun, his gray hair was short and stuck to his scalp, and he was bald on the top of his head.The old man was wrinkled and had a large brown spot on his left temple.There was a rotten smell about him—the smell of life drained by the years until it dries up—and it made me think of loneliness.

"What should I call you?"

"Chad, Chad is fine."

"Okay Chad, what did you call me for today?"

"You must already know about our family, and I don't want to talk about it again,"

Chad crossed his hands on his knees, as if trying to relieve some of the pressure on his back.

"Let me just talk about my bad old man. Seriously, my business has nothing to do with family curses or going to hell."

"Please speak."

"I grew up in the 60s, 60s! It's the golden age of America. Hippies, women's liberation movement, black civil rights, all are the symbols of our 60s! I was in my early thirties, with long hair, happy like a teenager.

My friend Ben and I spent all our savings on an abandoned van and turned it into our playground.It started out just me and Ben, the two of us, a guitar, a pile of tobacco and rolling papers, and that's how we went on the journey.

Ben is the person with the most leadership ability I have ever seen. He exudes the aura of a natural leader, and he is charming and convincing in everything he does.

More and more people join us along the way because of our charismatic boy Ben.

Three people, four people, five people.One car, two cars, three cars...

Until the end, the number was fixed at 108 people and 63 vehicles!During the trip, I also met my future wife, Jennifer.The first time I heard her sing, I knew my love was coming, and she was the woman I wanted to spend my life with.I pursued her decisively, and fortunately she accepted.

Ever since I met Jennifer, I don't want to run anymore.Years of travel had left me exhausted, and chronic vitamin deficiency had left my gums bleeding profusely.

Ben and I discussed whether we could bring the motorcade to settle down, and we could build our own paradise in the deserted Midwest of the United States, a paradise for hippies.We all live together, grow vegetables together, and smoke together.We are self-sufficient without money.All vegetables are organic, away from any social system, accompanied by only our loved ones and freedom.

Ben hesitated and asked if I was doing it for Jennifer.With all the absolute honesty of a hippie, I told him that yes, I wanted a settled life.

I don't know why, but Ben was happy when he heard this proposal, but his expression changed very quickly.

Anyway, at my insistence, Ben agreed.At that time, Ben was the leader of the entire team, and everyone listened to him.As long as Ben agrees, everyone will support and follow through.

We settled down on a deserted ranch in Utah.

Build houses, raise cattle and sheep, open up wasteland and farm land.I married Jennifer and had twins, two beautiful daughters.I cut off my long hippie hair and grew an outdated mustache.I also quit smoking for the sake of my kids and went from being a daily road tripper to finally milking cows on a farm.

Ben is still working hard.He helped the town do a lot of necessary infrastructure, such as the police station to manage order, and later with the increase of children, he built a school.I don't know when, tourists began to appear in the town.Everyone comes here to visit this 'hippie town'.

If there are tourists, we need a place to live, and we need to eat. The vegetables we grow ourselves are no longer enough.The ecological balance of our small community was broken, so I discussed with Ben whether we should start building hotels, open banks, and let money circulate?
Ben was angry, very angry.He said didn't we just move here to escape those social institutions?
But I said, now that there are tourists, the situation is different, and we need to keep pace with the times.

That night, Ben and I had a big fight, and the anger that had been building up for years completely exploded that night.

then……

Then……"

Chad looked dejected, and I pressed, "And then?"

"My best friend for life shot himself that night."

After he finished speaking, his whole face twisted together, as if he was enduring great pain.

"I'm sorry to hear that." I tried to comfort him.

Chad wiped away the only tear she shed, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled: "It's okay, my lord, it's been so long."

His wrinkled old hands clenched into fists: "I often think, even now I often think... If I hadn't quarreled with him that night, wouldn't the tragedy have happened?"

"It's not just about that night. Besides, it's Ben's own choice and has nothing to do with you."

"That being said, Mr. Writer. This is indeed his choice. He chose to end his life. But my heart is still cold, cold."

"What about Ben now? Did you see him again in hell?"

"No, a good man like him won't go to hell."

"Do you know where he is now?"

"I could feel him resting in a...in a very bright place. I don't know where it is. The brightness makes me sick and give me a headache."

"If you saw Ben now, what would you say to him?"

"Brother..." Chad's tears flowed again, "I'm really sorry...I'm sorry for everything I did before, maybe I should talk to you more, maybe I should talk calmly...but Damn how could you do this to yourself! How could you treat me like this? How could you... how could you just end your life like this? Have you ever wondered what will happen to this town? I've had enough of this irresponsible behavior! I'll spend the rest of my life trying to deal with the aftermath of you!"

"If Ben were in front of you now, what would he say?"

"He won't say anything, he's a man of few words."

"What do you mean you spent the rest of your life taking care of him?"

"The half-built infrastructure needs to be completed, and the emotions of the partners in the town need to be appeased. Many people left the town because of Ben's death, but more people moved in later."

Chad sniffed and rubbed his face.

"Actually, I don't blame him. I understand his difficulties. I also know that all of this is my own choice. Oh, my lord, just treat me as an old man who is nagging you casually. Usually in this hell It’s also strange to be lonely.”

"Do you know when you can leave hell?"

"You also have to wait for your number to be called, which is the same as queuing for your office. But don't worry, I'm already in the queue. I guess it will take another ten years, almost ten years."

"What do you plan to do when you go to the world?"

"Continue to live, the world, I lived it once. It's good to go back and have a look, it's the same as going back to my hometown. I don't know how the town is now. It would be great if I could still retain some memories of my previous life."

"What do you think of hell?"

"It's cold, it's too unfriendly for my old bones. When the sea of ​​blood and the sea breeze blow, I'm shivering from the cold. I don't have any clothes to wear, and I have nowhere to hide."

"Have you got anything to gather fire from?"

"Collect tinder?" Chad thought for a while, took out a tattered handkerchief from his pocket, and put it on my wooden table, "I only have this."

I took my bamboo pen out of the drawer, pulled out the part of the pen head, and the inside of the pen barrel was a complete hollow bamboo tube.I hung some scraps of sawdust from the corner of the wooden table, put them in the pen holder, and took the flame from the candle flame on the desk.Extinguish the flames into bright and dark sparks, store them in the sawdust of the bamboo tube, and then use a dirty handkerchief to block the original tip of the brush.I handed Chad the crude tinder holder.

"Do not set fire, and do not use it to attack others. It can only be used to keep you warm when you are cold. If this fire is used for other purposes, it will automatically extinguish and disappear forever, understand?"

Chad took over the bamboo pen holder as if he had found a treasure: "Thank you, Mr. Writer! I understand! I understand!"

"Then I wish you the best of luck for the rest of your journey, whether it's a road trip or building a town."

Chad carefully put the pen holder into his pocket: "Is this the end of today's meeting?"

"It's almost time."

"A last word, will you, my lord?"

"Please say."

Chad looked at me seriously, moved his lips and said a few words, but no sound came out.

While I was still confused, he bowed to me and left the office.

(End of this chapter)