The Groundskeeper

There once was a man who lived in a small house by the park in a quaint little town. Each day he would get up early, get dressed, and begin his walk through the park. As he walked, he would pick up trash and make sure the sidewalks were clear of garbage and debris. All the people of the town knew him because of the service he freely gave to them on his daily walk.

When one of the swings in the park broke, the man returned to the park during the evening and worked late into the night to repair it. Everyone knew that if someone got hurt on the jungle gym or scraped a knee on the cement the man would have a bandage or an ice pack ready in minutes. They trusted and loved the man. The park was a warm and welcoming place where all felt safe and joyful.

One day the man announced that he would be leaving for a while. The people of the town asked him when he would be back, but he simply told them that he couldn’t say. Then he was gone.

For a while the people continued to look for him, not quite ready accept his absence since he had become such a significant part of their lives. The people often spoke of him and remembered the times that he had helped them personally and simply reminisced about his daily walks through the beautiful park.

Meanwhile the park grew dirtier.

Trash was left on the ground. The sidewalk became cluttered and filthy. The merry-go-round broke and was left that way.

After a while, the people stopped going to the park. What had once been a beautiful place filled with love had become a dark and desolate place. Some of the people spoke of the “good old days” when the man had cared for the park and life was as it should be. Others grew angry with him, resenting the fact that he had gone and neglected the park. Still others would wait and watch the park, imagining what it would be like when the man returned.

As the people stayed away from the park longer and longer, they grew distant from each other. And so they stay behind closed doors, away from the park, and talk about the man who taught them so much and do nothing but wait for his return.