Vaapour : forbidden

The Forbidden Feast (An Allegory)

There was once a man named Sam who lived by himself in a small country town. Every morning he went out to work in the field, and in the afternoon, he would go into town to sell some of his crops. He lived a simply, but generally enjoyed his life. One day he received two letters in the mail. He opened the first letter and found an invitation inside. He had been asked to attend a banquet in a nearby town. The exact occasion was not clearly stated, nor the reason for his invitation, as he did not know those who had invited him. But Sam enjoyed people, and it sounded to him like it would be a delightful time. After imagining in his head the friendly people he would meet, the delicious food he would eat, and in general the good time that would be had, he finally went to open the second letter. This letter was stranger than the first, for it simply stated, "Go! But do not eat." It was signed by the mayor. This certainly confounded Sam, he didn't know quite what to think about the second letter. And yet it's instructions were quite clear.

Soon the day of the banquet arrived. Sam dressed in his nicest clothes, and headed off. We he arrived, he was greeted at the door by a lovely young woman (whom he later discovered was named Martha). She invited him in and introduced him to many of the other people inside. He was soon enjoying a conversation with another young lad about the soybean harvest over the previous few years. Sam was enjoying himself and had forgotten completely that his surroundings were anything out of the ordinary. This state however was broken when a small commotion began as it was announced that the banquet was ready to me served. People were bustling their way into the dining hall. When Sam had managed to enter the room, he could hardly believe what he saw. There was a huge long table in the center of the room, around which sat many of the afore mentioned guests. Upon the table sat more food than Sam had ever seen in one place! There was chicken and turkey and potatoes and corn and rolls and ham and fruits and pies and dishes that Sam didn't even recognize, but from which came the most wonderful scents that one could have imagined.

As he was standing there awestruck at this scene, Sam was suddenly startled to realize that someone was calling his name. He turned to see Martha, who had a chair pulled out, and was motioning for him to come and sit. Naturally he was quite excited about the opportunity to be invited to the table to try some of the marvelous entrees that were simmering there. He started toward the seat to which he had been directed, his mouth beginning to water. But as he arrived behind his chair, he abruptly stopped in his tracks. If any had been looking, they would have seen the expression on Sam's face quickly fade from one of excitement, to that of someone who believes that there is serious problem before them. Indeed his attitude had just changed for the worse as he recalled the words of the second letter he had received. "Do not eat." Clear enough, yet the instructions were almost incomprehensible. What reason could there possibly be why he should not sit and eat? Surely there would not be any harm. Why would anyone say such a thing to him? Would he ever have a chance to eat at such a feast again? Was this some sort of cruel practical joke?

Sam stood frozen--the thoughts swirling in an endless vortex inside his head. His appetite, his desire to eat, was nearly overwhelming. This inward debate was so intense that he felt light headed and dizzy. Sam couldn't take it any longer! Suddenly he dashed toward the exit of the room. He darted through the house attempting to find his way out. But much to his dismay, every few turns seemed to send him running back into the dining hall. After a extended period in which he had lost all sense of time, he found himself seated next to the feast. Again he found himself paralyzed by fear, knowing that while he could easily reach out his hand and take, that he was not allowed to do such. "I wouldn't be able forgive myself," Sam thought, "and things just wouldn't be the same there after."

So he sat. The struggle had worn Sam out, to where he felt like he had no strength left. No strength to fight, no strength to take, no strength to feel. Slipping into a state similar to that of being half awake, Sam sat there and time slipped on by. The scene started to seem surreal. The hands on the clock twirled around and around; pages flew off of calendar. People came and went, yet there were always many at the table, delightfully partaking in the meal. Whatever had been eaten was continually replaced with more, but all of this was a blur to Sam now. Exactly whether the next event actually happened, or was something that he dreamed (or rather like a nightmare) while awake, was a matter that Sam never could quite decide as he looked back on it.

How much time had passed, he was unaware, but Sam was awakened back to full conscienceness, being startled by a man handing him a note. It read, "Thank you for waiting. The time has arrived--you may now eat whatever you desire." This notice appeared on stationary displaying the letterhead of the mayor, and was signed by the same. Sam dropped his hands, still grasping the letter, into his lap. He looked around in disbelief, but the smile of the original delight of the banquet did not return to his face. Now he was allowed to eat, but it just didn't seem right. He had wanted to eat for so long, but couldn't. It had been wrong for so long, that it didn't seem that it could be right. He had suppressed his appetite so long, that it didn't seem that he had one any longer. Sam stood up, turned, walked out and headed back for home.