Revenge

“Revenge is a dish best served cold,” you tell me. “They all mock me now, they look down on me and sneer at me. They call me weakling. They’re just waiting for me to die so they can take over. But they underestimate me. I can bide my time and wait. I’ll make them all pay and they’ll regret it, soon enough.” 

 

“The best kind of revenge,” I say to you, “is to live your life well and prove them wrong. Show them that they’re irrelevant and they don’t affect you.”

 

“Oh, I’ll certainly prove them all wrong. I’m going to start living well. I’ll surprise them and lull them into a false sense of security. And then I’ll strike when they least expect it.”

 

*          *          *

 

You’re proving them wrong. You persevere against the odds. You don’t sicken, you don’t die. You don’t take a step back and fade into obscurity. You step up to take the reins, and you take control instead of letting someone else play your role for you. You assert your authority and you start telling people what to do.

 

And the people are surprised. They didn’t expect this of you, and they don’t quite know what do about it. They realise you’re not a puppet that will dance to their tune. One by one, they fall in line and defer to you.  One by one, they start to listen and obey.

 

But you don't smile at this, you just look at me with triumphant determination. “You see what I’ve done,” you say to me. “My plan is falling into place. They think I’m the benevolent ruler who has their best interests at heart. But they don’t deserve my mercy. One by one, I’m going to take them down.”

 

*          *          *

 

Months pass, and you’re getting stronger by the day. Not just consolidating your power and influence. Your physical health, too. Your body is no longer frail and sickly. Your skin is flushed with the glow of energy. Your step has become strong, quick and sure. Your confidence is radiant to behold. Your presence is commanding – and when you’re in a room, you fill up the whole space.

 

And the people see it. They’re responding to it. They trust you and they respect you now. More than that – they’re beginning to love you. They seek you out and come to you with their concerns. They confide in you and they ask for your advice. They follow your lead. They let you make the decisions. They’ve realised that you’re the leader they always needed, and they tell you that. You’ve gained their eternal loyalty.

 

Your transformation is truly breathtaking, I’m awestruck. You’ve proved them wrong.

 

And yet you still haven’t made your move against them.

 

*          *          *

 

It’s been a year now. We’re standing side by side in quiet contemplation. You’ve achieved the unthinkable, and steered us all into a new age of peace and prosperity. The people are genuinely happy now. And I’m happy too, to see how you’ve bloomed. How far you’ve come.

 

I smile at you. “Things are going well. You really pulled it off. The best kind of revenge is living your life well, and proving them wrong.”

 

You turn towards me, and now you finally have a smile on your face. 

“I find,” you tell me, “that these days I’m not thinking about revenge anymore.”