THE WAR OF NUMBERS

On the hillside of the country, there lived a family. They used to share stories at dinner. All the ten family members were named according to their work. The first and oldest is Zero, next to him are One, Two, Three and Four who follows each orderly. The middle person with both roles is Five, who gave most of his rights to Six. Seven had the lead when it comes running to Eight where Nine could be the last next to Ten.

All outdoor activities and house chore works were done easily. They lived life with division of labour. No one could, without telling the problem abstain from the assigned work.

All was good.

 

 In time, the father of the family, Number died and the ten boys were left unwilled of their father's wealth and power.

It happened one cold evening as the family gathered for their normal super bowl and storytelling time, when Zero gave a stingy and scary look. The others were doubtful and got scared. Nothing had ever been this way. Started by Zero, the eldest, all the family members started to disappear shortly one after the other. A beginning of something that could destroy their world has come. 

The night was spent painfully. 

Early, before the sun made his way through the dull dark skies forming a sign of great rain, everyone in the house was awake. They couldn't allow the crow's alarm to knock the first farmer's ears. 

"What is it?" Zero asked strangely. He seriously looked at the awfulness of his brothers. 

"Nothing, we are just waiting for the call of duty. Everything is well arranged, no missing item," Two tried to have a fresh smile.

"Hmmm, why are you always unable to think twice, Two. I'm supposed to be the one to answer this!" One couldn't watch Two unmanily gave an unreasonable and an unrealistic answer.

Three is always at the point of giving Four disappointments to prove his maturity. He never behave himself when it comes to respect. 

Five and Six are at all times close to each other, making most of their hours laughable. 

Seven had just got the chance to revenge Eight who once made him suffer in the hands of Nine.

Ten, the youngest but well-mannered sat at the dark corner of the room.

"Yes, I wanted to know what happened," said Zero, ''For I don't have to be strong for all of you." 

The past three days, no work had been done!

"Who is not working? Me, am not the problem," said One who defensively let out the words loudly and proudly.

Two couldn't admit it was him who was not working. He too said, "Who's not working? Me, am not the problem."

The sequence than follows from Three to Ten. 

Who's to be blamed when no one is ready to admit the weakness. Supposed one among them agreed, they would have gone to resumption. 

As they were all at denying, words got worsened and each claimed to be stronger than the rest leading to a great chaos. Zero said, "Because there's no way a person can go to One without passing me first, so I'm more important than you all." The whole house got roared up. Fight sprouted out. In the house, they were for survival for the fittest. At a very long fight fought in the house, they all became weak. The more they kept on fighting, the weaker they become. 

Every One has a wound. Some got fractured bones. The great happiness turned to great suffering. No one rescued them. One, the fight starter got his two legs cut off. Two lost one of his arms. Three hardly breathe as his nose was knocked in. Four became real lame after his waistline got damaged. Five who is still stucked together with Six can't see again because of his eyes that had been plugged out. Six may not make it to live as his abdominal parts are still displaced everywhere in the room. Seven the troublemaker to Eight revenge his ears removed by Nine from him (eight). He had Eight stay for three months without walking. Eight lost his right leg and right hand. Nine became dumb and can't talk, his tongue has been pulled out since he has always been talkative. Finally Ten became mentally disabled, for his head had a large metallic metal drilled in it. The house was messed up. Everything got scattered; what belonged to them became their uncultured ways to sort the problem. They were all divided, each with his own. They got divided. They all moved to new homes in different parts of the country leaving Zero seriously hurt at their old home.

Their lives became half. They need each other now. Because pride has divided them, suffering must reunite them.

Zero regretted the most. Being a leader and an elder, he failed his followers of the good ways of leadership. He has to do something to bring the others back now. Zero started moving, giving his brothers information about the meeting he had arranged in his own home. The meeting theme pasted and placed on the board by Zero reads "For New Life If We Failed The Past." The theme look great on the yellow manuscript. 

They all met, thankfully. 

No one looked at each other with hot red eyes to avoid the same mistake of misunderstanding. 

Zero cleared his voice alarming others for the readiness to start the meeting following the agenda. The prayers prayed! That's the first agendum. The willingness to come, attending and participating in the meeting shows the spirit of love of reunion. 

"Sorry for everything that happened. I know I had failed you all. Sometimes you should think more than twice. Hopefully, I do pray to have all of you back." Zero opened the talk warmly declaring a sense of positive change. 

"Let the past be forgotten. We can start again or continue from where we left. As suggested by our theme, it means alot to move in new life if we failed the past." One gave a strong and happy expression on his face. One is the only one who could speak boldly and loudly, clearly.  

Seven kindly stretched out his both hands to his next friends, showing unity. They address their heart issues and find solutions to solve them.

"In Unity We Progress And Succeed, but in Division, we fail and be unsuccessful." Five and Six said the words at ago.

The new life is started and they all agreed to the condition. They made themselves a ladder. No one is to go to One if not directed by Zero. The same to all the brothers according to their names. The ladder starts from Zero, it goes to One, to Two then Three, from Four, it moves to Five and Six. Seven and Eight agreed to forgive each other and allow the ladder system work. Nine respectively gives the next move to Ten.

        

"For A New Life If We Failed The Past!" They all shouted happily with joy being displayed on their faces. It is their happiest moment in life since they all started a new life.

A new life started and the hardships are forgotten. Despite all their lifetime contortions, in unity they progressed and succeed!