Take A Drink

“Mister, what are you making?”

“This is the most excellent of concoctions right here.” The man responded to the little girl. “I have a sweet juice here and a bitter syrup here, and when I mix them completely together, we have the perfect drink.”

“Can’t I just have the sweet juice? The other stuff sounds gross?”

“No, my dear. You must have both the sweet and the bitter for it to be just right. The sweet all by itself is poisonous, and we can’t have any harm come to you.”

“I don’t think I want to try it then. It doesn’t really sound good to me.”

The man smiled kindly and shook his head. “If you don’t drink it, you’ll never know what it tastes like. You’ll never enjoy its pure delight.”

“It may sound good to you, Mister, but I just don’t think I’d like it.”

“My girl, this drink never disappointed anyone who put it to their lips, I can assure you. Whether you believe me or not, it doesn’t change the fact that this is a flawless drink.”

“What if I just wanted to drink the bitter part?”

“No, you must not do that. You will be sick from that as well. The bitter acid will eat away at your insides and cause immense harm.”

“So I have to drink both the sweet part and the bitter part?”

“Yes, you must drink both. I pour all of the sweet bottle in and all of the bitter bottle in. You’ll taste it all when you drink it. The sweet will be easy and delicious on your tongue. The bitter will be hard and distasteful. But in the end, you’ll be refreshed like you have never been before.”

The young child contemplated the words of the man for some time, considering the cost. “Okay, I’ll take your drink, Mister.”

“Good choice my dear.” The man smiled and began to hand the drink to the young girl.

Suddenly, the girl’s mother stepped in and took hold of the cup. “Sir, my daughter doesn’t need this drink. She just wants the sweet one.”

“Ma’am, I cannot give her the sweet one on its own. It wouldn’t be safe. Your daughter has requested the perfect mix.”

“Sir, I know what my daughter wants. She wants the sweet one. Please give it to me now.”

“I’m sorry, I cannot do so. My own conscience forbids me.”

“Then I will take it myself.” The mother reached over the counter and grasped the bottle of sweet juice. The man attempted to stop her, but he couldn’t move fast enough, being old in years. She unscrewed the cap, and poured the liquid into her daughter’s mouth. Once the daughter had taken a big gulp, she took a large sip for herself.

Only a few seconds passed before both mother and daughter collapsed and lay lifeless on the floor.

A new customer walked through the door and shrieked when she saw the bodies on the ground.

“What in the world has happened to these poor souls, Mister? What have you done?”

“I offered the perfect drink, with both the bitter and sweet, to the young girl. She would have taken it, but the mother couldn’t stand her taking any of the bitter. The mother forced her daughter to drink the sweet alone and then took a drink herself and now they have both passed. I am torn for these two. If only the mother would have heard me out.” The old man sat down and attempted to dam the waterfall that was flowing from his eyes.

“Sir, what do you call this perfect drink that you make?” The new customer inquired.

“Truth.” The man responded. “The drink is called ‘Truth’.”