It was a hot summer afternoon and there was a group of hikers preparing to go on a hike. They all stood in a circle waiting for the hiking guide to lead them on the trails in the woods because they did not know the way and had paid for a guided hike.

There was about seven people in the group, excluding the tour guide. They all spoke loudly and complained about the heat and how they were sweating controllably. The only person who didn’t complain was a man who stood behind the group, not talking. He hadn’t said a word since he arrived there, but no one noticed because they were all complaining very loudly.

Finally the tour guide arrived and got the group together. He was enthusiastic and had them all prepare for the hike. The tour guide also had them introduce themselves so they all got to know each other. They all introduced themselves except for the man who never spoke or complained because no one noticed him since he was quiet.

After introducing themselves, they started hiking and it wasn’t long until they were all complaining about how hot and tired they were except for the tour guide and the man who never spoke or complained. The tour guide called for a break next to a couple of benches since everyone was complaining about how hot and tired they were. Everyone sat down on the benches except for the man who never spoke or complained because there was no room for him.

No one noticed and no one cared.

But the tour guide noticed and didn’t say anything.

“These benches are so rough!” one women lamented.

“My legs are so sore from all this walking!” one man whined. Many other complaints were expressed from everyone except the tour guide and the man who never spoke or complained.

“Everyone take a drink of water and we’ll be on our way,” the tour guide said, trying to comfort everybody. He passed around a canteen. Everyone took a rather large drink except for the man who never spoke or complained because no one left any for him to drink.

No one noticed and no one cared.

But the tour guide noticed and didn’t say anything.

“I barely got enough water!” all of those who got water grumbled.

“There will be more water at our next rest stop. So let’s get back to hiking!” the tour guide exclaimed, trying to keep high hopes. “I’ll need someone to carry my backpack full of food because it’s getting too heavy for me to carry.”

All the men and women complained and came up with excuses.

“Well, I hurt my shoulder playing football with my kids the other day...”

“My shoulder hurts, also, and I’m too tired from all this walking...”

“I don’t want to get a tan line...”

The tour guide was about to pick his backpack up since no one offered to carry it. While everyone was bickering and, right before the tour guide picked up his backpack, the man who never spoke or complained picked up the bag and followed the tour guide even though his shoulder was still sore from the beating he took from his wife yesterday and he was thirsty. No one knew. No one noticed and no one cared because the man never spoke or complained.

But the tour guide noticed and didn’t say anything.

Everyone stopped arguing and continued in pursuit.


As they were hiking they came up to an abrupt halt. The path was covered by stinging nettles. “Sorry, but it looks like they forgot to clear the stinging nettles,” the tour guide apologized. “We can either push through it and I can give everyone some itch cream afterwards or we can turn around now.”

Now everybody was upset because they had paid good money for the hike and didn’t want to turn back. On the other hand, they didn’t want to walk through stinging nettles and continue walking with itchy legs. (They all wore shorts despite walking through a woods full of ticks and mosquitoes.)

“Let’s turn back!”

“No, I spent good money for this hike!”

“I don’t want to be itchy!”

While everyone was bickering the man who never spoke or complained plowed straight through the plants. He flattened the plants and pushed the nettles back so the others could get through. Everyone stopped arguing and followed in pursuit.


When they reached the other side everyone started complaining again.

“I’m itchy!” a women pouted.

“Everyone, take some itch cream,” the guide replied, handing out tubes for everyone.

Again, however, there wasn’t enough for the man who never spoke or complained. The tour guide noticed the man who never spoke or complained stand and watch the others whose itchiness wasn’t as bad put on itch cream, but didn’t say anything.

“Now that everyone is taken care of let’s eat and rest!” the tour guide said, ignoring the fact that the man who never spoke or complained hadn’t been given any itch cream. He took the bag from the man and opened it. Out of it he took some sandwiches. He passed the sandwiches out and everyone got one except the man who never spoke or complained. No one noticed and no one cared.

But the tour guide noticed and didn’t say anything.

Still the man did not speak or complain, and sat there as everyone again complained.

“My sandwich is too dry...”

“I didn’t get enough to eat...”

“I hate turkey...”

“Let continue hiking,” the tour guide said when everyone was done eating, his enthusiasm draining from his voice. “We’re almost to the halfway point!” The man who never spoke or complained’s stomach growled because he had nothing to eat since last night’s meager dinner of rice and beans.

No one knew. No one noticed and no one cared.

But the tour guide noticed and didn’t say anything.

They continued hiking.


The group kept hiking. The group was complaining again very loudly and the tour guide and the man who never spoke or complained were starting to get irritated. They were almost halfway done, however, and trudged onwards.

After about ten minutes the group came to a halt at a river bank. They could see the trail continuing on the other side.

“There is no bridge. We can either wade across, or try to use those rocks to walk across,” the tour guide said for there were stepping stones from one shore to the other.

Everyone was willing to cross by using the stepping stones until someone said: “But that middle one is flooded and if we cross then our shoes will get all wet!” Everyone started arguing about whether they should go back or cross the river except for the man who never spoke or complained and the tour guide. This irritated the man who never spoke or complained because everyone had complained nonstop all day and he was getting sick of it. And no one noticed and no one cared.

But the tour guide had noticed and didn’t say anything.

The man who never spoke or complained walked across the stepping stones and stood in the middle stone that was flooded. Everyone stared at him and he beckoned for them to cross.

Somehow they understood him and people started to slowly cross one at a time. A couple minutes later the sky darkened and started to downpour. Everyone started crossing as quick as they could because the river was well-known for flash-flooding during thunderstorms. About halfway between all the people crossing the water had risen to the man who never spoke or complained’s knees. (The river was rather wide.) All those who crossed stood on the opposite short and huddled together, shivering. By the time the last person crossed, who was the tour guide, the water up to the man who never spoke or complained’s waist. When the tour guide finally reached the shore the man who never spoke or complained tried crossing.

No one noticed and no one cared.

But the tour guide noticed and was about to say something.

The current was too strong and pulled the man under. He struggled and broke the surface, gasping for breath. Everybody was on the shore, walking up to a pavilion that was set on the river’s shore to get out of the rain. The tour guide stood next the river, watching for the man.

“I’m all wet!”

“I’m freezing cold...”

“It feels like I’m drowning...”

But the man who never spoke or complained was drowning. No one noticed and no one cared.

But the tour guide noticed and it was too late to say something.

The man who never spoke or complained went under again. He spiraled along the river bottom. The man gave in. He stopped fighting, closed his eyes, and embraced the darkness. He released his last breath, bubbles escaping out of his lungs and away into the nothing. The man brushed up against something that felt unusual. He open his eyes and saw bones.

The bones of all the other People Who Never Spoke or Complained.

The bones noticed him and the bones cared. They had drowned, too. For they hadn’t spoke or complained just like him.

And even though his shoulder still hurt from the beating he took from his wife last night and he was thirsty and hungry and tired and itchy and cold and drowning and about to die, he still didn’t complain.

Even when the darkness took him.