The Man who knew too much

Once there was a man who knew too much. He would walk along the sidewalks as neighbors would smile and wave hello. But he knew. Oh he knew. For you see he knew too much. He returned their friendliness with a suspicious glare. What a tired life he led, knowing too much. He knew exactly why the sun rose and set each day. He knew why the sky was blue. He knew everything. He just knew.
Many would ask the old man to join their trivia team, they met Wednesday nights at the bar.  He'd always turn down the invitation, there was no fun in that at all. 'I just know too much,' he'd say while gesturing the crowd to move, 'now go away.'
Others would come in groups from miles away to ask the man who knew too much, 'what's the meaning of life?' Many leaving disappointed when the man would say, 'the meaning of life is nothing!'
A young man from the crowd shouted, 'you know nothing! He's a fraud! If I knew everything I'd tell the world everything!'
The man who knew too much pointed to the young man, 'you...yes you. You say I know nothing?! I wish that were true. I have been burdened to know everything, even everything about you. Come here young man and I'll share my secret.'
The young man making his way through the crowd joined the old man, he met the old man's stare as he looked into his young eyes, 'I too was once like you, wanted to know everything. Then one day I came across a worn out looking fellow who claimed he knew too much. Not knowing any better I asked him to share his knowledge with me. The man obliged looking extremely tired as I am now. And leaned in and whispered in my ear...' The man who knew too much now drew the young man in closer, 'you sure you want to know everything? You're life will never be the same. I warn you, unlike the fellow before me.'
'You are a fraud. You know nothing. Just an old fool. You have this crowd and town believing some story you've made up about how you know everything. Go on old man tell me, what's your secret. Tell me so I can know everything,' the young man's mocking tone voiced. As he faced the crowd, seeing many had become uninterested and left.
'Don't say I didn't warn you.' The man who knew too much leaned in even closer and whispered something in the young mans ear. The young mans eyes widened. Bewilderment raced across his face, 'but it can't be,' he said turning to face the old man, 'it just can't be.'
'What can't be?' The old man smiled.
'I...I...I know too much!'
'How strange...'
'What did you do?'
'One gets tired of knowing too much. And sometimes one is lucky enough to run into a future know it all. Today I found you, but I knew I would, I knew you'd be here today. I knew you'd be more than willing to take this curse away. It's been more than 52 years I've lived with knowing it all. It's kept me isolated in so many ways. And now I've passed it on to you. It's taken me many years to learn my lesson. I wonder how many years it will take you. And it's a great feeling not to know. I genuinely don't know.' He looked up to the sky then back to the young man, 'soon people will be saying, there goes the young man who knows too much, not caring or wanting to know your name. No. They'll be asking you benign questions. Innocent at heart really. But it does tend to take a toll.'
'What am I to do now?' Asked the young man.
'I believe you know the answer to that question.'
'Oh my...' The look of stupor slapped him in the face. 'I do.' Said the young man who knew too much.
An old man in his early eighties was sitting on a park bench when a young girl came and sat next to him. 'You're that crazy man who claims he knows everything.'
'I do know everything.'
'Sure...sure you do grandpa.' She snickered, 'what's the meaning of life then?'
The man who knew too much laughed.
'What's so funny!' The girl demanded.
'The meaning of life...' Still laughing, 'the meaning of life is nothing!'
'I knew you didn't know anything!' She said with a smirk on her face, 'you know nothing at all. I know more than you.'
'Really? Want to know everything?' He asked as he leaned in closer looking into her young eyes.
'Yes.' She said she couldn't help leaning in. 'I want to know everything!'
'You sure?' He smiled.
'Of course you old man! Are you deaf too?'
The man who knew everything leaned in even closer and whispered something in the young girls ear...