The Transience of Her

Downtime Filler, Part 4

The dragon continues his dispensing of his nuggets of wisdom.

“In my thousand-year life as the sacred dragon, I have witnessed humans that warred each other, all because of their differing interpretations of what freedom truly is. Is this what they all yearn for? Freedom from their seemingly miserable lives that prompted them to take up arms against each other? Freedom that they earned at others' expense? Nay, that was not freedom they fought for. They fought for their own selfishness.”

Generally speaking, what he's saying can also be said for the state of the Earth that I left. Bloodshed here and there, all because people didn't, and regrettably still don't, understand each others' interpretations of freedom, let alone every other abstract concept.

“And what is the result of all those wars? This entire world is now reduced to nothing but floating continents above, and a miasmic land down below that will never sustain any life for all eternity. How ironic that they chose a foreign land's lingual interpretation of the word 'freedom' to name the world we all live in... and yet we are still struggling to grasp its true meaning.”

I am trying to understand the real meaning of his words.

And then something dawned on me.

Since humans from planet Earth essentially created this virtual, and seemingly parallel, world of Eleftheria...

...maybe, just maybe...

...in my own little way, I can imbue my own wisdom I've gained from my short time on Earth...

...and institutionalize some reforms.

I then answer...

“I am but a lowly human adventurer to you, oh sacred dragon. But with every way I can, I can make the change... the change needed to make everyone here in Eleftheria understand the true meaning of freedom. Because... in some way... we are created by the Earth humans' experience of living in beautiful and ugly times, with their own concepts of things such as freedom.

“And while they are still struggling for an answer on the other side, I, who is now a permanent resident of this world, can make those living here search for a common answer.

“A common answer is what makes people understand one another.

“A common answer is what will institute peace.

“A common answer is... the very concept of responsible freedom.”

Rapatajawi can only rest his body as he has just heard my brave words.

With a gentle roar, he responds.

“Such gallant words, human. If you are indeed the one to institutionalize what you call... responsible freedom... then you must spread that message forward with your words and your deeds. I know that you are still flawed, but those flaws of yours make you stronger, are you not? And before you ask, I will also do my share of spreading your wise words to my fellow dragons.”

I pick up my Standard Bearer's Polearm, hold it standing straight up like a soldier does to his trusty rifle...

...and make my salute, with my right hand holding the weapon, and my left resting below my chest, with its palm facing down, all the while standing up straight.

“Well, my time of meditation is over. I think... I'll use this free time I have for my mission of bettering myself... and to help others better themselves.”

“You must not fail, Miss Beferia. For if you do... one loud voice of reason will be lost. You are a brilliant mind... and that talent of your should not be wasted in petty matters. This world needs you as the other world was supposed to...”

“Please say no more, dragon. I... I really hate it when others try to dig up my past too deep... like...”

“Understood. Your personal insecurities should not get in the way of your mission; they should be resolved by you and only you. Well then... farewell.”

The sacred dragon Rapatajawi flaps its majestic wings, and then flies to a far-flung corner of Eleftheria to spread my message... my inner thoughts... to his fellow dragons and other divine beasts.

But my head...

Please... what is this feeling right now?

It's like... I'm being watched.

I know the dragon is omniscient, reading into my thoughts... and thus he should also know who is eavesdropping on our just-concluded conversation.

Is it... that cloaked man who arrived at our guild HQ the night of our victory?

No... don't worry about that man too much.

There are more pressing matters to do.

I feel like my soul-searching is over...

...but I also feel that I am in for something else.

Soren...

...please watch over me.

Thursday.

Many people are ecstatic for the weekend, cursing the weekdays as too boring or too irritating.

But not me.

I always believe that everyday, I learn something new in this seemingly mundane flow of time.

Here I go again, with my waking up from bed, doing my morning rituals, eating my breakfast, going to school, learning more about computer repair, and going back from school.

It's late afternoon once more, and I get to use my free time to discover another side of Lianna that she left with her things that I have now acquired. Again, no homework to eat up that free time.

Today, I'll be concentrating on the alternative rock CDs and chick flick discs that were in the fourth box. The rest of the goodies, by the way, will be handled tomorrow.

In my room, I sort out the CDs.

Yup, she indeed had the same tastes as me.

Her favorite bands are Blocks of Dirt, Symbolic Water, The GT 730s, School Festival Nobodies, and of course, The Dreamwalking Releasers.

Surprisingly enough, she had albums that I still don't have in my checklist. How nice of her.

I conveniently place her CDs right next to my own alt-rock album collection in an already-occupied cabinet. The two collections are separated by unused bookends.

I the head downstairs to organize her movie collection.

Right now, the discs and their respective cases are still in the box they are originally in when they arrived here, because there's no more space in the entertainment center to house them.

I try to guess the genre based on the title and its lettering on the cases' spines.

Chick flick, chick flick, action-adventure, film noir, anime, anime, chick flick, chick flick, chick flick, cyberpunk, chick flick, chick flick, horror, chick flick, historical epic, chick flick, comedy, chick flick, chick flick, chick flick... and art film.

Yikes! More than 50% of the films in her collection are chick flicks!

But nope, I just can't chastise her for her tastes, since besides the fact that she's embraced her femininity...

...there's also the fact that she's my best friend, plus I have to respect the dead.

So how do I store these films when the consoles already occupied previously-empty spaces in the entertainment center?

Fortunately, mom has a solution, as she has just arrived from the local market.

“Good afternoon, my son. It's unfortunate that there's no more space in our entertainment center to store her favorite films.”

“Yeah, I know. I would normally require a small DVD/Blu-ray rack or stand that can be gotten for cheap at the nearest furniture store..."

“Please, don't.”

“Why's that?”

“Well, when I went out this morning, a neighbor was throwing away some furniture. One of them was an anodized aluminum DVD rack that's still in great shape. I asked him if I could take that for free, and then he said yes.”

“So where is it now?”

“It's at the right of the entertainment center, dear.”

“Oh, thanks! I didn't realize that!”

Good! I saved some and money on this nice-looking piece of furniture!

Thanks, anonymous neighbor. You're a godsend.

I waste no time placing the films into their own individual slots in the DVD rack.

Blu-rays have to be first, then the DVDs.

All done.

Now I should sit back and relax while enjoying one of her favorite films, randomly handpicked by me.

I do the oh-so-cliched eeny-meenie-miney-moe.

And once the rhyme ends, my finger lands on...

“Oh. Sunday at the Memories ~The Girl at the Fountain~.”

A chick flick. And it's literally one, because the main characters are both women.

Guess she liked good sappy love stories, regardless of the gender orientation of the love interest(s).

Let's see here...

The story is about a girl who reminisces about an encounter with another girl at a fountain in a local mall five years ago. The two got along pretty well, until the fountain girl had to leave without warning. Eventually, the reason for the fountain girl's leaving is a memory defect, and the not-fountain girl will stop at nothing to get her back.

And roughly 1 hour and 15 minutes later, I'm now at the film's climax.

Two and a half hours later...

We finally arrive at the mall. Rayz coincidentally wakes up from her nap.

After we alight from the car, I escort her to this significant place.

The water spouting out from the fountain exudes an elegance that she will regain after all this is over.

“Remember this place?” I ask her.

Within one and a half minutes of total silence from the both of us, she answers...

“No, Jacq. I forgot... I forgot... I forgot!”

This time, she's the one bursting into tears.

And I know the perfect counter for this.

The rose-colored handkerchief I kept for those five years, knowing the day it will be returned to its rightful owner.

It could be an empty bottle of her favorite perfume. It could be her bracelet. It could be her membership card to some posh establishment.

But a simple, and seemingly insignificant, piece of cloth – with minute traces of her favorite pineapple-scented perfume – is the key to reawaken the memories that define us... as fellow students... as friends... and hopefully, as...

“I-Isn't that...” Rayz stutters in the middle of her crying.

I, in a heroic yet calming tone, verbalize, “Yes. Your hanky.”

“I... I left it on purpose, knowing that you would hold on to it as a remembrance... of a love I've purposely thrown away.”

“That was then... This is now. We're together again. Now, I know what you've been suffering from all along. There's no Sunday for you, right?”

“Yes. If not for that blasted brain injury... I... would want to... relive the day we first met... right here at this very fountain! But I can't... do this alone...”

”Then... we're in this together.”

After clearing my throat, I then sing my favorite oldies song, the song detailing a sordid long-distance affair.

The beautiful voice I have kept hidden for fifteen years since I last joined the school choir is now exhibited in full glory.

And surprisingly, the violinist and melodica player I have first encountered at the hotel plays an equally beautiful accompaniment to my vocal performance.

Three minutes later, the performance ends, and throngs of people gather near the fountain to see our little reunion.

“Today's a Sunday, Rayz.”

“Sunday.”

“The day we first met. The first day of a brand new week.”

“A Sunday... Now... I remember! We first met at this fountain, right?”

Yes! The sparkle is back in her eyes!

“Yup.”

“You were on a grocery task, right?”

“Aye.”

“We ate free pretzels together, right?”

“That's correct.”

“Then... it's true! There are really seven days in a week.”

“Many people do. Congrats, you're back!”

We then hug each other, to the reactions of a hundred, or maybe even a thousand, pairs of hands clapping in applause.

This Sunday... the beginning of a new week... marks another beginning.

Of me being a proactive lady.

Of her shedding off the shell of her ugly past.

And of us... ultimately becoming... soulmates.

The credits then roll, and then there's an after-credits scene.

As far as I know, these types of scenes are more common in blockbuster superhero films.

Guess the masterminds behind this film emulated that.

Well, what can I say about this chick flick? It tries to be more than just a chick flick, as there are rumors that a local group of male fans of girls' love works were consulted to make the film less sucky.

So, I think... this is good in my books.

Besides, if she liked it, I have a huge chance of liking it, too.

After eating dinner, I play some handheld games until I get sleepy.

Off to Friday, then.

Nighty-night.