Chapter 30
"Athena, pwede ka ba naming maging bestfriend?" Napakunot ang noo ko sa tinanong sa akin ni Manok. Bestfriend? I don't know the feeling of having that, obviously, you know the reason behind that.
"No." Mabilis kong sagot sa kanila. Nakita ko ang mabilis na pagbabago ng emosyon sa mga mata nila.
"Athena naman." Nakangusong sabi ni Daldalita.
"I don't know you, and you will never have a glimpse of an idea about me." Seryoso kong sabi sa kanila. "Athena, ang importante, magkakasama tayo palagi, nandyan ka, nandito kami. Malalaman mo din kung sino kami at ganun din naman kami sayo." Paliwanag ni Daldalita.
"What the fuck humans? Is that your perception about having a bestfriend?" Huminto kami sa paglalakad. Hinarap ko sila at tinitigan ng seryoso kaya agad naman silang napayuko.
"And why the heck are you putting labels on people? Give me a valid reason for that." Nakataas kilay kong tanong. What the fuck is with those labels?
"Para alam mo kung anong ituturing mo sa isang tao. Kung gaanong halaga ba, kung konti lang o mada--" Pinutol ko na kaagad ang sinabi niya. "You don't need labels to know how much you'll give a human something. It is based on how much he's or she's worth the level of care and love you'll offer. Labels are nothing but a pet name." Napatingin sila sakin ng sabihin ko yun.
"Grabe ka naman, pet name talaga?" Sabi sa akin ni Manok. Napairap akong bigla.
"Yeah, pet name. If you labelled me as your freaking Best friend, of course, I will give a damn. I will be obliged to be one, to do what a 'Real Best friend' does. You will make me your pet, you labelled me, you will expect, and I will be responsible enough for your expectations." Tumalikod na ako at nagsimulang mag lakad.
"Hindi ka naman namin gagawin hayop no. Hindi ka naman magsusunod sunuran samin. Kaya ka nga namin gustong maging Best friend para magiging mas malalim yung connection natin. Mas makikilala ka namin." Umupo na kami sa isang bench. Binuklat ko ang libro na binili nila sakin. 'Looking for Alaska' ang title nito. Mas may sense pa ang bagay na ito kaysa sa karamihan ng tao sa mundong ito.
"I don't care. My answer will always be a no." Sabi ko. Binuklat ko ang unang chapter nito.
Binasa ko ito at naramdaman ko din ang pagtahimik ng dalawa sa tabi ko. Sinulyapan ko sila at nakita ko na nagbabasa sila gamit ang cellphone nila. Muli kong ibinaling ang atensyon ko sa binabasa ko.
'I go to seek a Great Perhaps.' That's why I'm going. So I don't have to wait until I die to start seeking a Great Perhaps."
I agree. Humans, now a day, never bother knowing their great perhaps. As long as they are happy, they won't mind seeking for it. Some people even think that happiness is the greatest thing in this world. Yes, it is. But, finding and making your great perhaps will make your life meaningful, senseful and useful.
We are not here just to be happy, neither to seek for happiness. But we are here to do meaningful and great things. To do our great perhaps. To do what is planned to happen.
When it is too late, we start realizing things. When you are near to the cliff that will end your life, you will realize everything. Are you happy? Is your life meaningful? Am I useful? Did I do great? Am I contented? Am I ready to die? Did I do everything I want? And when the answer to that question is No or Maybe. Then, you'll start doing great, but because you are just holding tightly to the surface of the cliff, the only possible thing to happen is falling.
We were given a bunch of days, years to do our missions, to do what is right, to be happy, to be contented and to do what is planned to happen. But our choices are the biggest roadblock in achieving our Great perhaps. We chose to do predictable things every second, every minute and every day. Like going to school to study, working to earn money, and many predictable things.
