A few days later, I felt a bit better, and I met up with my best friend and half-brother, Eric Orchard. Most of my classmates thought that we were a couple, as no one knew that we were related besides my present mother, Ellen and I. Eric's late father Marvin Orchard, was my biological father, as he had an impromptu affair with my mother, under the influence of The True Maker. Not knowing of this secret, Eric thought of me as his best friend, and I had played along.
Before I left the house, I did something I usually don't; I applied simple but sweet make-up to my face. I had spent the last few days in sadness, crying a lot, and hardly sleeping. I realised that it was a natural response for someone who had lived a safe and sheltered life, to react this way after witnessing all this death and bloodshed in Israel, but I didn't want to bring it up anymore.
I met up with Eric at an expensive sushi restaurant, close to the chess club where we used to hang out after school. As we got seated, Eric looked at me and spoke: "Wow, I never thought I would see you wearing thick makeup Sabina… You look like a charming clown!" He smirked and looked at me, cheekily.
"Shh. I am going on a date with Alex later today, and I want to look stunning for the occasion," I replied, slightly annoyed at Eric's brotherly joke.
"Alex? Who's Alex?" Eric asked with a confused voice.
"Alexander O'Neill from 12C" I replied and smiled.
"I see. I have heard that Alex is immensely popular with a lot of girls." Eric said tentatively.
"Well, he has professed his adoration to me. Now that I finally see him eye to eye, I would love to date him officially," I replied confidently and added in, "And regardless if he is the one or not, I cannot live my life as a prudish virgin anymore. I want to lose my virginity to him." I replied
"Okay, I just wanted you to be aware of it," Eric said.
"I am, and it doesn't bother me that I am not his first time," I replied. I called a waiter to attend our table, and I ordered, "An extra-large Sushi Canapé platter for two, a teapot of Earl Grey and Hibiscus tea, and a pack of beer."
"Wow, that will be over $200, Sabina," Eric said in amazement. I shrugged my shoulders and replied.
"I just want to taste everything the restaurant has to offer. Money comes easy to me these days. Remember how we used to walk past this place, on our way to the chess club, amazed at how expensive it was?
"Yes, Sabina. That's just a couple of months ago!" Eric replied.
"It feels like a lifetime ago. You know, I went through a near-death experience while I was in Jerusalem. I died for a fleeting moment during the suicide bombing attack. I remember that the True Maker told me it wasn't time for me to go yet. And I woke up. Dying and coming back changed my perspective on life. And that's why I am eating expensive sushi and going on a date with Alex."
"I understand," Eric replied. But Eric couldn't understand, not entirely, as Eric was just a regular dude, while I wasn't. I was a unique girl, packed with supernatural powers of empathy and mind-altering abilities.
Our Sushi tasting platter came in, and it was delicious. My younger and innocent self would have objected to killing animals for food, but I was more preoccupied with my deeper senses of guilt. As I had some more Sushi and Nigiri rolls, I felt my melancholy coming back. While the taste of the fresh Sashimi stimulated my taste buds, it didn't satisfy my soul. My soul needed a purpose to be happy, and I struggled to find a fulfilling purpose after what I had experienced.
Eric noticed that something bothered me and brought it up: "What's bothering you? Don't you like the food?"
I shrugged my shoulders, looked away, and replied: "The food is delectable, I guess. It's just nothing."
Eric grabbed my hand and sought eyes contact. He looked into my eyes and spoke: "Sabina, I have known you for many years. I can tell when something is bothering you."
I nodded and replied: "It's just… It's just I am an adult now, and I want to make the world a better place, but I don't know what to do?"
Eric gave me a reassuring smile and replied: "But you are making the world a better place! You are making it better for me, your parents, and everyone around you."
"Thank you, Eric. It's just that I want to make a lasting impact and make humanity better as a whole." I replied quietly.
My statement silenced Eric for a while, and he looked like he was thinking intensively about something. Eventually, he spoke: "How about you use your talents for online trading to do good?"
I shook my head and replied: "Nothing good comes of trading, it's just a system created by the rich to maintain the status quo. Regardless of how much money I make from trading, I haven't contributed to society."
"Don't be so small-minded, Sabina. The world is unfair because the wealthy are too powerful. Revolution doesn't work, but what if you beat them at their own game?"
Eric's reply lifted my spirits. I had been depressed for the last few days because I realised that retrieving the Zeto Crystal hadn't led to anything, and I had lost my innocence, witnessing all the death and suffering in Jerusalem. But Eric had given me an idea about how I could use my abilities to make the world a better place. A lot of projects could improve the future of humanity, but they didn't get funding because they weren't profitable. If I could make a lot of money from trading, I could spend them on philanthropy, and projects that would make the world a better place.
"Eric…Thank you for lifting my spirits. That's a great plan!" I exclaimed happily.
"Uhm, you're welcome, Sabina," Eric replied, amazed at how quickly my mood improved.
"I got to go, time to make some money," I said happily. I left a few hundred dollars for the bill, and I took off with the flabbergasted Eric sitting there, unsure of how he was going to eat all the Sushi platters left.