POEM EIGHT: FESTIVAL IN MIRRORS
(Celebrations often depict commemorations. With that comes experiencing vivid emotions.
Letting things pass and making new connections, this event deserves glorious notions.
But what if the main event doesn't justify initiations? Rather, it makes use of bygone juxtapositions.
If the occasion is a mixture of emotional directions, can you surely move on with these implications?)
Peyg was left in the clubroom selling his poetic novel. Meanwhile, Lyrica and Vol were in the drama club room rehearsing the play.
There was a sign in front of the Literary Narrative clubroom that says what they have to offer for the festival.
Since it was only Peyg managing the clubroom, it was also one of the only times that he got a break from thinking too much about everything.
The group knew that not many people are interested in such works so they only published around a hundred copies. Hopefully, they can sell it all.
"I guess even if it's just a small amount of people who will buy this, it is good enough of an achievement for the festival. I just really wanted to let this thing out and see where it will get me."
"One copy? Here you go."
A couple of hours have passed for the first day of the event and yet only one came to buy. Some browsed the hallway and went in to check but never end up buying it.
"This was to be expected, I guess."
His boredom leads him to gaze from his window to watch some people walk by some stalls.
A scream was then heard as someone approached their clubroom.
"I'm glad I made it in time before lunch break."
The one who came was his friend from the student council whom he asked permission for the clubrooms part for the festival.
His sweat was dripping all over his clothes.
"I'll take twenty copies of that poetic novel, please."
He went close and smiled.
"Twenty? That is a lot. Are you sure you don't only need one?"
His friend then let out a big sigh.
"Of course. I'm buying everyone in the student council and some acting officers a copy."
After he said that, Peyg smiled as well.
"Thank you."
"Why do you even need to buy them one copy when you can just share a copy?"
The sweating student council member then said, "Come on, stop contradicting yourself. I thought you wanted to sell all these? Don't be embarrassed by your work and show us what you've accomplished. I'm pretty sure that the other members of the student council would want it as well anyway."
"Okay."
The student council member then hurriedly left.
"I still got some stuff to do so I'll probably deliver this in the council then head to the stadium."
Peyg wanted to help him to he offered to be the one to deliver it to the student council but his friend declined.
"Both the other members of your club are out, it's only you here. You should stay here for your shift in case someone walks in and wants to buy your work."
His friend then left carrying twenty of the books he bought. Since it was just a short verse novel, it wasn't that heavy to carry.
"I'll be off then, see you later on the drama club's play."
After a couple of minutes have passed by, nobody came to visit the literary narrative clubroom.
"I should've just gone in and carried it for him."
A couple more minutes passed before lunch break came for him. He was preparing to close the clubroom for a while to eat and watch the play but someone came in to buy his novel.
"Can I get 2 of these, please?"
A girl in a black dress who seemed to be holding a camera and some flyers came by.
Peyg went back to the desk and grabbed her two copies of the novel.
"Here."
"That was close, I thought I was late. Anyway, I'm off, thank you for the copy, Peyg."
The girl hurriedly walked out of the room as if she was as busy as his friend from earlier.
"Late? Why does it look she came specifically here to buy it as if she had an appointment?"
Why am I even thinking too hard about this stuff?"
Peyg then closes the clubroom to go for lunch as well as watch the play of the drama club.
***
DRAMA CLUB'S PLAY:
A new family recently moved into a neighborhood in a small and quiet village outside the city.
They were a wealthy family who wished to live a peaceful and simple life.
One day, the family's son went outside to play in their backyard.
There in their backyard, he met their neighboring's girl who was the same age as he was.
He invited her over to come to play with him to go across the bush line separating their houses.
"I have a lot of toys here, do you want to play?"
The girl was hesitant. She said to the boy, "My mother said that I shouldn't trouble myself with you because we are different."
He picked up one of his toys and gave it to the girl.
"Here, you can have this. Let's play together. His name is Teddy the bear because he is fluffy and looks like a small bear." He smiled.
The girl looked back towards their house.
"Please don't give me such an important thing, I cannot pay you back. My family is poor."
The boy then said, "It's fine. I have lots of those."
He then sat on the ground leaning on the bush.
The girl did the same as they continued to talk.
"Why did you move out here?" The girl asked.
The boy didn't have a clear answer for he also didn't know why.
"All I know is that I was dragged here, away from the city. My parents said that I would have more fun here. But I left all my friends. All that is left with me are my toys."
The girl sympathized with him.
"We have lived in this small town my whole life. There aren't many kids here, only old people so I at least can relate to you a little bit."
The boy then stood up. He looked at the girl from above the bush.
"Then, why don't we become friends?"
The girl then looked up to him and replied, "But, I don't have cool toys and I don't know if it's really okay for me to talk to you."
"Is it because of your family? Or is it because you don't like me? Who cares if we are not the same? Wouldn't it make things more fun?"
Even after hearing that, the girl stayed on the other side of the bush.
Days, weeks, and months pass and they would only talk from each side of the bush.
The boy was always asking her to come over and yet he never succeeds.
When the boy tries to go to their side, she gets angry and never lets him in.
Even though their relationship as friends only stayed in that bush throughout the years, they end up talking a lot from time to time.
The girl tells the boy more about the village while the boy tells her about the city and his favorite toys.
The boy's parents are always busy and end up leaving him to play in their backyard most of the time. His father was a businessman and is almost always in the city. His mother was always busy with housework and dealing with his father's extra work.
As for the girl, both her parents were farmers. They wake up early and spend most of the time in the field. The girl was also left alone in the house most of the time.
A couple of years passed and they've grown closer and closer.
The boy's parents found out that he would hang out in their backyard most of the time but didn't care much about what he was doing.
The girl's parents eventually found out that she was talking to the boy but after seeing her once with a smile on her face, they never batted an eye about what she was doing.
After more years have passed, they soon grew up attached.
But with time also comes tragedy.
One day when they were talking through the bushes, the boy delivered a piece of bad news to the girl.
He said that his dad died.
The girl cried. "I do not know how to make you happy but I'll stay here until you can laugh and smile."
The boy thanked her but he then said, "There's one more thing."
"What is it?" The girl replied.
"Since my father died, my mother told me that we are moving back to the city. She plans for me to get a proper education and succeed in my father's business." While saying that, he felt sad.
"Wouldn't that be great? You can leave this place, reunite with your old friends, learn more, grow, and continue your father's work." The girl said as to cheer him up.
"Yes I am sad because of my father's death but I'm sadder because I would have to leave this place. I would have to leave you."
The girl couldn't respond to what he said.
The girl stood up and looked him over the bush.
"Then, why don't you come back when everything is over? I'm pretty sure my family and I won't be living in this place our whole life. I will always be here, waiting for you."
The boy heard this and cried even more.
He also stood up and looked at the girl dead in the eyes.
"Then, I promise. I will come back for you When I do, promise me that you will marry me."
The girl's face blushed as she shyly brushed her face away from him.
"We are still kids, what are you talking about."
She said that as she turned around to hide her flustered face.
"I will, I promise. I will come back here and marry you."
The boy was adamant about his decision.
The girl then replied," Sure, make sure to come back for me. I'll always be here, waiting."
The boy's family then left the small town and went back to the city.
As the boy was away, the girl would keep visiting the bush near the boy's house daily.
While the boy was in the city, he experience a lot of stuff.
Going to school, seeing more beautiful places, meeting new people, and many more.
After 10 years, the boy succeeded his father's business and returned to the small town.
He went back to their old house and while passing by, he saw a woman who was sitting near their house.
He then stopped his car and hurriedly went to the woman.
He smiled as the woman run towards him and hugged him.
The woman hugged him slightly before letting go.
She was so happy.
"I've always been waiting for you forever. I always hoped that you will come back. Seeing you again makes me happy."
He then asked the girl, "Do you still want to marry me?"
The woman replied without hesitation, "Yes. Never in my mind did I change my answer since I made my promise."
He cried, "I'm sorry, but I don't feel any longing for you. I don't love you the way that you see me."
The woman's face was stunned. She stepped back a bit as she couldn't fathom what the man said.
He looked down and said sorry.
After a moment, she then asked him, "Why?"
To her surprise, the man replied, "After experiencing other places and what the world has to offer, my longing for this place, for you, diminished. I felt so happy being free and experiencing things that made me fall in love with. The more that I got immersed outside this town, the more that I saw things that are more beautiful than what I've known, it made me feel the longing for more."
After hearing this, the woman cried. She cried her lungs out. The man just looked at her as he said sorry.
The woman then asked him to leave. He knows that he cannot comfort her and so to ease the pain, he left.
He then went back to the city. He grew his father's business more and had a stable luxury life. He visited various places, ate a lot of delicious food, and bought expensive stuff.
After a couple of years of repeating the same cycle, he felt more and more unhappy. He visited all the places that the world could offer, ate all the expensive food that all the chefs in the world can offer, and bought all the cars that he ever wanted. Yet even after doing all this, he just felt more and more unhappy. It was like something was missing.
He then remembered the woman that he loved when he was a kid.
He remembered the times they talk about random stuff while leaning on a bush.
Even though they talked about all those random stuff, and repeated the same action day by day, it never did get old.
As he reminisces those times, he suddenly felt a warm feeling igniting in his chest.
For a short burst of blissful moments that he indulged himself into, he forget his promise to her.
For each time that he tried something new, he forgot the past where all that he ever experienced started with her.
For all the time that he used to fulfill his father's role and strive to be better, he forgot that warm and joyful feeling of being with the girl he loved.
Yes, he loved him, and yet, it was late for him to realize that all the world could offer couldn't compare to what she was in his life.
After contemplating this, he hurriedly went back to the small town.
While passing through their house, he stopped.
He went to the woman's house and knocked on her door.
"Who is it?"
A man's voice answered him as he opened the door.
He looked at him with a shocking face.
"Do you perhaps know the woman who lives here?"
He told him her name and described what she looked like.
"Oh, you mean my wife? Well, she is out visiting her mom and dad's graveyard. I wanted to visit then as well but she said she wanted to be alone so I let her be. She should be coming back soon. Is there something you need from her?"
After hearing this, He smiled.
"Nothing, I just wanted to leave a message. I'll be going out soon anyway."
"If there is something you want to say, tell it to me. I'll tell her later. Who are you anyway?"
He then let go of his smile and replied, "I'm just an old acquaintance, and you don't have to worry about it. I just want you to tell her that I'm glad she is doing fine. I'll be going now. Thank you."
He turned back and walked out.
The man then replied.
"Okay. Thanks for coming. Don't worry, I will make her happy until the end."
He then stopped and replied, "Thank you for being by her side."
After visiting his old small town, he went back to the city.
No tears came out of his eyes and his face remained the same.
He felt regret and yet he couldn't do anything. He felt sadness and yet he remained emotionless.
After a while, he continued living his life with less passion than what he used to have.
A couple of years have passed and he decided to open an orphanage and donate most of his money. He wanted to spend the rest of his life in a small town and take care of children.
He then moved to the orphanage when it was finished building.
On his first day, he saw a little girl and a little boy who was talking.
The little boy had scrapped his knee from running and so he went to check it out.
He looked at the knee scrape and covered it with his handkerchief.
"Be strong. You shouldn't cry in front of a girl."
Even though he said all that, the little boy kept crying and crying.
The little girl then spoke, "Here, you can have this. His name is Teddy the bear because he is fluffy and looks like a small bear. My mom gave it to me when I was crying as well. She said that this Teddy bear helped her through her rough times when she was crying as well. It was given to her by her first friend that she treasured the most and she kept it ever since. She said that I should have it because one day, I'll need it as well."
He saw the teddy bear and it reminded him of her.
The little boy then stopped crying. The little girl then held the little boy's hands.
"Thank you." The little boy said to the girl and him.
"You're welcome"
He said as he went back to his room.
He asked one of the workers in the background of the girl and there he found out everything.
The little girl came from his old small town. Apparently, her mother died from an illness when she was just four years old. Her father couldn't take it so he left her in an orphanage and committed suicide.
That little girl had been moving from orphanage to orphanage until she ended up here. Now that she is seven years old, she is growing very mature and not worrying much about her parents. She acts as a big sister to that little boy you were talking to earlier and the two of them seem to be getting along.
After knowing all these, he quickly went back to his old house in that old small town.
He opened the door and went directly to his room. He looked and looked everywhere but he couldn't seem to find what he was finding.
He then went into their backyard and saw a box.
He opened the box and he started crying.
He picked up a small stuffed toy that looked just like the one he saw from that little girl.
While hugging it, he kept on crying and crying.
It was like all his emotions that were suppressed from before came pouring out of his eyes without his control.
"If only I didn't indulge myself with this overwhelming world. If only I learned what truly mattered and treasured more of our time. If only I realized that I had such an impact on your life. If only I uphold our promise without getting swayed. Maybe, just maybe, I can still see your smiling face once more."
He cried his lungs out and spent his whole day in that house.
The next day, he went back to the orphanage.
He called out to the little boy and the little girl.
He saw that the little boy was holding the teddy bear so he said to the girl, "Here, you can have this. His name is Bunny the rabbit because he has a fluffy ear and looks like a small rabbit."
The little girl took it and smiled.
"Thank you."
After seeing that girl smile, he remembered her and cried.
The little boy and the little girl both handed their stuffed toy to him and said, "Don't cry."
He kept on crying more and more as he said, "Don't worry, these are tears of joy." He smiled.
***
The play ended.
The whole audience was too stunned to cheer. A lot cried and wept their asses off.
Peyg went to the back of the theatre to congratulate Vol, Lyrica, and the drama club on their work. Their well-done story as well as the top-tier performance of the drama club brought the play to life and captured the hearts of the people inside that theatre.
After that, the drama club went back to rehearse for their last play before the day ends. Peyg went back to the clubroom to continue selling his work. Lyrica said that she will help out other stalls from her classmates while Vol rested under the shade of a tree near a couple of stalls.
Vol seemed to be holding a copy of the verse novel that Peyg made. He bought the copy earlier before he went to rehearse for the play so that he can read it right after.
Vol read Peyg's Verse Novel during his break.
"So this is how he portrayed her here, huh?"
Vol let out a big sigh.
"A somewhat goddess that is out of reach. A girl that was different from him and yet shed a bright light on his world. A girl who gave her purpose. A girl who made him feel worthy of being alive."
Vol knew that Peyg loved her so much that he dedicated all his works to her. She was like his motivation, a medium for his imagination, someone who made his life colorful in a way that he only knows.
"Sera, if only you can read this and see how much you meant to him, would you accept it? Would you give him a chance to show you how you meant to him? Will you change how you thought of him? Or will you make him regret that he fell in love with you? Make your decision fast goddamn it. But you can't. And even if you are alive, you will never do so."
Humans would always focus on their selfish desires. You would always tease him but you will never accept him. I knew because I'm the only one in this group who truly cared for things to stay the same. That is my selfish desire. He said to himself.
"I hate myself."
Sera was the one who founded their Literary Narrative Club two years before this one to make a place for Peyg. She wasn't at all out of reach. Not like how Peyg described her in his work. She was someone friendly to all. She was always there for Peyg to support him.
If only that tragedy didn't happen last year, things would've stayed the same. That is for the best. But is that really for the best? Vol said to himself.
"Or so I thought. Maybe that is why Peyg described her as someone out of reach. Because no matter how much he tried, Sera wouldn't accept him. Both were convenient to each other to fulfill both their selfish desires. Longing for someone to live his life and the feeling of being depended on. Maybe just like how Lyrica is battling her selfish desire as well, I too, need to change and move on. It's not just Peyg who I need to worry about. It's myself included. All of us are slaves to our own."
And thus the day ended with the drama club's last line:
-"Intertwined relationships correlate the same problems and breed a web of emotional mess."-