"Sir!" The students shouted, "Sir! You've got a lesson to teach!" Mr. Huxley had fallen asleep on
the job; a common occurrence indeed. He was tired from the previous night as his common
dreams would keep him up all night long. His beautiful, blue eyes were smudged with black
bags beneath them and his incredibly healthy hair (for his age) had been smothered. Gideon
had very sharp like eyes that were likened to those of an eagle and he had this long, roman-like
nose. He was quite tall but compared to his now-dead family, he was short. He had a thick head
of blonde. He had thick lips with an M like curve emerging from the midst of them. He always
wore a vest with a polo shirt and cream trousers paired with trainers. However, during his side
hobby, he would wear a white suit with white gloves and a white tip-top hat.
"Sorry class," Huxley said, "Let's get onto today's question!" He then began to shuffle through
the papers that were on his desk and accidentally knocked over a cup of coffee. The cup fell
slowly and hit the corner of the desk and actually didn't break; however, it began to roll and fell
of the stage and then it broke. It was close to survival and recovery but it died, it died ruthlessly.
The pieces scattered across the floor in an abstract like pattern.
"This morning can't get any worse" Gideon whispered to himself before apologizing to the class
and sweeping the mess up. After sweeping and binning the mess, he continued to shuffle
through his desk and finally found a paper.
"Aha!" He yelped, "Here it is" The student's finally picked up their pen and opened their
notebook,
"I'm glad to see you all so motivated to study!" Gideon tried to cheer the mood but failed to do
so, "Anyways, the question is as follows: WHAT MAKES US HUMAN?" Gideon asked this
question and expected people to raise their hands up. A student rose their hand,
"Sir, I believe it is communication and interaction with other people that makes us human," They
said, "Without communication, without interaction with our fellow humans, we are essentially
non-existent." Gideon gazed at this student, intimidating her with his sharp eyes,
"So, you're basically saying that if a tree fell in the forest and no one heard or seen it fall, it
never fell?" He replied.
"Yes," the student returned, "That's exactly my point." Gideon began to smile slightly,
"There's this saying, Emma, and it goes like this: absence of evidence is not evidence of
absence" Gideon then sat on his desk, staining his cream trousers with coffee yet not realizing
it,
"Sorry to interrupt you sir, but I am not quite sure of what that means." A random student said,
"Thank you, I was about to get onto that," Gideon replied, "Now, what does it mean? To put it in
simple terms, it means that just because we can't prove something doesn't exist, doesn't mean
that that thing doesn't actually exist. A prime example is this: Let's say that there's a person
living on mars. There's no way I can prove that but does that mean that that person doesn't
exist? No, that person exists regardless of what my opinion is on their existence." Gideon then
got off the table, "Now, you were wrong Emma, the fact that we communicate and interact with
others is not what makes us human. Does anyone else have any other ideas?" Gideon asked
yet no one put their hands up; everyone was writing though, but one person: Urijah Aswat.
"That's fine, if no one is willing to give their opinion, I shall give mine." Gideon said before
switching slides on his board to a portrait of René Descartes. He asked the class if they know
who this is and everyone said in unison: 'René Descartes.'
"Now, I am sure that you are all familiar with his famous quote 'Cogito ergo sum' or 'I think
therefore I am'. However, what does this quote actually mean? Please write this down:
Descartes is trying to say that the ability to think or to realize that you are human, is what
makes you human. 'What about babies who don't have consciousness or people in comas who
are unconscious?' You may ask, well, those people have the potential to be conscious or had
the ability to be conscious which is in term what makes them human. The ability to be
conscious of one's self and of your surroundings is what makes us human. Being able to
recognize the fact that you are a human, is what makes us human. However, having potential of
having this knowledge or having this knowledge in the past and no longer having it also makes
us human. I know, makes no sense so far but you'll understand it soon." Gideon explained
thoroughly.
Gideon continued teaching for a couple more hours before the lecture was over and everyone
was dismissed. One student was asleep however; Urijah Aswat. Gideon had noticed this and
snuck over to her and grabbed her notebook from off her table and put it in his bag and did the
same with her phone. He then tapped Urijah on the shoulder and awoke her,
"Sweetie," He said, "Class is over, you can go now."
"Don't call me sweetie," Urijah said grumpily before leaving the classroom with her hands on
her stomach as if she was hungry. 'Urijah Aswat, perhaps you'll be the next one.' Gideon
thought to himself.
At the end of the day, Gideon packed his stuff and prepared to leave. He made his way over to
his car and noticed someone; Urijah Aswat. This girl was outside the college smoking weed with
some of her friends. 'Interesting, Very... interesting.' Gideon thought to himself. Gideon opened
his car door and began to smell coffee. He put his hand on his butt and realized it was stained
with coffee. "Goddamn it!" He exclaimed. He put a little cloth beneath himself so that he doesn't
stain the car's precious, leather seats. Gideon them started his car and the engine roared as a
lion. Gideon smiled and drove home.