Twenty
It was on a cold winter night as fluffy white snow fall from the dark sky. Three friends gathered closely and sat on a soft frosted wood log with campfire in front. The fire igniting, sparks flashing but soon disappeared right before their eyes. Icy spikes dangling from the trees surrounding them which form a circular barrel like they were in the core of the forest. If looking from the right angle, the light from the moon will make the tip of the sharp spikes twinkle. But they weren’t here just to see the breathtaking view under the twilight, they were here for story telling. Their reunion. It was silent, dead silent, except for the gust of wind bringing coldness to their skin, once every few minutes. The three friends looked left and right tapping the glass of wine they are holding, clink, clink, clink. Everyone was hesitated to speak, wait for one another to start a conversation. Awkward silent.
“ Old friends, what a long time since we seen each other?” said a muscular man with a bright smile. His seems to be one of those guys who get the way with any girl they want. No kidding, he literally wears fur coat and his built still able to show, got to give him credit girls or guys.
“ The time isn’t the matter, what’s really matter is the fact that we seeing each other again!” a woman squealed with her high pitch voice. She wore a white flowy sleeveless-gown that sways left and right as the wind blown by. The straight dark hair of hers which reach to her waist shows glimpses of silverness due to the moon light.
“Oh my dear, Future, I would have not recognized you, if you weren’t the only woman in the group. Your beauty is indescribable just like the moon that illuminated my life at night,” said a tall man with black tuxedo flirtatiously. He winked at Future which was a total fail since he closed both of his eyes.
“Present, Present, my lovely Present, you’ll never change do you? Is that how you suppose to start a conversation with a girl?” Future replied with an impression of british accent as her lips curved upward. She took his words as a complement, of course every girl will do the same. No one can resist the manly deep voice of his. Mention something about how his voice is more masculine than his appearance.
“Of course I change! I used a different pick up line this time!” retorted Present while playfully rolling his eyes.
“God, you have to be kidding me!” Future giggled.
“Hahmm, hello! I’m exist! Remember me?” the muscular man interrupted with a tone of exasperation. His friends tended to forget about him a lot, nearly every reunion to be exact. “ Guys, I come to this reunion once every century not to listen to you two flirting. Now let get to stories.” His lips moved slightly downward but none no one seemed to notice.
“Past, my dear old friend. You are no fun. Try to adapt to something different, don’t you like Future’s attempt of using british accent?” said Present while shaking his head, trying to act as though he’s disappointed but he gave a way with his smile. That’s guy found every situation funny, and pretending to sad or disappointed is far out of his ability.
“Remember the lyrics from Frozen? The past is in the past as I am Past, I will be in the past,” hissed Past while giving Present a glare. Which gained a little chuckled from Future and an eye roll from Present. Past is the manly one in the group, if appearance or stare can kill, all people will be endangered especially the one that is similar to Present.
“What shall we talk about this year, a tale of technology invention? Oh my god! Is it about inventing teleportation machine? ” shrieked Future. She smiled widely showing of her write straight teeth while bouncing up and down on the wood log like a girl about to open a Christmas gift. You couldn’t blame her for the excitement, it is just like fangirling, when fandom hits you, there is no way back. The two men looked at each other with the face of I-think-she’s-crazy.
“How are you two supposed to survive with that clothes in this winter’s night?” asked Past changing the topic. He’s scared that she might get a heart attack all from that excitement. Looking around the group, Past was the only one who wear thick coat, the brown fuzzy one similar to animal fur to be exact.
“ Past, you got to understand that the technology is improving rapidly. You can’t be in your old, old fashion forever. You should adapt to the present,” Present stated in a tone of unbelievable while shaky his head as his lips curved slightly downward. This time, it’s a real disappointment no joke or pun intended. “Live like a normal person does, live with the world man.”
“ Present, you’re trying to advertise yourself aren’t you, tell Past to be in the present is inconceivable! You selfish pig! Don’t you know that your words can be hurtful?” Future bursted. Her face turn red and her eyebrows raise closely together which caused wrinkle to appear on the upper part of her nose.
“But what I said is true, I am suggesting something that is better of for him,” said Present defensively as he crosses his hands in front of this chest.
“That’s not true! Everything is better of when you understand what’s going to happen!” bellowed Future. If this was in cartoon, you would see smoke coming out from her ear.
“So you are advertise yourself too then, Everything is better of when you understand what’s going to happen,” Present replied mockingly with a smirk on his face. This tilt his head a bit upward looking dreamingly at the spike dangling above his head, his lips curved into an sneer smile while mentally doing a victory dance for the best comeback.
“This is why we meet don’t meet so often,” Past whispered. Present and Future glanced at Past since they weren’t catching what’s Past just said, they went back to their argument. Past had stayed seated in his position listening to every words that his friends had speak. Old fashion….. a freak….. He knew those words referred to him but interrupting them isn’t a choice. He tried once a long time ago and things turn out… let’s just say out of hand. He stayed silent as the two argued, sipping his wine once in awhile.
“Gosh! I freaking hate the Jesus out of you!” said Future as she got up. A full glass of wine in her hand is now empty without anyone drinking it. And of course since there is no such a thing as magic, the wine had to be somewhere. Future’s flowy dress that dances with the wind was now replaced with a wet once. Clinging to her skin like glued. She stormed out of the group and stand by the nearest tree in front of them while squeezing the wine of her dress. Both of her hands were folding in front of her chest, she raised her face up high while her eyes were focusing on the diamond in the dark sky. Girls and their silent treatment.
“Go and talk to her, you got to be a gentleman,” said Past. Without him the three friends will fall apart for sure.
“I am being a gentleman right now, I let her come to talk to me first. You know, lady first,” replied Present jokingly.
“ You know your sense is great but sometimes it just you use it in a wrong situation,” explain Past.
“Fine, fine. This will be the first time and the last time. You gotta understand that it’s hurt my ego,” reasoned Present then added “Somehow, it felt this feel familiar, like it happened before.”
Past lips curved upward showing his his right canine. Something about this smile is cheeky, even Present noticed it too. Ignoring this suspicion, Present walked toward Future.
“They would never changed, do they?” wondered Past quietly by his own. He looked at his two friends who are talking animatedly. Their hands move up and down as they lean forward with their mouths open wildly splatting venom to one another. Just like any other time Past shooked his head. Future is the first one to come back. But Past could tell that the anger within her just like the campfire in front, it glows big then become a bit calmer then big again. Her anger is still burning. A while later Present walked toward the group, a step at time showing reluctancy as he got closer. As Present approached Future turn a body to the left side while closing both of her eyes. She took a few long breaths then open her eyes again.
“I remember a long time ago when we were so close stories is the best thing that ever exist, so who going to start?” stated Present. No one reply. Silent.
“Fine, Let’s start with Past,” answered Present to his own question.
“Okay, then go ahead, this is your show,” replied Future sweetly with a bright smile and as her eyes rested on Present, the twinkle in them had replace to a dull one. Past took an old leather covered book out of the coat pocket and cleared his throat.
There were three friends, best friends to be exact, Past said. They love each other so much that their relationship is more like family rather than friends. But due to their busyness, it was hard for them, and the best they can do is to meet once a year.
“Once a year! How…..,” her words trailed off as she realized that she just interrupted Past’s story. She sent Past an apologetic look and stayed silent.
The three of them were Today, Tomorrow and Yesterday. Whenever they come to this annual reunion, there is a host, whose tell a story of their choice. But things mostly weren’t turn out as plan. Tomorrow and Today will always argued by always it literally means always. It was more like a political debate, strictly, passionately, strongly believe that their idea right and not accept any other consequences. Both Tomorrow and Today tended to believe that Yesterday should change its lifestyle, And that Yesterday should forget what happened and live on. The argument will start when the story time started and end when the story time ended. It will always be Yesterday turn to be the host. Because he’s never get a chance to be a host! For Yesterday this friendly reunion is just a disaster and Yesterday would be gladly say goodbye when the reunion ended. And Yesterday would be eagerly waiting for this reunion, hate it and miss it. While both of his friends totally forgot about the old reunion, since when thing happened it is in the past. Therefore it is a part of yesterday. Life is complicated. When farewell comes there is the difference between “good, bye” and “goodbye.”
Past closed his book at looked at his friend. The two were silent as if there’s something generated inside their brain.
“I don’t get it,” Future finally said. She looked at Present who is just as confused as her. “What’s the ending? So Yesterday never actually like the reunion?” Past stayed silent, he sighed and said nothing.
“What’s that all the story?” asked Present skeptically “there got to be more.”
“No that’s the end,” Past said quietly. Future and Present said no word for the next one hour think of the story. Lastly they gave up.
“I guess this is the end,” said Present looking at his friends.
The three friends joint in a group goodbye hug. And promise to see each other again.
“Good bye!” said Future and Present spontaneously while waving at Past.
“Good, bye,” said Past. As Present and Future step into the frosted wood out of Past’s sight, Past could hear two babies crying from his friends direction.
“I guess we will see each other again, old friends. When you turn 20, when you’ll become immoral,” Past whispered to himself. “We’ll still be friend even when I have to start the friendship again.”
Past opened his book to the page of his story and wrote 20 times.