Gift

I was very curious about a boy in class once. He would always perched on the far end corner of the classroom, alone, always away from everybody else. He would stay there, even when lecturers request him to move to more populated areas. He would always walk briskly with his head down.

I don't remember how I approached him, but I talked to him one day. I was very late to class, and I sneaked into the lecture room and sat right next to him in the far end corner of the class. I was wondering how to start talking to him, when he spoke.

"You know, everybody in this class, not everyone concentrates on the lesson. Some girl over there is thinking about her boy friend, somebody over there wants to go shopping. Imagine all 200 students in this class are talking out loud, wouldn't it be a din?" I blinked at him, trying to grasp his words.

"Sitting far from everyone else, the reception is less powerful. It is something like a radio, the waves don't reach that far. Besides, when you can see into their hearts, it is horrifying how much darkness you can find within."

It suddenly dawned on me. "So, does it mean...?"
He nodded slowly, "That is why I choose to stay away from everybody else. To protect myself from all those lies and deceptions. People, they seldom think good."

"But you can't just judge by that. You can tell when a person is telling a truth, you can tell who is really pure of heart. Nobody is perfect, even you yourself is not 100 percent pure of heart. We all have darkness, but maybe not that much. Maybe I don't understand how you feel, but I know how humans can be quite bad. Still, I choose to believe that the probability of people being good is higher than when they are not so good."

He kept silent. At that point the class ended, I left him where he was still lost in his thoughts. I remembered the times when I was betrayed by my best friend, how I was deceived by someone else I trusted. Still I believe that people are born to be good, we just have to be careful ourselves and judge the circumstances. If we trust no one, life could become rather sad and lonely.

I haven't seen him for a long time since. I have always wanted the ability to read minds, but would I end up like him? To have something, we have to lost something as well. Am I ready to bear the consequences? I sincerely hope that he is able to make friends and become happier.

Faded Friendships

It is strange how people can change so fast. She still remember when they were still friends. Good friends, or so she thought. She still smiles at the things that they did together, and all the memories they created together.

All of a sudden, he just didn't seem to care for her anymore. It's like 100 celcius dropping abruptly to the freezing point. She felt that she had lost a friend, in some way that she didn't know. She didn't even see it coming.

Then she found out why. She knew the girl, always thought the both of them were made for each other. In fact, she is happy that he finally found someone that suits him. Good luck to them and may they be happy for as long as they can. It's just that she felt a little at lost.

It was like when she had a very good friend in Form 1. Then he transfered to another school. To her every friend is like a treasure to be kept. They kept contact with one another for the next five years, but he had his own life in another place, and gradually they just lost contact. She wondered, how they just started talking to each other like they knew each other for years when they first met, and now they hardly know of each others' existence. He is somewhere out there, in this same little piece of land, but they never contacted each other anymore. The friendship that had grown so strongly crumbled like dust.

Another friend of hers knew her since primary school. She has no idea why that friend admires her so much. She still remembers when how her friend would tell her friend's mother excitedly what a good friend she was. Now, she has no idea where that other girl was, probably more successful than she is now. Maybe it is best not to see her again, so that she would be remembered as a successful person. Another of her friend who dropped out of her life although there was a time when they did everything together.

And now, it is the same with him. Ever since he got a girlfriend, he hardly talks to her anymore. Well, he has got new priorities now, what would he care about a friend who has nothing to do with him? And he will be like her friends before him, slowly fading away from her life. For she will meet new friends again, and so would he.

Sometimes, in the quiet of the night, she would spread out the memories of long ago. Memories, all that was left of those withered friendships. She has no idea why she still clings to these faded old memories, maybe they reminded her of those happy times. Sometimes it hurts to feel that she has lost those friends, that they couldn't go on being good friends forever. Maybe someday she will meet them again and she would thank them for those happy memories. For these memories are the the best gifts that one could ever have, although the friends are no longer here.

现实

是夜。她带着疲惫的身躯坐在梳妆台前，缓缓地卸下那厚厚粉底的脸皮。她厌恶地看着手中那带着殷勤笑容的脸皮，感觉很虚伪。镜中映着她原本清秀的面容，自然 而不做作。不知道是哪位前辈曾经对她说过，真诚的心只有在自己独处时才可以拿出来欣赏。在别人面前露出真诚只不过是将自己的弱点暴露，让小人有机可乘。

多悲哀啊！她本来不相信，但是事到如今，她也不知何时为自己戴上了保护色。成长本来就苦涩，她也从来不曾祈求成长早日到来。但人总要长大，也只有认了。只有夜深人静时，独自一人回味着当年的真心。