Chapter 11 — “Perspectives”

Chapter 11 — “Perspectives”

The sound of tram running on its rail put the people inside at ease — something similar of an ambient white noise for people to relax. Scenery which seems like out of a movie scene plays from the tram’s window in the very highest resolution — green leaves falling from the passing trees, as traditional architecture of Japanese culture filled the background, giving every tired eyes a break to gain their energy back.

Inside the tram, a pompous lady sit calmly with her handbag sitting on her lap. Shem’s enjoying the tranquility of every seconds passing in the car, as she practices a type of breathing technique that helps her to relax her muscles.

“You sure are pretty laidback for someone who’s technically still a hostage,” she said, without opening her eyes. The girl next to Shem has been recording the journey with her phone, sticking it to the tram’s window. She tried to have the best angle, going as far as kneeling on top of her seat.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” Her eyes are still focused on the screen, making sure it records every frame of the majestic scene, “I might not gonna be back here for a long time.”

“How fun,” Shem opens her eyes, watching the green-haired girl having not a single care in the world, “You plan to go around the world?”

“I dunno…” Lime’s gaze becomes blank, as she watches the train passes by in a blink of an eye, “I don’t have a big plan like that, or anything.”

“Hmm…how about a dream? Do you have a dream?”

Lime’s becomes quieter. Her mind is blanking out — nothing but the moving scenes in her brain.

“I guess I don’t…” she answered short.

“I see…”

The sound of the electric tram fills the emptiness for seconds. Shadows of infrastructure come and go to fill the gaps in the atmosphere.

“Hey, don’t you think you got enough footage? Get your knees off the chair now! You’re embarrassing me, you…tourist!” The rowdy voice disturbs the stillness for a second. Cham points her finger, straight to Lime’s face. After giving her best side-eye yet, Lime paid no heed to her command.

“I never know they allow animals in the public transport here — much less a feral gorilla.”

“Greenie, I’ll bash your face in four times if Shem isn’t here.”

“Is it, though? I think you started to take a liking to Lime-chan, Cham.” Shem gives her a cheeky smirk.

“You better not join her, big sis…”

“Hey, I think your arm hair makes it hard for your family to tell you apart from a real gorilla.”

Cham gets up from her seat, ready to deliver a fist —

“Alright, enough.” Shem sighs, “Lime-chan, I think you had enough fun. Let’s sit down properly now, ok? It’s not gonna take us long to arrive at our destination.”

The charm of the older sister activates something different inside Lime’s whole thought process. Without any arguments, she complies as she sits next to Shem.

“You too, Cham.”

Even though she’s still boiling inside, she takes her seat in front of them with her arms and legs crossed, avoiding any eye contacts with the both of them. The tram’s car finally filled with serenity again, as dreamy atmosphere rises again. Shem opens her handbag, taking out a thick black book and starts reading it.

“When was it?” Shem abruptly poses a random question.

“What is?” Lime raises her eyebrows, asking back.

“The illusion I casted from your memories. When was it?” She asked, keeping most of her attention on her book.

“Oh…” Lime’s energy level dropped in a blink of an eye, “…around 15 ish year ago, I think”

“15 years…” Shem connected the dot from the given timeframe, “the third OO ascension.”

Lime has gone as silence as a dead winter, as she recollects the tragedy. The sensation, the pain, and the shock. It all comes back to her.

“And now you’re a candidate. What kind of a cruel joke is this?” Shem clenches her book tighter, crumpling the bottom side.

“…You’re sympathising me? Why?” Disbelief found in Lime’s voice. “I’m still your enemy, no?”

“Is being an enemy should stop them being human?” Shem’s statement dazed Lime, “In the end, aren’t we all made from the same flesh and blood? Why the prolonged hate? Why keep the cycle of war? The Ark was built to save, not to persecute. To bring shelter to the one in need, not to bring disaster to those who opposes it.”

Cham glanced at the two in front of her. For a moment, she felt a tight knot around her stomach. The glassy eyes of her enemy makes her heart feel all sort of stuff — all sort of emotions. For another moments of silence, she understands the sympathy coming from her sister.

“You’re good…” Lime scoffed, “You almost convince me with your smartly layered propaganda.”

“Oh, did I?” Shem chuckled. Her eyes still locked in the lines of text, “Then I must try better next time.”

The two of them shared a laugh. For the first time, the two shared a similar emotion, without any fallacy. Then, silence covers the tram’s car once more. The sound of the calm fills the car once more.

“…You think it’s a bad thing?” Another question from Lime.

“What is?”

“Having nothing to look forward to.”

“…And why do you think like such?”

“I dunno…someone close to me said I wouldn’t make it if I don’t have the drive — shouldn’t be his burden forever or something like that.”

“Is that so…” Shem’s eyes finally goes away from the book. She takes a moment to ponder before delivering her opinion.

“A man, sacrificing everything to achieve something special that he wants — or a man, sacrificing the special something so he can have everything he needs. Which one do you think is better? Strive for the future, or strive for the present?”

“…I dunno. The latter?”

“Could be. I think both are better than each one of them — just the matter of perspective. Those who are trying to change the world are going to belittle those who are mundane in life, and those who keep their normality will laugh at those who burned their wings, trying to reach to the sun...What’s more important, is not how people perceive your life. It’s how you perceive your life. For us to have the strength to keep moving forward. To have the hope that tomorrow would be better than yesterday. To strive both for the future and the present, not bound by the past”

The tram slows down — the sound of the brake emits, marking the end of the short journey.

“I hope this answer your question, even just a little” Shem glances to Lime — directly to her eyes. Lime nods weakly, cursing herself a little bit for gaining an insight from her enemy.

The tram finally halts. Before she’s able to say anything back, she can feel crude scrubs messing her hair up. As she raises her head, Cham quickly turned around, exiting the still-opening door — dashing her way to the platform.

“Well, let’s put aside the sister-talk first.“ Shem gets off from her seat, “Noah is waiting for us.”

Reality comes tumbling down on Lime. The safe place she felt seems so fake. As if it is an illusion, casted by the master of all illusion. She sighs, as she follows her captors. But deep in her heart, there’s one thing she wanted now. One thing she desired after such a long time not desiring anything. And with much selfishness, she prolonged her illusion — stealing times from the reality.

“I’m curious, what book did you read along the way?” Lime walks closer to Shem, sticking her body to Shem’s.

“Oh, this?” Shem raises the black book, “It’s the Bible.”

“Oh…I never expected you to be religious.” Much to Lime shock

“Not really, no. It’s more like a reference book.” Shem chuckled, waves the book around, “These days, you need fresh insights from different points of view, or you wouldn’t be able to distinguish between the good and the bad anymore.”

The both of them exits the now wide-open tram’s door, watching Cham’s tapping her feet outside. Shem puts in the book back in her handbag, as she say her final thought to her.

“This world, after all, is just a giant story with a lots of —“