The Phugwak planet: A Journey To Another Possibility

by Ayman Ghalit

  “Do you believe in the afterlife?”

  “I don’t know,” Carl replied. “I can’t deny this, and I can’t walk with it. If it our consciousness and memories that will transfer to another body in another time, world, or dimension, then, that... may be. But to say that every atom and every piece of the body shall reattach to the other piece and we shall resurrect from the dust, then... I don’t know.”

  “Do you sometimes wish to die just to see the truth?”

  “You know, I thought about this exact idea, but then, I asked myself this question that I shall pose it to you: What if you managed to peep through a hole that allows you to see what lies beyond death... and you found nothingness. Empty lifeless darkness is what lies beyond. Will this affect your choices in life? Will this change you to a better or a bad one? Will this satisfy you?”

  Gael paused for a moment, then answered, “Though, it is really frightening and it would turn my life to agony, but I will deny what my eyes had behold and I will keep believing there is something... I think not that it would affect my choices. Usually, for most people, choices are shaped by circumstances, not believes. And, I think not that it would turn me to a bad or a better one. Maybe... maybe that would turn me to a careless and an emotionless person. A person who care not about death and life, joy and suffering, cry and laughter. And... that would never satisfy me, no! That will destroy me, for I don’t want to banish for good. I want to keep existing.”

  “The feelings that you would face are the same feelings that you had before existing. It is nothing.” Carl added.

  “I want the feelings that prove to me am alive... Even if I managed to peep through that hole that showed nothingness, I would still believe in the afterlife. I can’t believe that all of this happened just by coincidence.”

  “What if it was the other way around? What if that hole showed you realms of punishments and rewards?”

  “Then yes, that would indeed affect my choices, change me, and satisfy me.”

  “I thought circumstances shapes choices?”

  “Indeed, circumstances allowed me to peep through that hole which banished my doubts and cleared my vision. And the prior circumstances provided me with nothingness. I told you, most of the time, it is the circumstances... The problem with these kind of questions is that it is answerless and unconfirmable. And the only thing you can do about it is believing.”

  “What about this woe of ours? Do you think that we will ever return to Earth?”

  “I don’t know, but I will keep believing that the supreme one will answer my prayers.”

  Ordeal

  When it reached 7PM, they prepared their dinner and ate in silencing concern. Jack then posed a nostalgic question: “What is the most thing you miss, and really want so hard right now. I mean, from Earth… leave family a side.”

  “Any place where Mort does not exist,” said Gael.

  “I respect that.” Mort replied, “but for me, I want the market where I will buy and sell gold. I am so eager to bid this current burdening life of mine farewell.”

  “I Thought you liked it?” said Bob.

  “You thought wrong, kid.”

  “What about ‘The Void Companion’ title of yours?”

  “Still, I am.”

  “What about you Kais?” Jack asked,

  “Umm? I really miss my room. I miss video games. I miss the internet… I do miss it because of the freedom it provides. The internet will never fail to take me away from this reality of ours. To places where judgment won’t be severe. Takes you to places that will provide you with a mite of free-will. I really miss my room whereas everything is peaceful and calm. And though, I surely hated that, but I miss being alone, I truly do.”

  “Stupidity at its finest, right there,” said Mort.

  “What about you, Bob?” asked Jack.

  “I am sure you will find my answer is stupid, but I care not about your worthless opinions. I miss food. Delicious food. It is a lust that I can’t repent from. I miss the spicy grilled chickens with a lukewarm garlic sauce above, salty fried potatoes, and washing it down with big-sized and overly cooled soda-drink that you can see the dews dripping from the cup. Oh, God, I miss the warm tuna sandwiches with a cup of mint-tea early in the morning. I miss lot of foods. Food for me is something else. Food is a science that have its own countless branches. It an art that not everyone can master.”

  Mort sarcastically chuckled, and said, “Wow! look what that art did to you. A deformed in shape creature surrounded by redundant fat… truly, a living blob.”

  Bob confidently looked at Mort, and replied, “You are an easy target to roast, Mort. So be careful.”

  “Give me your best, fatty”

  “Do your bald head glows in the dark?”

  They faintly chuckled when Mort responded, “You are profaning a sacred thing, blob.”

  “Alright,” Bob added, “here is another one. Do you know the theory that says ‘If you stare at a bald head for 10 minutes straight without blinking once, a genie will show up and grant you one wish!’ But bald-headed people will never let you to do such thing, because they know you will not wish for their hair to grow.”

  Gael laughed, and admiringly said, “Good one.”

  “That is an insult that you must take back.”

  “Screw you, you bald twisted freak.” Bob replied.

  “Alright!” Kais shut them up. “What about you, Jack?”

  Jack nostalgically sighed, and said, “Oh! what is it that I am not missing? I miss a lot. Some I can tell, other are forbidden for the foreigners’ ears to hear. Oh, Mort, I really hope you stuck in anguish... you are then one who dragged us here.”

  “What’s wrong with this kid?”

  “God damn you. You just jinxed our fate.”

  “You kids became a fuckin’ pain in the ass. Repeating this shit over and over again. Why don’t you take the keys and lead us back to that hellish planet of yours?” Mort angrily replied, and reached his pocket to give Jack the keys, but he didn’t find it! He stood, cheeked his pockets again, and with puzzled widened eyes, he said, “The keys!”

  “That is not funny,” Gael said.

  “By God, I swear… I don’t have it!”

  He searched beneath the table and the chairs, but didn’t find it. Then he shouted at them, “Don’t stand like idiots, search with me!”

  Fear swiftly branched in their chest when they stood to search for the keys. They searched their pockets, the drawers, the trash cans, the sofa and between its gaps, the kitchen, the oven, the fridge, the bathroom, the bedrooms, the wardrobe, underneath the bed and the mattress, beneath the couch, and even their shoes! But nothing did they found. They gathered back in the living room. Mort, who was slightly panting, asked, “You find anything?”

  With shaky hands, Jack replied, “No... Please, please tell us this is a joke. It is so very funny, you got us right there. But, c’mon please, tell it is a joke.”

  “Are you stupid? I swear, I don’t have the keys.”

  Gael, who was frowning in anger, roared at his face, “You bald fuck, how can you lose such thing?”

  “Well, to clarify things, I don’t consider myself bald. I consider myself as man whom is wearing a permanent brimless-hat that is made of human skin, and to be—!”

  Gael couldn’t hold his anger any longer and knocked him off by a swift punch that pasted him on the ground. “Let me kill this careless piece of shit,” he roared in anger.

  Carl rushed in to check and help Mort who was barely responding to him. Kaiser held Gael, and said, “Calm down, we are all in this shit together.” Gael, who was gritting on his teeth while angrily breathing, exhaled. And while Kais can hear him, he mumbled, “My father’s wish came true this time.”

  Moment later, Mort, who was moaning from the punch that almost broke his jaw, slowly started to regain his consciousness. He asked them about happened, and they told him the keys are missing, and Gael knocked him off. Jack handed him a cup of water. M
ort barely took a sip, lent back, and asked Gael, “Was it worth it?”

  “Yes. Yes, it is. I told you your misplaced sarcasm will bring you troubles. I believe you deserve much more.”

  “Calm down!” Kaiser urged. “We mustn’t fight. We have to work with each other to see this through. We are on the edge right now. Just stay calm.”

  “What edge are you talking about. We already fell in the bottomless abyss that we will never escape. This is the fool and the careless bastard who drove us to it.”

  “No, we are not. We still have hope,” said Carl

  Gael roared, “HOPE! are serious? How are we going to use it? It is a key we are talking about. Where shall this damn key be? In Edward’s home? Howareyou’s car? or the taxi driver, or the mall? We fell in the abyss. We are way down below now.”

  “We still can try crawling up to the surface,” said Bob.

  Carl gave a bothered sigh, saying, “Let’s vacuum these negative thoughts with facts and proof. Let’s try to search and figure out where the keys are. It might be around here. Don’t give up to despair this fast!”

  “Is there a spare?” Jack asked.

  “Yes, but it is in planet Earth.”

  “When was the last time you were sure the key was with you?” Kaiser asked.

  Moaning in pain, Mort felt his jaws with his hand, and said, “Edward’s home. No, maybe with Howareyou? Or, argh... Am really not feeling well, I better go to sleep, in the morrow, we… we will figure it out.”

  Carl helped and escorted him to the bedroom after giving him pain killers that he had brought up. Then, they gathered back in the living room. And with a look that is filled with doubt and concern, Jack asked, “Now what?”

  “Now, we submit to this inevitable reality.” said Gael.

  “And what reality is that?” asked Bob.

  “We will rot in this accursed planet for good.”

  “Quitting so fast?” Kais replied. “Though, this might be true, but at least we can try.”

  “Even if we find the keys, it won’t be easy for us to return home. This planet is not humane, Kaiser. They don’t know where Earth is. It is done for us.”

  “Oh God!” said Jack. “I really hate this kind of negativity. Am going to sleep.”

  “Take me with you,” Bob followed.

  Moments later, Carl stood, and said, “How distressful is this matter! Am going to sleep. And… Gael, try to summon hope inside of you. Despair is contagious, it won’t do us any good. Believe, Gael. It’s the only thing we can do.”

  Volume 2

  “If the deed is not by the act of thine hand,

  thou hast no right to be proud of.”

  Wandering Heir

  Concerning deep-thoughts muted the dim-lighted living room. Gael was sitting with his head lowered down while feeling hopeless and sad. Kaiser, who was facing him, was leaning his head back on the couch and staring at the ceiling while thinking about this woeful matter. He hesitated at first, but then he asked, “Pardon me, Gael. I couldn’t help but to hear you say, ‘Your father’s wish came true this time?’ Mind telling me that?”

  Gael kept silent for a bit, then he sighed and answered, “Do you want to know who am I, Kaiser? …I am a Crimsonton.”

  With an awkward look, Kais replied, “Umm? I don’t know what’s that supposed to be.”

  “What!? You don’t know what a Crimsonton is?”

  “Should I! pardon, if I have offended you in any mean!”

  “If true, then you are the first one whom I met that doesn’t know my family.”

  “Seems something new to you!”

  “In a way that you can’t even imagine!”

  “Mind telling me who are the Crimsonton?”

  “I am Gael son of Richard son of Myrddin the Crimsonton. I am the eldest son and the only heir to our fortune. My family is the richest in this universe. It actually the richest family that have ever existed. We own 36 planets galactic-wide. We own the Galactic-Bank that loan lots of nations and kingdoms. And if you would remember the dreadful water crisis that stroke Planet Ozla, you would find out that my family were the one who saved it from a fatal drought that was awaiting two billion people. We own more than what we could count. Some says that we own more than the annual budget of 20 solar system combined! And three weeks ago, Leonard, the Lancet, the ruler of the Mother, joined us for dinner in our house!”

  “Leonard! The big guy!” Kais questionably replied.

  “By god I swear, Kais. Leonard himself.”

  “Then, why would ‘The son of the richest family,’ takes a stinky taxi?”

  “True, we are filthy rich, but money wasn’t one of my concern. I didn’t care about what my family had amassed. And that was making my father irritatingly unpleased. I really admire simple life, Kaiser. Life with easy tasks and calm routine. My life… is not. “sighed” I do find joy in reading, most of the time I end up reading philosophical books. Especially the ones that shows you the life from another perspective that let you see the various possibility of what life could be. I also like the ones that tells that life doesn’t worth the hustle... I do believe in the afterlife, I do believe in its punishment and reward, and I do believe in God. The supreme one, the omnipotent, the one who did it, and the mightiest of them all. That was not good for my father, who only believes in physical matters...

  He only cares about the wealth our family gathered. He cares about the name my ancestors carved. He made it a deity-like matter and sacred priority for us to protect and defend.”

  He paused a bit, then went on, “And because of how rich my father is, I had to encounter humans with various behaviors. Most of which are hypocritical and coaxing attitude. I despite the look that appears on every one who knows I am his son, for it will be followed with hypocrisy, fake flattering, deceiving treatment, and ugly pseudo smiles which will make you disgusted and sick! That made me truly do envy the commoners. By default, I find acceptance even if I am guilty, wrong, or bad. They reward me, not in virtue, nor in self-craving merits... they just do, even if I am clearly not a deserving. And the girls! Oh, the girls will blindly accept me without second thought or hesitation. Not because am Gael. No. It is because I am the trophy that they will brag about if achieved. Because my father is Richard, the richest of them all. *sadly sighed* Compunction feelings haunt me for something I did. My father thought marriage will make me more mature and responsible. So, he invited Brigham Taliesin, the ruler of planet Xe in the Pisces Solar System. All for I might marry Noel; his stunningly beautiful daughter. They knew my father’s obvious intentions, therefore, Noel acted too nice to me. She was too nice to be true! Though, she was unquestionably beautiful, but I strongly refused to marry her. That broke her heart. *exhaled* Am really sorry, Noel, but I can’t accept someone who only sees my father in me. My refusal made my father frowningly angry. He strictly confronted me with a grim face, saying, ‘When will you grow up and be a man? When will you realize that the fate of this family rest critically upon your shoulder? This unbroken-dynasty which lasted more than a thousand years relies on you!’

  I told him that I don’t care about this, never was, and never will. He then told me to remeasure my decisions, and try see the world from the perspective they look through. I said that I can’t as everything will just swell if you forced me to do so. Our argument blazingly escalated as our voices rose. After that, he kicked me out of our palace in Planet Earth saying, ‘You are not welcomed in here until you discard this poisoned and backward way of thinking.’ I told him that this is a faith I can’t abandon. He replied, ‘Leave, ungrateful child. Accursed you are. And I hope you never come back!’

  “That’s… that’s hard,” said Kaiser. “Am really sorry to hear that. But, where were you heading at with Mort?”

  “I don’t know… I just wanted to run away from my problems. I thought the speed of light is faster than anything, but how oblivious I was. I thought running away to another place will do the trick and free my burden. But little di
d I know. God! how foolish I was, how obnoxious, how shallow, and how poorly-thought my decisions were!”

  “Take it easy, am sure everything is going to be fine.”

  “Kaiser, just look around you. There is no fine lift for us, stop these delusional hopes.”

  “Something will pop up, am pretty sure about it. Just be optimistic for a little bit of time. It is the only way.”

  A moment of silent lied upon them. Gael disturbed it by asking, “What about you? You are way too quiet, Kais! And to be honest, I noticed how your thump hesitate to send a text that reads ‘Hi’ back in Mort’s ship. Sorry, I wasn’t peeking though. But the boring time we’ve spent there made unintendingly tilt my neck toward your screen.”

  Muted Struggler

  “Alright… Two years ago, I broke up with a girl whom I truly loved and admired. I fell deep down, way too deep, in her love ...named Emily. I was feeling a live every time I see her besides me. Joyful, happy, and comforted I am when she courts me. Instantly, when I gaze at her beauty, this question pops up in my mind, ‘Am I the luckiest one to have the most beautiful girl?’ ... To be honest, from the very beginning, I knew it won’t last. She was dull, and was so narcissist. She was so obsessed with herself. And though, she was undoubtfully beautiful, but she spent too much time facing the mirror, till it shattered her self-esteem, and made her want to do plastic surgeries. I refused her idea of that, and swore to her that she is beautiful. It was so clear that she isn’t the one for me, but I wanted to believe otherwise, for I was so numb. We stayed together for about a year. Then, out of the blue, she said to me that our relationship will never work, and we have to part our way! I started to recount my deeds toward her just in case! And when I was sure I did nothing wrong, I asked her ‘why?’ but she kept silent for days... till she said it is because I am a Scorpio and she is a Leo. Thus, the Zodiac signs judged, and sentenced us apart. I tried to reason her, but she got so obsessed with horoscope in a way that you can’t even imagine! She undoubtfully believed our parting is inescapable and our relation will never work... True, her ways of thinking were a turnoff for me, but her beauty was something made me ignore that and delve deep with her. I tried so hard to convince her, saying, ‘Horoscope is nothing but bullshit that only naive and stupid people believe in. Only useless and desperate people who try to feel good and proud about something unearned believe in that.’ ... A day later, she left …without a whisper.