Cheerful. Loud. Happy.

Those are what my friends describe me. I’m a typical teenage girl living my life like any other girls do in this world. Well, I have to admit, I ‘WAS’ cheerful, loud and happy until one day I was at the park with my best friend. “Kara, I have to tell you something,” he said. “Yeah, sure,” I replied. Then he said, “Kara, sorry but I’m leaving.”

This is a story about my best friend and I. His name is John. Basically, we are best friends since we were both little and innocent. We both live in the same neighborhood. And we’ve been to school together since kindergarten. We have a lot of things in common; our birthdate, hobbies, songs, and the list just goes on. Every day, I will tell John that God loves us so much. And he will say, “That is why God gave us each other.”

“What? Are you serious?” I asked him when he said that he was leaving. He laughed and said, “Kara, I’ll never leave you. You would not even finish up your school assignments when I’m not around to help.” I was particularly very annoyed by his joke and told him that it wasn’t funny to play with other people’s feelings. I pulled a face. “You look cute when you’re angry,” he let out a laugh. I hit him on arm and ran across the park. As usual, he would try to catch me every time I run away from him. But this time, I ran really fast that I didn’t look for cars when I cross the road. I survived. But, he didn't.

It has been two years since I lost him. I was crying by the corner of the room while I read my journal. The date was 8^th June, Friday. I remembered that it was one day before I lost him. “Baby don’t cry, you had my heart, at least for the most part...” we sang A Little Piece Of Heaven together on the way home from school. I was really looking forward for the weekend because our birthday will be celebrated on this Sunday, 10 ^th June. Plus, we will be celebrating it together. I told John that I wanted to go to Avenged Sevenfold’s concert next month. “John, if we could go to Avenged Sevenfold’s concert together, that will be the greatest birthday present ever. And I’ll be the happiest girl on earth!” He just smiled at me as if I was a little girl in dreamland.

Tears kept rolling down my cold cheeks as I continued reading the next page of my journal. It was dated back to 9^th June.  It was the day he left me. I could not bear reading the past because it will remind me that I was the reason why he died. So, I moved on to the next page, 10^th June, our birthday. There were two tickets to Avenged Sevenfold’s concert and a birthday card. Mrs.Cavanugh, John’s mom, gave it to me on my birthday. She said that she found these on his desk when she was cleaning up his room. I couldn’t bare it anymore. I continued crying.

He was a good listener and he was more like a brother to me. I missed him so much. Even though I still have my friends around, it will never be the same without John. But, slowly I tried accepting the fact that everything happens for a reason; and I know that God took John away because He loves John.

If only John knew how much I missed him.

The Island Of Feelings

Over the rainbow, turn right and proceed a thousand miles. You’ll appear in the middle of the sea all of a sudden. That’s just the normal route to reach the cluster of island known as Calimary Islands. These islands, they appear as stars at night. Particularly, there is only one way in and one way out of this place. How? To be exact, nobody knows.

This island is not just an ordinary island yet, it’s an island where the feeling in this universe belongs. From happy to sad to jealousy, you can find all sorts of feelings.  It was peaceful and harmonious until one day…

“SAVE YOUR LIVES! EVACCUATE YOURSELVES! THE ISLAND IS ABOUT TO SINK!” In an instant, the island was in chaos. Feelings scattered all around, boarding their own personal boats. Now in the middle of this hectic situation, let me introduce you a feeling. Her name is Love; affectionate, caring and gentle. Love wasn’t readily prepared for this kind of situation. She doesn’t own a boat of her own. She was terrified.  “Sinking?” she whispered to herself. She thought of a solution to get her out of the island. Then she had an idea. She decided to ask any feeling who owns a boat if they could let her in.

Love spotted wealth at the shore, loading stuffs into the boat. Love thought that maybe wealth could help her. So, she approached wealth, “Wealth, could you please take me with you in your boat?” Love asked pleadingly. “I’m sorry Love, but my boat has no space for you as I have a lot more of wealth to take with me,” Wealth explained. Wealth wanted to help Love but unfortunately, Wealth have a lot of coins stashed in the boat.

 Love left feeling hopeless. But eventually, her face lit up as she spotted happiness. “Happiness!” Love called out at the top of her lungs. “Happiness!” Love called out again. But, Happiness didn’t give any respond because Happiness was too busy singing loudly to herself. Love was in despair and let out a sigh. Still, she didn’t give up. She went searching for others who could help her.

Then, Love came across sadness. She asked the same question she asked Wealth earlier. But Sadness replied, “I’m sorry love. I’m very sad right now. I just need some time of my own. I hope you don’t mind,” explained Sadness and left Love alone.

Love still didn’t give up. She spotted Vanity and asked he same usual question. But this was what Vanity replied, “I’m sorry Love you’re too wet to be in my boat. I suppose you might even damage my boat if I let you in. Go and find someone else to help you.”

Those words really hurt Love’s feelings. As a result, Love gave up.  “I think I’m gonna sink together with this island,” as a tear started streaming down her face.

Suddenly, an unfamiliar feeling approached Love. “Come, hop in my boat. I’ll take you to a safer ground.” Feeling excited, Love did as she was told. The quiet journey lasted a few minutes. Love didn’t recognize that feeling at all. She didn’t dare to talk to the feeling at all. When, they have reached an island, Love hopped out of the boat. As she turned to thank that feeling, the feeling was nowhere to be found and so was the boat. Curiosity filled her thoughts. She saw Wisdom who witnessed the incident. Quickly she thought, ‘Maybe Wisdom knows who that was’.

So, she approached Wisdom, “Excuse me Wisdom. Do you have some time to spare?”
“Of course. As you wish,” Wisdom replied.
“Could you please tell me who that feeling that saved my life?”
Wisdom overlooked into the blue sea and answered, “That was Time.”
“Time?” Love wondered.

“Yes, because it is time who knows how important, valuable and amazing Love is.”