Ežuk (50 degrees north). Year 1, day 1 (spring equinox)
"The calendar has been invented!", loudly said the messenger nomads who were roaming around the strees of Ežuk.
"Today is year 1, day 1!", they said, giving out the calendars to the villagers.
"From today on, y'all be able to know exactly when something happened!", they said.
The inhabitants did not seem to be very convinced about its utility.
"Have you heard that, Kěm?", said Řüğta, happy.
"Yeah, yeah, but now I'd just like to walk around the streets with you", replied Kěm.
"I'm honored", said Řüğta, smiling.
They walked around the streets with many other people around, and after a while they sat down on a flat rock. They kept quiet and were thinking. The sky was covered by grey clouds, just like Řüğta loved. The grey sky inspired her to discuss about the world. After several minutes of silence, Řüğta began to talk.
"You know... I like being here", she said.
"Me too", replied Kěm.
"I have noticed that when you are close friends with someone, you have fun even if you don't do anything" - "That's true" - "Sometimes, when I have a list of things to do, I stare at the list but in the end I don't do anything, for example I've been to a home where they did, I don't know, relaxing treatments or something like that, and there was a list of things that they were doing. I had read the list but in the end I didn't choose anything" - "Hmm" - "I have the feeling that often happens to you too, you're a quiet guy, you don't look like someone who would randomly dance around the streets - "I'm not interested in doing that" - "I really like chatting, I have a lot of ideas about the world that I want to share with everyone, and in fact I'm writing a book about my thoughts, even though the world is already awesome!" - "Not always" - "You're right, but human beings always try their best to make life wonderful despite the adversities that come from nature" - "That's not true" - "Why do you say that?" - "Accept the reality, how do you explain death and diseases? No human being can go against the will of the cruel nature" - "But... life is beautiful, don't you think?" - "It's average. I don't understand why you think life is so good" - "What do you want?" - "Honestly, nothing" - "You see? That's why you don't love life, you don't have wishes" - "I'm not interested in having wishes, nor am I interested in granting them" "I for example want to run around the streets with you" - "I don't feel like doing that" - "You don't feel like doing anything" - "Exactly".
The atmosphere was quiet again. Řüğta was disappointed for what had happened. Kěm doesn't feel like doing anything, and Řüğta is getting bored.
"Would you like walking?", she asked.
"Yes", replied Kěm.
They kept walking around the streets together and they felt quite calm. Even without doing anything, they were not consumed by boring like one would expect. Everything was calm, and it was a day like the others except for the fact that the calendar had been invented.
In the meanwhile, the wisest people of Ežuk were interested in the new invention of the greatest scientists of these times. The calendar.
"Since today we'll be able to know how many days ago exactly was a sunny day! We'll be able to know everything and we'll win gloriously!", said Iŋaŝæ. "Could it be that the calendar will protect us from death?", speculated Ubitëť, optimistic.
They gathered around each other and they were talking about this great day that (according to them) will be remembered forever in the history of humankind. According to them, the world will change forever starting from today.
Řüğta was with Kěm, she was having fun staying with him, even though they were not doing anything in particular and they were just chatting with each other (sometimes). They were walking through the streets and they were looking at the grey sky. They saw a girl and a guy running and holding each other's hands. They looked happy.
"Should we do it too?", asked Řüğta.
"Eh?" replied Kěm, slightly embarrassed.
"I mean, running together holding each other's hands" - "I don't feel like it" - "Holding each other's hands?" - "Hmm... that's acceptable"
Řüğta and Kěm were holding each other's hands and they kept walking. Řüğta was suspecting that Kěm hated running or moving too much. What she wanted was that he was happy.
"Don't you think life is so boring?", asked Kěm.
"Why do you say this? I think life is fun" - "There's nothing to do" - "How so? We can chat, walk, run, hug each other, dance, sing, and many other things. The choices are unlimited" - "You're not convincing me" - "What else do you want from life?" - "There's nothing that I want" - "Are you sure?" - "There may be one thing, but it will never happen. I'd like to fly like some animals do" - "Unfortunately nobody can grant your wish, what you're asking is impossible" - "I know it well" - "Anything else?" - "No".
Kěm couldn't find anything fun to do, to him life is boring. Řüğta was trying her best to make him have fun, but she didn't manage to do that. Kěm was a really quiet guy, he wasn't interested in partying. He lived every day without desires, accepting things for how they went. He considered himself "pure". He didn't understand why people in the world were trying to satisfy their own desires, to him desires are just a source of suffering, a collective emotional pain that will stop only in the moment when everyone will stop desiring something. Only in that way, according to Kěm, one could find peace of mind. He, however, didn't care whether or not the others were following his spiritual path. He didn't want anything.
"Shall we sing?", asked Řüğta.
"No, I don't feel like it", replied Kěm.
Řüğta couldn't understand Kěm's emotions, she wanted to make him happy, but he didn't want to be happy, but she didn't know that.
"(If things go on like this, I don't want to be his friend anymore)", thought Řüğta.
Was a bit frustrated by the fact that Kěm didn't have any wishes. She understood that being with a person who behaves like that is very hard. What made the friendship so difficult was not just the fact that he didn't have any desires, but also because he didn't want to grant other people's wishes.
"Would you like a hug?", asked Řüğta.
"I don't like hugs", replied Kěm.
Řüğta silently stayed close to Kěm without doing or saying anything. "(If this is what he wants, alright, I'll give him what he wants")", she thought.
They stayed like that, and there is little to say about two people who stay still and quiet, so let's switch to a different scene.
The wisest people of Ežuk kept speculating about the benefits of the calendar.
"Now all of us will be able to control time, we'll be able to manipulate it according to our wishes, we'll get a new understanding and we'll no longer live like in the old times, ignorant and uncouth, from now on we'll be free", said Iŋaŝæ, happy.
"Don't be so happy, the calendar won't protect us from hunger and diseases, we'll die anyway", said Řbuč.
"That's true, but from today on we'll be able to know exactly when someone is born and dies, it's already a good start", replied Ubitëť, optimistic.
"A good start? People will keep dying and suffering, forever. The gods have cursed us for the sins of our ancestors, you know the myth, right? We can't rebel, this is our unfortunate fate", said Řbuč.
"Listen, Řbuč, I'm optimistic, we'll see how life will go on with the calendar, I think that all of us will be victorious and get out from this miserable condition, soon nobody will suffer anymore, everyone will have what they want, and life will be perfect. The calendar will be our salvation!", said Ubitëť.
Řbuč thought that Ubitëť was crazy.
"You don't understand, nothing has changed through all this time, why do you think it will change now? Don't you think that's a bit of an egocentric thought?", said Řbuč.
"Before now, humankind has lived without the calendar. From today on, things will change", said Ubitëť.
"At this point I don't know whether to believe you or not, we'll see what happens in the future", said Řbuč.
They all agreed that even in the case that the calendar won't save them from hunger and diseases, it will nonetheless be a very useful invention. They were having a lot of faith in the calendar.
"Let's all make each other happy despite the adversities, alright? And if the calendar will save us, even better", said Ozčup.
Everyone agreed with her.
The ignorant commoners thought that the calendar was useless. All they wanted was an abundance of food, medicines and some warriors who will protect Ežuk from the monsters that sometimes enter within the borders of the village.
"But mom, thanks to the calendar, we'll be able to know everything, I'll take it!", said Üžabif, a young student interested in knowledge.
"The calendar won't give you food", her mom said.
"Eating is not the only thing that one can do in life, I have learned many things going to school, and the wise may fix these problems with their genius ideas" - "I really don't think so, nobody will solve the problem of hunger, ohh what do they even teach you at school?"
That being said, Üžabif's mother walked away, feeling defeated by the fact that suffering will never cease to exist in the world.
In the meanwhile, in the surrounding countryside, there were some people who were playing music with flutes, drums and voices. They were singing about how they will be saved by the calendars. The listeners were feeling very happy. All the pain that humankind feels will be gone, and everyone will be happy forever. It's a happy ending, and they deserve it after all the suffering they have been through. Everyone smiled and danced happily celebrating the end of their anguish.
"Finally all the bad things are gone", said Đüŝpěk to Ťöğim, almost in tears from the happiness. They couldn't believe that the calendar had really been invented.
Řüğta and Kěm were still still and quiet.
"Would you like to chat?", asked Řüğta, breaking a long period of silence.
"Why? I feel so good here close to you, talking would ruin the atmosphere", replied Kěm.
Řüğta went silent again. She was getting bored and wanted to do something.
"I want to stay with you every day", said Kěm.
Řüğta quietly groaned.
"Something's wrong?", asked Kěm.
"I'm getting bored, I beg you let's do something" - "Alright, what would you like to do? (I don't want to do anything, how can I tell her?)" - "I would like to lay down on a bed, I'm tired of standing up, would you like to keep me company?" - "Of course!"
Kěm was more than okay with that. After all, he didn't feel like doing anything in particular.
Řüğta was laying down on the bed and closed her eyes. They kept still and quiet for the entire evening. Both of them were feeling fine, but something was missing.
"Touch my hand", said Řüğta.
"Why?" - "Because I like it, touch my hand and you can stay still and quiet for the entire evening".
Kěm touched her hand and they stayed like that for the entire evening.
The wise of Ežuk stopped talking about the calendar and they said each other goodbye.
"It was a nice chat, and in the future we'll see if the calendar will really be that powerful", said Ubitëť, optimistic as always. Everyone agreed to talk about the benefits of the calendar again in the year 2, day 1 (exactly one year later).
The Sun set at 75:00 (every day is divided in 100 hours, and every hour is divided in 100 minutes. Actually, a day lasts for 24 [Earth] hours, and therefore one [Phonetic] hour lasts about 14 [Earth] minutes and one [Phonetic] minutes lasts about 8 [Earth] seconds).
The Sun set at 75:00, because it was the spring equinox, and people were starting to go to sleep because it was starting to get dark.
"I have to go, Řüğta", said Kěm, removing his hand from hers.
"It was so nice", said Řüğta, half asleep.
While Kěm was walking through the streets in order to come back home, he was feeling a strange feeling deep inside. He was wondering if life was really as terrible as he thought. He thought about the suffering in the world, but strangely he was feeling well, he was feeling something positive, definitely. He smiled. While the sky was getting darker and darker, Kěm understood that even though good things exist in life, we're all doomed to suffer, so he stopped smiled and came back home, waiting for another horrible and boring day, he went to sleep. It was a day like any other, but many people were having great faith in the calendar, which they thought would save them.
Year 1, day 2.
32:00 o'clock, Kěm went to Řüğta's house.
"I had fun with you yesterday evening, would you like spending another day together with me?", asked Kěm shily.
Řüğta smiled and accepted.
"Let's light a fire", she said.
"You know how to do it?" - "No, but we'll try".
They went outside, took some branches from a tree and threw them on the ground. They tried to light a fire, but they didn't manage to do it.
"Nevermind", said Řüğta.
They kept walking around the streets like the day before.
"Yesterday on the calendar I wrote about the fact that we spent the day together", said Řüğta, blushing.
"I didn't write anything, I simply use it to understand what day we are in", replied Kěm.
"Wouldn't you like having some memories written there?", asked Řüğta, perplexed.
"I'm not interested. Life doesn't bring great emotions, in any case", said Kěm.
"Why do you say that? I want you to be happy", she said. "I will never be happy" - "Tell me what you want and I'll try to please you" - "I don't want anything"
Řüğta had a concerned expression on her face.
"Look, we can chat, run, sing, hug each other, dance, play and many other things. Life is full of things to do!" - "Let's chat" - "Great choice. What do you want to chat about?" - "There's nothing to chat about in this life. Be realistic, all we do is sleeping and eating" - "That's not true! Think about the calendar, and in the future more things to do will be invented, be optimistic!" - "Maybe you're right" - "What would you like to chat about?" - "About food" - "What food do you like?" - "I like Üżtkë" - "Me too"
In the meanwhile, Üžabif was keeping track of anything that happened and writing it on the calendar. She also had a personal scale or cold and heat, called "temperature", but there was no way of measuring it objectively. To her, 0 meant "neither hot nor cold", below 0 was cold and above 0 was warm or hot. Yesterday for her the temperature was -1, slightly cold. The sky was covered by grey clouds, and she kept track of that detail too. Her goal was to understand Ežuk's climate. Today, at 40:00 o'clock, the temperature for her was -1, the sky was partly cloudy. Üžabif loved the idea of being able to put facts in an objective chronological line. She hoped that other people too were doing the same thing, but she knew that few people were interested in remembering facts.
Üžabif went outdoors. She wanted to chat with someone, so she went to a center.
"I want to chat with someone. Topic: calendar", said Üžabif, with a satisfied smile on her face.
After a few tens of minutes, a guy arrived.
"That girl over there wants to chat with someone about the calendar", said the informant.
"Alright", said the guy.
"Hi", said the guy, smiling.
"Hi, do you write what happens on the calendar?", asked Üžabif.
"No, I still haven't properly understood how to use it" - "Every day you need to tear a page out" - "I know, today is day 2, but honestly I don't use it to write. I confess that I'm not good at writing" - "It requires a lot of practice, I know. What's your name?" - "My name is Eļeŝak" - "What did you do today?" - "Oh, not much. I got up, I ate something and... what else? There's not much to do in this village" - "(Snickers) it's true, what do you want to do?" - "I can't even imagine it, let's see what other people want. Informant!"
"There's a guy who wants to explore the surrounding nature", said the informant.
Eļeŝak and Üžabif felt shocked.
"But, but...", stammered Üžabif.
"It's extremely dangerous, there could be some Öśekp ready to attack. Please, warn that guy about the danger he would face", said Eļeŝak.
"Öśekp are ferocious beasts, a human would had no chance surviving an attack from them!", said Üžabif.
"Honestly, that guy seemed very skilled at using his shield and his sword. He's not the average citizen", said the informant.
"He would nonetheless need other hunters. It's dangerous to go alone", said Eļeŝak.
"That was what he was looking for", said the informant.
"We don't know how to use weapons, we are students, not hunters", said Eļeŝak.
"Almost nobody is brave enough to go adventuring in the nature", said the informant.
"Has somebody accepted?", asked Üžabif.
"Not yet, but maybe in the next days some hunter will accept the request", said the informant.
"Any other request?", asked Eļeŝak.
"A girl wants someone to tell her a true story about far away places", said the informant.
"I have never been outside of Ežuk", said Eļeŝak.
"Neither have I... these requests are difficult to grant, what is the easiest request you've got?", asked Üžabif.
"A girl wants another girl to kiss her on her lips", said the informant.
"As easy as walking", said Üžabif.
"Come back tomorrow at noon, the girl will be here", said the informant.
Üžabif smiled and kept chatting with Eļeŝak.
The second day of history starts well for many, but in Ežuk, like everywhere else in Phonetia, many people feel hungry.
A child went to the informant.
"Please, ask if anyone can give me something to eat, I'm hungry", said the child to the informant.
"I have some fish", said Üžabif.
"Thank you", said the child.
"Wait me here", said Üžabif, going to her house to take some fish.
"Are your parents okay?", asked Eļeŝak.
"My mom died from pneumonia when I was little, my dad went to the south to grow fruit and vegetables, I live with other boys around my age, but there's not enough food for everyone", he said, sad.
"Üžabif is coming", noticed Eļeŝak.
"I have brought cooked fish", she said.
The child thanked and ate the fish.
"Thank you very much, Üžabif", he said.
"It's thanks to the fishers of the village that we have the fish, it's thanks to the adventurers who go take the water from the spring that we have water, I'm just a student", said Üžabif, smiling.
"It's thanks to you that I have eaten something", said the child, happy.
In the meanwhile, Řüğta and Kěm were still chatting.
"Are you feeling better?", asked Řüğta.
"Not much" - "Do you want a hug?" - "I don't like hugs" - "Alright, anyway if there's anything I can do to mae you feel better, please tell me (smiles)" - "I want to know how many people in Ežuk think life is boring" - "Let's go to the informant"
Řüğta and Kěm went to the informant.
"I want to know how many people in Ežuk think life is boring", said Kěm.
"Do you accept requests?", asked the informant.
"Yes" - "A guy is convinced that he's the fastest runner in Ežuk. He won numerous competitions. He wants someone to show him otherwise" - "I won't do that, I'm slow" - "A guy wants someone to tell him a story, real of fictional, about ferocious animals" - "How boring... eh, alright!" - "Come back tomorrow at noon!" - "Okay"
"I accept requests too!", said Řüğta, smiling.
"A guy wants to draw something with someone" - "Oh yeah okay that sounds great (smiles cheerfully)" - "Come back tomorrow at noon" - "Yay!!!"
"You accept everything, right?", said Kěm, almost sarcastically.
"Only what I know how to do. If someone asks me to go fishing with them, I won't accept, because I don't how to do it. Otherwise I accept everything, because I like making people happy", said Řüğta.
Kěm had a slight smile on his face. He thought that was a noble thought, but he was getting bored anyway.
"Trust me, you'll have fun tomorrow, it was a good idea to come here, so you discovered some things to do", said Řüğta.
"What have I done... I only have today to make up a decent story, and I don't know any ferocious animal!!", said Kěm, worried.
"I'll help you", said Řüğta, smiling.
"Informant, I want to know the name and the description of a ferocious animal", said Kěm.
"Well, there are many...", said the informant.
"The most ferocious you know" - "Ahh... you're talking about the Ğëvņu, those who have survived said that it's as tall as two houses, its claws kill immediately and it's so fast that you don't even have the time to scream because you're already dead. The bravest hunters have survived, yes, but nobody has been able to kill one" - "I understand, thanks"
"It's a really monstruous animal!! I'll help you make up the story", said Řüğta.
Year 1, day 3. 30:00 o'clock.
Řüğta knocked at Kěm's door.
"Good morning", she said, smiling.
"..."
"You remember the story, right? Did you practice?", she asked.
"Yeah, I think I'll manage to tell it", said Kěm.
"Shall we go outdoors?", asked Řüğta.
"Yeah".
The two friends went outdoors to the streets, Řüğta was calm and happy, while Kěm was asking himself a lot of questions about the meaning of life. He was unsure of whether to talk about it with Řüğta or not. He was wondering what he could do to have fun, he wondered about the reason why human beings exist, why does hunger exist, why do diseases exist, and why does one have to kill other living beings to eat and survive. Kěm was thinking a lot, but he was not a student, because everyone kept telling him that studying was difficult.
"I'm considering taking philosophy lessons", said Kěm.
"Really? ... I'm happy for you", said Řüğta, smiling.
"I'm serious. I have a lot of questions in my mind", said Kěm.
"Cool! Tell me some of those!" - "Why do human beings exist?"
Řüğta had a serious and thinking expression on her face.
"I have never thought about it before. I think we humans have a goal" - "Which one?" - "Being happy" - "This answer does not satisfy me. And tell me, why do we have to kill animals to survive?" - "I don't know... Kěm..."
Řüğta had tears in her eyes. She was thinking about the fish and the land animals that are killed by humans.
"Something's wrong?", asked Kěm.
"Nothing, Kěm...", said Řüğta, wiping away the tears from her eyes using her hand, "...life is unfair for animals, but humans will all be happy", she said, with a melancholic smile.
"So how do you explain death, hunger, diseases?", asked Kěm.
"If you ask me... life is ugly, but we humans try to make it as pleasant as possible, so it's beautiful" - "I hope you're right" - "It will soon be noon, we'll both have to satisfy those requests" - "Yes, of course"
Üžabif too had to satisfy a request: she had to kiss another girl on the lips.
Noon is getting closer, and Řüğta and Kěm are getting ready to tell the story.
"You've been so good, Kěm!", said Řüğta.
Üžabif was walking through the streets alone, thinking about the fact that the calendar will save everyone from their bitter fate. She was happy because of this amazing invention.
She was not as optimistic as Ubitëť, but she thought that things would vastly improve within a few years. After all, now people can know exactly when someone is born and when someone dies, the climate of a city, when an event happened and many other things. For example today, day 3, the sky is covered by clouds, and people will see when it will be sunny again, and the next generations will know exactly when it was sunny. Even today the temperature for Üžabif is -1, and as always she marked it on the calendar, just like everyone else that happened in her life. The future seemed to shine bright.
Řüğta and Kěm went to the informant and waited for noon to arrive.
"Now we have found something for you to do, eheh~", said Řüğta, smiling happily.
"Actually, I don't know what I was thinking when I accepted, I don't want to do anything" - "Now that you have accepted you can't refuse, you must tell that story. And anyway, doing something is more fun than not doing anything" - "I hope that's true".
Kěm was confused, he didn't know what he wanted, he thought he was devoid of desires, but he got bored doing nothing. He was wondering what he had to do, doing something or not doing anything? Now it's too late, and he knew it, he was obliged to satisfy that guy's request, because Kěm accepted it. He thought that he wouldn't had been so bad doing something, he was no longer interested in being pure, what he wanted was being free from his own mental conditioning, but at the same time being different from others. This confusion gave him a sense of psychological discomfort, but now the decision has been taken, and he can't run away from it.
The guy arrived, he smiled and greeted Kěm.
"I'm ready to hear the story!", said the guy, sitting on a smooth rock and waiting for Kěm to begin.
The other guy was already happily drawing with Řüğta.
"Let's draw two friends who hug each other!", said Řüğta, smiling.
In the meanwhile, Üžabif was about to kiss a girl.
"Do you want a quick kiss or a long one?", asked Üžabif.
"A long one", said the girl, smiling and almost closing her eyes from the joy.
This and other requests are about to be granted, just like every day. In every city of Phonetia this happens every day.
"This is a fictional story", said Kěm.
The guy was happy.
...
A guy wanted to explore the wilderness, so he went to explore the wilderness, and while he was exploring the wilderness, he saw a Ğëvņu. The Ğëvņu attacked him so the guy died, but nobody cared, because he was a very lonely guy. He had no friends and his life was terrible. In the last moments of his life he had finally found some peace and happiness, before succumbing to his tragic fate. Nobody knew that a Ğëvņu killed him, and few even noticed about his absence, and those few thought that he moved to a nearby city. Obviously, that guy was not the only victim of the Ğëvņu, many expert hunters have been killed by that beast, but there were nonetheless some survivors who were able to tell about how monstrous that beast is. Whoever saw the Ğëvņu say that it's as tall as two houses and that it's very fast.
Life in the village continued normally despite the death of that guy, and the Ğëvņu kept wandering around the area, and there was no way of stopping it. Five hunters went to hunt some animal in the wilderness to bring some food to the citizens, they killed some Bežűv, but suddenly they heard a loud noise from the distance. The steps kept getting closer and the hunters knew they had no hope, but they ran away panicking. The hunters were halfway between the village and death. Running, their breath kept getting heavier and feeling pain, but they couldn't stop running, because they would had been dead. There were a few heights left, but they fell on the ground exhausted and they were coughing heavily. With a low voice they yelled:"Water...". An old man arrived and he gave them a glass of water. Once the five hunters got back their energies, they donated the meat they had hunted to the hungriest people. They said nothing about the Ğëvņu they saw, even though it would had been better if they did.
Life in the village was calm, everything was going as expected. Guys and girls were playing around the streets, but everyone was safe from that monster. For that moment there was enough meat, fish and water for everyone, so nobody went out of the village, there was no need to. In the meanwhile everyone was getting bored because, let's be honest, life sucks, so in order to have fun they were stomping their feet on the ground for the entire day, for many days in a row. This happened until the meat was starting to become scarce, so ten hunters went to hunt some meat for the village. Everything seemed calm and quiet, there was no trace of the Ğëvņu anywhere, and the ten hunters didn't even know about its presence. As soon as they came back to the village they cooked the meat for themselves and donated the meat of the Bežűv to a hundred people. They promised to go hunt some meat very soon, and in the meanwhile they were enjoying their boring life. They were sitting on chairs all day, and were doing nothing but eating and sleeping all day, because there's nothing else to do in life. In the meanwhile, meat kept becoming scarce. This time, twenty hunters went to the wilderness and brought a lot of meat to the village. The villagers thanked the hunters and ate abundantly, it seemed like the famine was getting solved, and this continued for a year, but there was a day when the Ğëvņu appeared again. This time forty hunters went to the wilnderness and they saw a colossal beast, as tall as two houses. They knew they were going to die very soon, but thirty-seven of them managed to survive. They warned the villagers about a huge beast called Ğëvņu and many were afraid of it. A child asked them if the Ğëvņu was really as big and dangerous as the legends say, and the survivors confirmed it was true. They said that three hunters were dead, killed by that merciless monster. The informants put the village in a state of alert, but the Ğëvņu wasn't going away from the area near the village, so the hunters were no longer able to go hunting and a period of famine started. Some villagers died of starvation and many others were in extreme malnutrition conditions. A girl was complaining to her parents about being hungry, but they replied that there was no food even for them and that they were sorry. That village was in serious danger, and when the surrounding wilderness was free from the Ğëvņu, already more than two-hundred people died of starvation and thirst. It was a terrible famine, but the hunters and fishers brought new food tor the villagers who survived. Some of them, even with the new food, died anyway, because they were in bad health conditions. After the famine, life in the village returned to normality, and the hunters were hoping to never see that ferocious beast anymore. They resumed hunting, months had passed and the Ğëvņu didn't show itself anymore. To see it was terrible, that monster alone killed four people in the whole village. It seemed like the suffering caused by the Ğëvņu was over. Surely, hunger and diseases were still present, but it's just a part of nature, but anyway the Ğëvņu wasn't bothering anyone anymore, probably it moved to another uninhabited area and so the hunters were safe, but in any case the villagers decided to not celebrate, because they were not sure that they were completely safe: other ferocious beasts, even if less ferocious than that, could still be wandering around the village, even though it didn't matter because the hunters were able to defeat them and there would be a lot of meat for everyone. Life in the village kept being normal, the guys were playing around the streets and even in the houses, hunger was afflicting very few people and it could be said that on average, life was going well. A guy who was not a hunter decided to go to the wilderness accompanied by a hunter, and luckily there were no ferocious animals, and the guy was not feeling afraid, because he was very brave. The wilderness was pleasing to the eyes, there was an expanse of grassland that seemed to be endless, and the mountains inspired curiosity of exploring far away places.
Now that the famine is over, life seems beautiful again. Surely, diseases still exist, but the inhabitants are happy and the guys can play again and do what they want. A young girl wanted to learn how to read and write, and a teacher taught her to do so. She wrote a short story and in order to be her friend, one must read that story. That story told about an ideal period on our Earth, a heaven where hunger and diseases do not exist, and where there is no need to eat to survive. She wanted to let everyone understand that Earth is a horrible place and that there is nothing to do to improve it, other than understanding that it's a horrible place. A lot of people agreed with her, but only in part. A guy told her:"What makes Earth so bad is nature, which is merciless towards all living beings. But... think about the fact that human beings are all kind to each other and that we try to help each other, doesn't this make you feel better? Imagine if in the world the laws were decided only by a small group of powerful people instead of by us. The world would be unlivable. Imagine if everyone judged you based on what you wear, even after you have forbidden them to do so, and nobody did anything to prevent it. How would you feel?". The girl replied:"The world that you describe is impossible and is not realistic. Let's suppose it was that way, it would be extremely unpleasant, but you have to accept the bitter truth, the world is already horrible, many people die of starvation and disease, what's beautiful in all this?". The two found a compromise: the world is both ugly and beautiful, and that is part of the adventure that we live.
The Ğëvņu had not showed itself for months, but the hunters and fishers of the village were cautious, because they didn't want to be caught by surprise. They were paying a lot of attention to all the noises they heard, but they no longer saw the Ğëvņu, so they were pretty calm and as usual they were hunting the Bežűv to bring the meat to the village. They were wondering where the Ğëvņu was and most importantly whether it will ever return to curse their land, but at the same time they felt respect and fear for its incredible strength.
They brought the meat and fish to their village and there was so much of it that it could feed all the villagers for three days. It seemed like every problem was solved, but one day a guy was having a very high fever and there was no way of curing it. Everyone went to him and granted his last wish: singing and dancing a song to accompany him to the realm of the dead. His last words were:"Thank you". His brothers and sisters started crying, they would had liked playing with him once again, but they couldn't do that.
The girl who wrote the story about the terrestrial paradise felt sad when she heard the news and she let everyone know how cruel the world actually is without reason: she pointed out how that guy did absolutely nothing wrong. The wise said that they were trying to find a solution to defeat death, and that it would take some generations in order to do that. They said that they would win sooner or later, they recommended to have faith in their wisdom, and that they would had turned Earth into a paradise. Unfortunately at those times there was no calendar, unlike now, so they had no control over time, and therefore not even over death. But all this happened several winters ago, they didn't know that even after so many years Earth will still be a horrible place and that the only thing that would change is that they invented the calendar. Now we must hope that the wise will fix everything. After so many winters since this fictional story that nonetheless reflects the daily life and that is therefore realistic, nothing has changed, people still die of starvation and diseases, but we all have faith that the wise will fix all the problems of the world and that they won't know the word "suffering" and they'll be grateful for what they'll have. They'll sing happily around the streets and it will be a happy ending.
Regarding the Ğëvņu: it is said that it can come here to Ežuk, but nobody wants it: if you see it, you're dead. Even the most skilled hunters succumb to its attack. It is also said that the Ğëvņu cannot be defeated, and that is presence brings famine to the surrounding villages. We hope that the Ğëvņu will never come to this village. Surely, its strength is admirable, but in any case it's better that it stays as far away from us as possible. Every hunter fears it, it's very fearsome. It is said that it moves from land to land, but nobody can assure that it will never come close to Ežuk. If it arrives here, hunters will no longer be able to hunt and bring water to our village, and we'll die of starvation and thirst in a few days. According to the description of those who have seen it and survived, its color is similar to that of wood, it has a thick fur on its body and its head, bu it's devoid of fur on its face. Its legs have claws that destroy anything in existence, even the most resilient materials. It is said that one must be careful, because it can attack with any part of its body, and it has no mercy. End of the story.
...
"Did you like this story?", asked Kĕm
"Yes, friend, you're talented"
Kĕm had a strange, unusual feeling. He was feeling happy, and he was no longer thinking that life was only sadness. Kĕm smiled.
"You know, I should accept requests more often", said Kĕm, smiling.
"There's also another thing you can do. In this village there's a meeting place where you can make new friends" - "Would you like being my friend?" - "Depends, at what conditions?"
Kĕm thought again about his old rules like "don't hug me" and "don't be too cheerful around me", and he wanted to change them.
"I need to make new rules", said Kĕm.
"Go to the informant then" - "I'll do that, will you come with me?" - "Of course"
They went to the informant.
"I want to change my rules", said Kĕm.
"Tell me" - "Hmm... I don't know if I like hugs"
The guy said: "I can hug you if you want" and smiled.
"Alright", Kĕm accepted.
The two hugged each other.
"No, I don't like it", said Kĕm.
"The rule 'don't hug me' is still valid. But... they can be cheerful if they want.
Rule number 1: don't hug me.
Rule number 2: don't talk about physical exercise and don't suggest it to me.
Rule number 3: don't ignore hunter, death and diseases. I mean, they exist, so don't say that life is only beautiful and this kind of stupid opinions.
Rule number 4: don't dance in front of me, it annoys me.
Rule number 5: if you want you can smile and be cheerful, but talk in a calm way and don't exult.
Rule number 6: don't insist in suggesting me to do something 'to feel better'. I know what makes me feel better. You can suggest it to me once, but if I say 'no' it's no"
"That's okay for me", said the guy, smiling.
"What are your rules?", asked Kĕm.
"One: I want you to tell me at least one story every 20 days. Of corse even if you don't do it we can still be friends, but I prefer if you do it.
Two: don't insult me, don't make fun of me and don't embarrass me.
Three: don't yell.
Four: the things that we say to each other must stay between me and you.
And that's all, I believe"
"That's okay for me... what's your name?", asked Kĕm.
"Püŝmuđ"
"We'll be great friends", said Kĕm.
In the meanwhile, Üžabif was kissing a girl. The two were feeling really good, they were really happy and they were thinkig that life was like heaven. Nothing could ruin this moment. Suddenly it started raining and that slightly annoyed the girl, but as said before, nothing could ruin this moment. The rain was wetting the hair of the two girls, and everything seemed perfect. That was the most beautiful moment of that girl's life, but not the most beautiful moment of Üzabif's life, because the most beautiful moment of her life was when she wrote a sentence for the first time. Everything was calm and peaceful and this moment was making both of them really happy. Üžabif put her hands around the back of the girl. The kiss lasted around two minutes (around 17 seconds in Earth units of measurements), then they stopped kissing and they felt really happy. It was a level of happiness that the girl never felt before that moment. She was feeling enchanted.
"Thank you Üžabif", said the girl, smiling happily.
"What's your name?", asked Üžabif.
"My name is Z̥át̎a... let's become friends?", she said, smiling.
"It's okay for me", said Üžabif.
They didn't ask each other's rules, because if they were not okay with something, saying it would be enough.
"For me, if you don't hit me or insult me, that's sufficient", said Z̥át̎a.
"That's something I would never do, do you want anything?", asked Üžabif.
"You don't have to kiss me again, now I know what it feels like", said Z̥át̎a.
"Do you want anything?", Üžabif asked again.
"I want to chat", said Z̥át̎a.
Z̥át̎a and Üžabif chatted for several hours (a hour in Phonetia is about 14 minutes), and then they decided to say goodbye to each other and to see each other again tomorrow.
In the meanwhile, Řüğta and Viuk̆a (the guy who wanted to draw with someone) were drawing two people who were hugging each other.
"You're good at drawing", said Řüğta, smiling.
"Thanks, I draw since when I was a little child", said Viuk̆a, proud of himself.
Řüğta was happy.
They kept drawing, but Viuk̆a didn't have enough variety of colors, so they weren't coloring, but what the drawing represented was perfectly understandable.
Řüğta and Viuk̆a were really happy, because humans are friendly among each other.
Řüğta was thinking about what Kĕm told her: the world is bad because there's nothing to do, there's hunger and that there are diseases that (both) cause death and suffering. "It is really so, and this cannot be ignored, but thinking only about it and getting depressed because of it is not a good idea either", thought Řüğta, deciding to feel happiness again. Everything seemed so confusing, she was wondering if life was beautiful or ugly. She was considering the idea of becoming a student. She wanted to understand many things about the world, she didn't want to be ignorant anymore. Useless.
A useless and unrefined girl. No.
Despite these unusual negative thoughts, Řüğta smiled and kept drawing cheerfully.
"Would you like drawing a house?", asked Řüğta.
Viuk̆a accepted and they were drawing a house: the house that both wished to have.
"One day we'll live (each other in two separate houses) in a house similar to this one!", said Řüğta.
Viuk̆a smiled and was happy. Řüğta was no longer thinking about bad things, she understood that it's wise to be satisfied of good things and ignore bad things... "even though..., they should not be ignored, I think... oh no! What should I think?", she wondered. She was really confused.
The two kept drawing and chatting. Řüğta, Kĕm and Üžabif granted other people's wishes and they were all feeling satisfied. They were really happy for what they did. Satisfying other people brings happiness to almost anyone who do it and who receive it. In other words, everyone wins. Unfortunately, however, sometimes you don't know what you want exactly, and boredom pervades the spirit of these people. Considering the low variety of activities that one could do, this is a common problem in Phonetia, but the wise are trying to eliminate boredom from every land.
The day ended.
Year 1, day 4.
Kĕm went to Řüğta's house and told her that he had fun telling the story. Řüğta smiled.
"We both made new friends", said Kĕm.
"I'm glad you liked it. However, I have thought about what you told me, especially about the fact that hunger and diseases should not be ignored. What do you think could be done?" - "I think life should be lived, keeping into consideration that bad things can happen to anyone"
Řüğta was thinking, but deep inside she was undecided. On one hand, she wanted to be the cheerful and kind girl she's always been, but on the other hand, she didn't want her reality to be filtered in this way.
Shortly after, they changed the topic, chatting and walking as usual. At some point, they ran out of topics to talk about and they remained silent. They sat down on a rock and looked at the sky, grey as always. Kĕm was thinking about the fact that life sometimes could be moderately fun, but that the truth is that boredom and suffering are the predominant emotions.
Time was passing, but Řüğta and Kĕm kept staying still, unmoving, with few thoughts in their brains. How can one describe scenes where nothing is happening? In any case, Kĕm was feeling calm for his standards. Usually he feels existential angst, but since yesterday things have been changing. After telling the story about the Ğëvņu to Püŝmuđ, he was feeling a bit better, because he understood that kindness helps living more happily. Kĕm understood that he received plenty of acts of kindness from Řüğta, but even though she was trying her best to make him happy, Kĕm was not feeling happy. For this reason, Kĕm was feeling like he had a goal in his life: making other people happy.
Kĕm was undecided whether to confess this thought to Řüğta: he thought that he would had been judged negatively and he was afraid that she would tell him sentences like:"You are the one who should be happy, the others are not important". Because of this, he remained silent.
He thought what Řüğta could be wishing for in this moment. He thought that life was so limited, that even the kinds of possible desires was limited. He was thinking about what the possible desires are:
- Running
- Singing
- Chatting
- Dancing
- Hugging
- Kissing
- Having sex
- Eating
- Telling stories
- Drawing
And then? Do only these 10 desires exist? Kĕm thought about it for a long time and he understood that life was extremely limited and he would had liked living in an alternate reality where there are many things to do and especially where life is not the same everyday, unlike what happens in Phonetia.
"What would you like to do?", asked Kĕm, expecting that Řüğta would tell him one of the things that he thought.
"Let's pretend that we're fighting against monsters", said Řüğta.
"And how?", asked Kĕm.
"Let's pick up the branch of a tree: that will be our sword, and the monsters... we'll imagine them" - "Alright, if this is what you want..."
Kĕm was surprised: he thought that life was less limited than what he was thinking previously. There are other things to do, but Kĕm did not know about them.
"There is something that I want, Řüğta", said Kĕm.
"What do you want?", she said, smiling.
"I want you to give me a list of things to do" - "Let's see... hugs, caresses, smiling, comforting a sad person, chatting... I don't know what else".
Kĕm found those things boring.
"So boring...", said Kĕm.
"I have the solution, let's pretend to fight against monsters" - "No, I'm really tired, I'll lay down on the ground and sleep" - "Is it uncomfortable?" - "No" - "Would you prefer laying down on your bed" - "Okay"
Řüğta went to Kĕm's house and he was laying down on his bed. Thinking was making him feel tired.
"Do you want me to caress your head while you're trying to sleep?" - "No" - "Your arms?" - "I don't like being touched" - "I see".
Řüğta understood that everyone has their own preferences and that not everyone likes to be touched. Also, Kĕm doesn't want people to insist after he said no.
Řüğta looked around and was trying to not feel bored. Kĕm, after a few hours (a phonetic hour = about 14 minutes) fell asleep, and Řüğta was feeling heavily bored, but still decided to stay close to Kĕm to keep him company.
She stayed with him until the moment Kĕm woke up, so after 10 hours.
"I'm hungry, I want to eat", said Kĕm, going to eat a plate of Žubk meat, which he ate until he was completely full.
"Now I have all the energies that I need", said Kĕm, serious.
"Let's fight against imaginary monsters?", asked Řüğta.
"No", replied Kĕm.
Řüğta was getting bored and was feeling uncomfortable. Kĕm didn't understand that, and even though he wanted to make other people happy, he didn't understand that granting a wish brings happiness, this is important.
Kĕm thought that it's unlikely that a person can be happy, and he thought that only by accepting the negative things in the world one could be happy. Only accepting hunger, diseases and death one can reach happiness. For this reason, Kĕm was starting to become interested in the evil of the world, but he was cautious: he didn't want to talk about it with Řüğta, becase she's a cheerful girl, while Kĕm is the complete opposite. Despite this, the two are great friends.
Kĕm decided not to talk with death and disease with Řüğta, so they exited their house, walked and remained silent. Despite the extreme differences in terms of personality traits, Kĕm and Řüğta are great friends and the two like spending time together.
"You know, even though I have enough energies, I still don't want to do anything. I don't know why, but it's as if I can never feel joy, what do you think is happening to me?", asked Kĕm.
"I'm sorry Kĕm, how do you feel when you do something fun?" - "I feel empty" - "And when you don't do it?" - "Still empty" - "If nothing changes, then why you don't do anything?" - "It does change, I quickly feel tired when I do something, it's a terrible feeling, but I have decided to make other people happy anyway"
Řüğta smiled.
"It's a really nice act of kindness from you, many people will appreciate you", said Řüğta, smiling.
Řüğta and Kĕm were silent again. They were feeling a bit uncomfortable. Now that for Řüğta is clear that suffering is inevitable, she wants to make even more efforts to make other people happy.
As usual, they were walking around the streets and were silent. Řüğta appreciated the fact that Kĕm wanted to make others happy, she considered it a noble gesture from his part. Kĕm was still undecided about the meaning of life: he was wondering why he was there, why he was living, and many other questions were haunting his mind.
"What do you think is the meaning of life?", asked Kĕm to Řüğta.
"I think you have already asked me. I think the meaning of life is being happy", said Řüğta, serious and really believing in what she was saying.
Another days passed, and in the meanwhile Üžabif kept writing everything that happened on the calendar. Üžabif is a good student but she's far from being the best.
The day ends.
Year 1, day 5.
As always, Kĕm knocked at the door of Řüğta's house. This time Kĕm smiled lightly. Řüğta really wanted to hug Kĕm but she couldn't do that, because Kĕm didn't want to be hugged and she must respect his opinion.
"You know, Řüğta, my life is not so bad after all", said Kĕm, understanding that he was living in a hostile world, but friends will help you in any case.
"I'm glad of that", said Řüğta, smiling lightly. "What shall we do? Shall we walk and chat as usual?", she asked.
"Yes", replied Kĕm, smiling.
Finally Kĕm was feeling a bit better after finding out the power of friendship. He hoped that he'll never have any disease and that he'll die as late as possible, but he knew well that fate is cruel. Diseases always hit the kindest people, and Kĕm hated nature, but he knew that the wise would had fixed everything sooner or later.