It was one of those days, those pointless days wherein your main objective was to go through it with the least productivity possible. I lay on the grass with Philip, contemplating; complicating the meaning of life, while Vindy climbed a tree and yelled “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!” at the top of his-slash-her lungs. That day, we were achievers.

“Why do we live?”
“Because we have to.”
“Why do we die?”
“Because we need to.”
“Why must we be good?”
“Because we should.”
“Why is the blue sky?”
“Because red…”
“Why is the pineapple?”
“Because the door knob.”
“Is everything that simple to you?”
“Yes.”

He rolled over to his side and fiddled with a blade of grass. He was always quiet, aloof and reserved; he seemed unhappy even when he wasn’t. He was very intelligent and knowing too much often frustrated him. He was very critical and his logic left little space for anything else. I loved him very much, but it wasn’t always easy to get him. It wasn’t always easy, but oh well…I had it coming and brought it upon myself anyway. It was my goddamn choice.

I tried to think of other things. I wanted to get my mind off him. I tried to sleep, but Vindy yelled too loud. This began to irritate me, but as I drew back my arm to throw a dried tamarind pod at him-slash-her, I caught a glimpse of the sky and realized that Vindy was actually doing a very sensible thing.

There it was, like I never thought I’d see it.
The surroundings brightened as it approached.
The sun was falling.
No, not the sky; the sun.
It was fucking falling.
We were all gonna die.

Philip was stunned when he realized what was happening. He paused for a moment that lasted forever.

I was going mad. Who could blame me? Everything I knew was either false, about to burn to bits or vaporize into thin air. My mind was a mess; my train of thought a wreck.

The earth is flat.
The sun revolves around the earth.
The moon is made of cheese.
My feet are pretty.
God raises sheep and lives in a yurt.

Vindy did not stop yelling.
Forever ended for Philip when he finally turned to me and asked, “Kung ang araw, mahulog sa dagat, mababasa ba ang araw or matutuyo ang dagat?”
I was the first to burst into flame and die.

The end.