Volatile
This is a fictional short story. Nothing related to present, past or future occurrence.
It is not about negativity. Remember when some of us pledge to become soft spoken and tolerant, some come jackass may pop and step on our head and start whispering to the air about how as-straight-as-ruler we are. When we were brokenhearted and think that we should be extra bad and start bashing people, they naturally come together and made a circle around you to amplify the volume telling the whole world; Hey! You are a crook!
Meet Razack and the gang. In conjunction with the 60Earth hour, Razack had arrangements with his gang to gather on a panoramic hilltop. Something like guitars, singing and clapping around the bonfire. He had this images playing in his mind about his peeps clinging together with their girlfriends laughing while munching on chachos, poking, joking with each other. The dark night shall only be lit by the light emitted by bonfire. Romantic setting, added that 60Earth hour means the cityscape shall be blanketed by partial darkness; if others managed to switch off their lights.
A dozen of calls had been made and the number of confirmed friends seems to point towards a happening lively teenage gathering. Julia agreed to fry some chicken wings and plenty of chachos. Rasiv agreed to bring his guitar together with Diet Cokes in red Coleman ice box. Dania will prepare additional munching stuff, In case, chicken wings is insufficient. Bobo will handle the photography department which will be interesting, as Razack knew he lacked these ‘carefree-with-attitude photographs’ in his facebook profile, Bobo will be his savior. As for Razack himself, he had volunteered to collect dead dried branches for the bonfire. The panoramic hilltop is known to be a clear treeless flat top hill which night shall witness starry sky along silky black background. As Razack can recall it: magic. Walla! Razack will ensure nothing will spoil this cliché youngster gathering.
Time has been set, they will move up there at 5pm sharp with a MPV. Razack expect it will be just in time to watch the sun set. Then, Bobos job will kick in as photographer to capture how sappy and epically melancholy for a group of teenagers witnessing sunset under the pretext of sake-of-nature-gathering. Home shall remain dark. As a precaution, Razack will not be dumb to switch off the alarm. It will remain in full alert as it did on other nights. He does not want the 60Earth Hour becomes a Christmas for break-in burglars.
They started their ‘fascinating’ journey as planned. An hour along the twist and turning road climbing the hill, they finally arrived. Razack and his girlfriend immediately fell in love with the place. So does Rasiv, Dania, Julia and Bobo, they likes it too. They quickly unpacked all the foodstuff and equipment they brought and patiently waited for the sun to set. The remarkable view that they had yet to lay eyes on. Dead branches were already ready to fuel the bonfire flames. Razack asked Bobo to bring his spare batteries for that clunky DSLRs. Plus, a separate sets of lens and optical apparatus suitable for night photography. This is part of his effort to ensure things go well. Especially things related in showcasing to the whole world how socially acceptable he is, plus, how laid back and unserious he glides through life. Never too dumb, Razack wants to do this effortlessly, veiled by his concern with nature conservation and earth badly needed quality time.
For Razack, this hilltop panorama 60Earth Hour is not so much about whole hearted conservation effort, Razack is half-assed about greeneries that the only green he sees each day is the green cigarette box of menthol variant. Neither it was mend to be a happy get together outing with friends, as dozens calls made were attached with strict orders to not pass invitation around. Razack is selective among his closest friend circle.
“ Why didn’t you call Thamid? “
“ Thamid? Hell no, he is a cheapskate Tesco 4.99-a-sardine tin can person ”, sardine is a cheap food and Thamid is someone who seek to lower the cost farther down. Those who were there each had a calculated sum for Diet Cokes, Chachos and Chicken Wings. With Thamid around, things can get complicated and tricky.
Being cheapskate is not a problem. Being friends with them has been nothing but a living example in learning to become frugal. But Razack primary aim in his once-in-a-lifetime teenage period is to thrust himself to become this full cultured and vibrant kid whose presence felt in whatever things he do. Razack is obsessed to create this ‘core circle’ of friends that share common ideas. Instead of creating new circles, Razack actually wanted to purge people like Thamid out of existing circle of friends, since these are the people he had to spend most of his time.
“ I’am okay befriending him, infact, im happy to meet and know him“ Razack slick ass cover up, when his real intention was to purge Thamid and a list of names from his ‘core circle’, displacing them into any circle they want to settle down. While Razack lips will gladly speak how Thamid remain his friend; which is still true, but an offshoot BFF.
Things become crookedly clear for Bobo to see that Razack is practicing double standard. All had been carefully covered up with crafted reasoning of location problem, spur-of-moment decision and monetary concerns, when Razack had intentionally purge people like Thamid, Sheila and Salim out of the ‘core circle’ to quicken his life. Money; it couldn’t ever replace any lawyer to proof someone is guilty. It was one of the season when independent band gather to perform their gig. Through guerilla marketing, Razack had become one of those walking ticket sellers. Thamid, Sheila and Salim were among those who were approached after the ‘by invitation only’ panoramic hilltop bonfire.
Yet, Thamid, Sheila and Salim responded well. They purchased his tickets. Yes, Razack had become a few bucks richer for that; each tix has its percentage for commission. Clear enough, those three person knew what Razack was saying to behind them. Yet, its plain dumb for them to seek concert tix from a person that throws dirt to them.
Who is Sheila? Whats with Sheila? Why isn’t she invited? Sheila is a staunch opponent of this Earth Hour gimmick. She openly mentioned that it is nothing more than a celebration, without much lasting commitment. After that 1hour, then what? A horrible starting point that does more problems to us. Sheila….There’s something about Sheila. Being in the English society debate team and often asked to counter conform notions made her radiate too much unwanted heat. Razack just hoped that her outspokenness may just contain within the debate parameter. It seems Razack wish did not come true. Theres lots of knowledge to gain from her, but it never gained momentum to complete the kind of teenage circle projection that Razack always had in mind. Incapable of ‘moving along with the idea’, Sheila ended up being in the purge list. Sheila remained silent as she is being sidelined. She was advised by Salim and Thamid. They say, more noise might make her look uglier.
At the peak of hatred, Sheila openly criticized the Public Freeze as highly hyped effort initiated by a bunch of college student whom think its rebelliously right to block pedestrian traffic when people has got to rush to places to get their work done, generate income and feed their hungry families. It’s a sign of heroic unity amongst the young heart; those who opposed just don’t understand and should be banished to an island that banned unity with killer shark swimming in its water. Hell, who might know, some of these pedestrian just received a call from hospital that their relatives is on their deathbed were rushing to get there, and amidst the progressing crowd, some ignorant public-attention hungry college kids just stood there like a stone with clown faces. What cause? Sheila was bombarding this effort as a time wasting unproductive sweat-harvesting
“ pity her “ Dania was trying to create an atmosphere among the core circle that Sheila is a pathetic lost girl and needed a cynical pittance. “ Pity her, pity her, pity her “ You know, those kind of fake sadness that died immediately when the person is not in vicinity anymore. Razack was glad that he doesn’t have to make it any clearer. His ‘move-along’ friends had this conscience of seeing those ‘not-moving-along’ as a threat; ticking timebomb. Dania had placed herself to quash Sheila outspoken bitching mouth. Sheila may had the formal background of standing on stage, but Dania seems to know how to drag Sheila off the stage. Razack had no regret putting Sheila on the purge list. That’s why she is not around for the 60Earth Hour bonfire panoramic hilltop gathering.
Bobo instinctively felt the presence of psych warfare in action. But he had used neutrality as an effective shield. He never know who would become the winning side. Taking sides sure proves risky. The balance of popularity seems to tip at Razack. That’s why the college kids coined term “ Razack and the gang”. While the purged members of the gang remained scattered and floating elsewhere, not even a clue that they are going to create a loose pact. If so, not based on vengeance, but based on strong relationship they used to forge under the shadows of Razack. God, perhaps, the purged members might not even know they were being purged. For Bobo, the more the merrier. The night during the hilltop bonfire gathering, Bobo felt it is nothing wrong to have additional 3 members with them. The hill wouldn’t collapse, nor does the star become dimmer or Earth Hour shortened. Nine is never not too many. Nine wouldn’t overshadow the light from bonfire. Nine wouldn’t make the singing and clapping too loud. Nine can make it there with two vehicles, considering Diana is a skinny girl…. It’s all part of Razack hidden agenda for not having them there.
After months of silence, Bobo finally approached Sheila, during a night, when she slowly explained Razacks effort to purge her into a clique-less atmosphere, which has been successful. Sheila expressed her concern and told Bobo that he is a protected asset of Razack.
“ For what reason am I to become an important asset? “
“ Its because you have photography skill… they buy expensive shirt, they do their clown faces… they don their teen-spirit attitude… you are the one whose gonna capture it all “
At first it did not make sense, Sheila added: “ We all know you do photography with passion, your DSLR is your second wife, you carry it anywhere you want, I don’t have problem with that, Thamid knew that, so does Salim “
Bobo nodded, but still sketchy on what kind of message Sheila is trying to convey: “You know for normal people like us, photography is like quantum physics… we cannot get that photogenic pictures… we all only had skills in point-and-shoot cameras which photos are far less poignant and moving as yours “ Bobo took that as compliment, yet, still trying to rationalize things up.
“ Bobo, people professionally pay thousand to people like you for their marriage pictures to be taken and compiled into album… look at Razack, he is just using you for his portrayal of flamboyant living, your shot is his pride… your shot made people think Razack an angel of society “
“ I have no problem doing my friends a favor? Is it a problem to you? “
“ One word Bobo, we are being purged because we had talents that might overshadow Razack…. He doesn’t like being overshadowed. Pictures speak a thousand word. Razack had millions of word to speak… the day he had those million words, you will be purged too“
“ My advice: exit gracefully. Your life would be much better away from the clutch of Razack and the gang. Thamid and Salim, they all felt relief, we never turn sore, now, people knew us by our names, not as close associates of Razack “
Razack aim came to partial success when he got everyone under one roof. Dania, Rasiv and Julia, they all rented a terrace house. Now Razack ‘dream team’ can be found under one address. A symbol of friendship one-heartedness forged through discrimination, double standard and pretentious handshakes. Like usual, Razack has images of his closest aides in a BBQ gathering in the new house backyard. And as usual, its strictly by invitation only. Words did pass around about the gathering.
Everyone was there and everything went on as planned. The BBQ was great and gathering maintained its exclusivity that Razack expected, yet, Bobo wasn’t there. He did not answer the phone and Razack started getting restless. It’s the moment he knew that he had lost his million words. Razack knew he had to learn point-and-shoot photography soon.
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