Friendship Like No Other

"What is it, bro?" Augustine asked about the favor that I wanted to request.

"Remember the woman whom I have always told you. The woman who miraculously appeared in my dreams back in the past?" His face turned serious as the topic of Shayna opened up.

"Have you still not forgot about that woman? It has been six years already. Do you honestly still believe that there is even a slight possibility that the woman in your dreams exists?" I didn't like the disgruntled look on Augustine's face, as if he was telling me with his expression his disappointment. However, I lacked the energy to argue with him, so I just let it pass.

"Learn to respect someone's way of coping up with cruelty in their life. Augustine, I know that you are upset because of what happened. However, that doesn't give us the right to be insensitive towards each other. That also doesn't justify my past actions in these past few years. So I would like to apologize for my indifference," Because of what I have said, Augustine slowly shed tears and expressed his frustration during the past years I was imprisoned.

"Did you know that I've been lonely ever since that day! Back on the day of your trial, it was clear that the verdict would be not guilty, but then you suddenly pleaded guilty for unknown reasons. Only later, I found out that it was for our safety and freedom that you accepted their offer. You sacrificed half of your teenage years just for Stacey and me," He weeps as he continues to tell me about what happened.

Augustine became a friend of mine since we were kids. But until now, I still can't fathom how someone can still be loyal to someone like me. During the past six years that I have treated them as if they were garbage. The two of them still remained and were there when I needed it the most. 

For the longest of time, I have invalidated their feelings as if they weren't necessary. I made everything all about me that I didn't notice how others were feeling. 

"And then every time we tried to approach and visit you at the prison, you'll refuse to accept us. You know it made me think that maybe you didn't like us anymore. That you abhor even having to sit in the same room as us. We lived as if nothing happened while you suffered all the way through for those years. Spending your birthday alone, which we always celebrated together. I couldn't imagine how life would have been inside of those walls," He resumed while I sat in my bed listening to his part of the story.

"Finally, the day of your birthday this year was also the first time I had saw you after years of waiting. I've sworn to protect you once the day you were released come. However, just right at the moment that we first met. You called me and told me to hurry to the hospital. Not even a whole day had passed, and you've already got caught up in something," Without a stop, he added to the story he was telling.

"Useless, nothing but a coward, those are the things I felt when I think back on that day. And just at the time when you needed the most attention, I tried to act tough and thought to myself that you wouldn't want to be treated as some weakling. For the second time, right at the place where things could have been better, you again were caught in an accident. Then fell into a coma that lasted for three months," Before I let Augustine finished with his story, I gathered the remaining strength I had and stood up.

Just like the old times, I patted Augustine on his back which made him sobbing. He blamed himself for the things that happened to me, which is kinda reassuring. Who wouldn't feel relieved when you know that someone is willing to do anything for you?

"Augustine, there are situations that not even us can control. You dont have to blame yourself for everything that happened to me because I made that choice while knowing the risks. It was out of my own accord that this happened to me. Also, there is a plausible reason for rejection of meeting you. So stop worrying about things that happened in the past. And let us focus now on the present," As Augustine almost fills a bucket of tears. All of the memories that I've lost started to flood into my mind.

Well, at the very least, Augustine and I had finally released some of our hidden frustration towards the things that had happened. At long last, we can move on and focus on how our life will turn out in the future. However,  to further accept things and move on, I must get treated for my DID.

I dont want to ruin Augustine's only time to express his feelings, but maybe I'll just leave the favor for later. 

"Alright, what could I have done in my life if it weren't for you, bro?" Augustine suddenly stated, making the both of us cringe.

"What the hell, bro? That is the most cringe thing you have to say right now," Laughter came out from the both of us, mocking each other and comforting each other for the way we have fought every obstacle we faced in our life.

After six years of being imprisoned and three years of being trapped in the deep abyss, this is the first time that I shared a laugh genuinely. 

"Oh right! Before the both of us forgot, what did you want to tell me earlier?" I was hoping that Augustine would ask about it another time, but it's already here, so why not seize the moment.

"Well, it's about that woman I was telling you back in the past. The woman who miraculously appeared in my dreams," The expression on Augustine's face brightened, unlike earlier when I first opened up about the topic.

"Yeah, I remember but wasn't that woman just a part of your imagination? I remember back when we were in the classroom, she was our topic for the whole day. You even thought that the lady we met that day was her. That was seriously funny, and until right now, I can still feel the embarrassment," Who would have thought that Augustine would still remember that embarrassing moment that happened in the past.

"Why do you have to make me remember! However, that woman turned out to be real after all. When I fell into a coma, I experienced a weird phenomenon where my consciousness was transferred to my past self. And just like how I couldn't believe it either, but that woman turned out to be someone I knew in my past life. To be precise, she was a person who had a lot of intimate relationships with me. Her name was Park Shayna," He couldn't believe what he was hearing that he thought I was crazy.

"Are you using drugs! How could that even be possible! Were you watching too many fantasy dramas at the prison!" Augustine's reaction was priceless. How could he even thought that I would be able to watch dramas inside a prison?

"First of all! I am a drug-free citizen of Japan. Second! There is only a selected time that an inmate can watch television. And it's mostly news or old movies. However, it is understandable that you wouldn't believe it until you have experienced it for yourself. Although it has also happened earlier at the riot, the woman or Shayna appeared while I was having a change of personality crisis. She told me to find a temple residing in the mountains. The monk who lives in that place would be the person to answer all of my questions," Explaining to Augustine about what happened made my mind function incredibly fast.

"Does Mr. Salvatore know about this?"Well, I still haven't had the chance to talk with him after what happened earlier. So maybe if he arrives, I'll request a proper discussion with him regarding this matter. 

"Well, I still haven't had a chance to talk to him since the riot earlier. But let us talk about the favor I asked of you. Although I am not clinically diagnosed for having DID, a former psychiatrist confirmed the illness I have. So what I ask of you is to find this person named Benjiro Abe. You probably know them since you held a party for my birthday the day I was released. However, it was my alternate whom you first met on the day I was released," The information was too much to take in. But Augustine immediately understood what I meant.

"Where do you think that person is right now? When do you even need him to come?" Because I haven't really met this Benjiro personally. I find it hard to answer Augustine's question.

"You'll be able to find him if you ask the others for help. If possible, within this day, I have to see him," After hearing my favor, Augustine hurriedly left and started to find Benjiro Abe.

Who would have thought that we've both grown into such fine young men who had already realized the reality of the world. We are already in our mid-twenties along with it will be a lot of responsibilities to be committed.

But finally, we are ready to face the world head-on without having to be afraid of what comes next. 

After Augustine left, the old man was outside listening to our conversation.