Palagi kong itinatanong sa sarili ko: ano nga ba ang point ng buhay? At ano ba ang naghihintay sa isang tao kapag siya ay namatay na? Paano kung may mga bagay pa siyang hindi nagagawa, pero napaaga ang pagkamatay niya? ‘Yong tinatawag na “unfinished business.” Saan siya napupunta when he/she dies?
Ilan lang ‘yan sa mga tanong ko bago ko isinulat ang After Death. Nag-search ako ng kung ano-anong may kinalaman sa life and death hanggang sa mapag-mix ko na ang mga detail at makabuo ng ideya. Baka kayang sagutin ang tanong ko ng sarili kong story concept. And then, I came up with a plot like this one. Nadagdagan lang ng traditional mythical characters like astral vampires and their mortal enemies in my gothic stories—the soul suckers.
The story focuses on life, love, happiness, and contentment—apat na salita na magkakaugnay ang kahulugan.
Life means love. Love also means happiness and contentment. How can you live without love? How can you love if you’re not happy and contented? And how can you give love if you don’t have love to give? Love should always begin at home. Sino pa ba ang unang magmamahal sa atin kundi ang pamilya natin? But what if there’s no love at home? Saan tayo kukuha ng pagmamahal na puwedeng ipamahagi?
‘Yong mga taong products of broken families, karamihan daw sa kanila, mga uhaw sa pagmamahal at atensiyon ng mga magulang. They seem to be fine on the surface but the truth is, they are broken inside. They are those who have the most beautiful smiles yet, they’re the same ones who have the saddest hearts… craving to be loved, craving to be happy.
We live to be happy and contented. Napakahirap mabuhay na hindi ka naging masaya maski minsan man. O ‘yong masaya ka for a period of time, ‘tapos biglang nanakawin ang kaligayahan mo. Some would ask, “what is the reason for living if I can’t be happy anymore, if my happiness is taken away and there’s no chance I can have it back?” Kaya may ilan na umaabot sa paging suicidal dahil nawawala ‘yong pinakaimportanteng sangkap ng buhay: happiness. The reason why we live is to be happy, with the people we love. Kapag nawala iyon, nawawala rin ang drive na mabuhay.
Yet, if a person commits suicide, makokontento na ba siya? Magiging masaya na ba siya? Wala ba siyang pagsisisihan?
Of course there will be regrets. Pero paano pa sila makababalik? It is not possible to get your life back once you throw it away.
Life is a gift. A gift that we should treasure. Ito rin ‘yong gift na kapag isinoli mo sa nagbigay, wala nang bawian. Kapag tinalikuran mo, hindi mo na puwedeng balikan.
Live and endure both life’s joys and pains. Even if it is hard to live in this cruel world, life is still beautiful. Greed is a sin we should cast off. Contentment and gratitude, these are the keys to joyful living.
This article was originally written by Gazchela Aerienne for “After Death”
Have you read Gazchela Aerienne’s “After Death”? Let us know your favorite moments in the comments below!
