It was just another day of Rai sitting in a bus after going through numerous hours of work. Rai thought to herself, “are all of these really worth it?” Sure, working in a prestigious company, having to be invited to various social events, and being able to pay rent is pretty good. But, is it really? She then shook her head as that thought emerged.
“Thousands would kill for this job. You should be grateful, Rai,” She said in her head while rubbing her temples, resulting from her work exhaustion.
Rai is the type of person that had her life figured out from a young age. She’s the only daughter of divorced parents. So, it’s rooted in her instincts that she has a responsibility to grow much more quickly than an average child.
Rai is also known for her determined nature, possibly one of the most responsible people you’ll ever meet too. She believes in the idea that in order to achieve happiness, you have to work extremely hard. That’s why she’s working her butt off every single day and only sleeps 3-6 hours a day. She’s planning to accumulate her wages throughout the years to experience the dream she’s been longing for all her life.
She can’t wait to taste the salty blue ocean, the sea breeze tickling her tan skin, along with the warming hugs from the scorching sun. She never lived near the beach but would give her life entirely to taste the experience. After she came back from her realm of thoughts, the rain started to patter against the windows. She saw a little boy pointing continuously to the water drops emerging from the pale sky and said,
“Look mommy, the sky is crying”, a smile came from his mother.
Rai glares at the little kid with a bit of jealousy. She misses the life where everything was just too simple. One of Rai’s objectives in life is to seek happiness, but life just hasn’t been kind to her since a young age. As the rain begins to drop harder, she decides to close her eyes, not wanting to deal with the chaos.
The driver’s faster than usual. Perhaps Rai is not the only one who can’t wait to go home and be alone without all the commotion. Then, the bus made a very quick U-turn. Because of the slippery road, the wheels start to lose control. A loud crash was created and pieces of glass were scattered around the wet concrete.
Rai suddenly feels a sudden tap on her shoulder, and after a few times of ignoring it she finally wakes up from her slumber. Everything’s white and the worst part is, nobody’s here. She opened her eyes in disbelief, paralyzed for a couple of seconds.
“Did I just die?” Rai said as she looked down onto her hands, which revealed skin nor flesh, just a space of nothingness.
“This doesn’t make any sense. I’m not a physical being, but I still think like a human. What am I? ” After a while of desperation and going through panic episodes, she decides to compose herself and try to figure out what this is. Suddenly, a mysterious being emerged from the thin air. It looks like a blue shining orb, and is now floating towards Rai.
“Welcome, you’re now in the afterlife. Countless questions must be haunting you right now, but don’t panic. What you’re experiencing at this moment happens to every creature on this planet.”
“What are you?” Rai said as she starts to feel anxious and uncomfortable
“Humans may call our beings as gods. However, fear not. I’m merely here to guide you before the next process. Let me briefly explain what’s currently happening. Humans and other creatures consist of souls, and souls are limited. It’s an immaterial aspect that exists as the most fundamental part of a living creature. And it’s immortal. You, my dear, are a spiritual being who is about to experience what is called ‘Soul Recycling’. Fundamentally, as I mentioned before: the soul is not infinite. Therefore, one must be annihilated before existing as yet another living being.”
“So, basically I have to reincarnate?”
“Precisely. Now, before you head out there, you’ll need to look through your past and try to concentrate. You’ll figure out the importance of this matter by yourself.”
A screen-like object appears and suddenly, it plays Rai’s life sequence. She sees the moment from when she was born and even to witness the happiness of a 17-year-old girl when establishing her first small business. The feeling of sadness emerges, but Rai knows that tears won’t flow because she’s no longer human.
After following the years of her own life, Rai realized that the simplicity of life itself is beautiful. Each of us is a sculpture made up of memories and mistakes. Humans are also capable of experiencing a wide range of emotions, whether we perceive each of them as pleasant or unpleasant.
Throughout her adult life, she was very occupied by the mundane aspects of life and that made her miserable. She only looked from the bigger picture, describing life as the only way to survive. However, Rai’s failed to observe the tiny details of her existing image, such as enjoying the summer air on her skin or even gazing at the bees as she walks to work.
Even the most trivial things can give you a sense of fulfilment. Sure, having to possess a few things can bring you contentment, but it’s just temporary. Humans are prone to dissatisfaction and always searching for new challenges albeit their incredible achievements in life.
“Life might not have been great to me, but I can still taste the beauty it can offer, and it’s still a good thing for me,” Rai said to the mysterious being standing in front of her.
“So, I guess this is it. I’m now ready to embark on yet another story.”
Slice of Bread and Life 