Trios (xi)

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I was sitting idley, crossed legged on my bed, staring blankly into the night. Smuck had poked his head through the door.

"What ho, Eric?"

I learned over to the sound system and turned down the tune 'Talk Show Host'.

"Nothing much, just marvelling at the amount of things that can happen in a year."

Smuck unbuttoned his suit front and sat down; a soft velvet chair materialising beneith him as he fell.

"Let's hear it then."

"It certainly feels like I've learnt a lot this year, most things seem to make sense now..."

"I would call that coming of age."

"...but obviously there is still plenty that I don't have a clue about. But I think it's safe to say that I have most of my personal principles and beliefs down; as well as my goals and ambitions."

"This is true, one cannot claim that he knows everything."

A comfortable silence falls between us.

"The start of my first year of university was most frightening.

Everything alien, everything was new.

I feel though I learnt more about myself then anything else.

Which is terrific because I've always been a mystery to me."

"This is good. Very good, mind if I light my pipe?"

"Oh no, go ahead, just open that window." Smuck struck a match on the arm of the chair, and proceeded to the window. I continued, "I've learnt so much! From meeting the exclusive group in my course; to concentrating on giving good impression to Pricilla every drawing class; to building, mending, re-inforcing, present and past relationships; bus trips with Cassandra; to knowing how to study effeciently; to learning how to unwind; to meeting Cho. In hindsight, it seems though every moment has been a lesson by itself.

It's been a terriffic journey. Jam Packed with events, emotional disputes and revelations."

Smuck gives me an amused look. "Did you notice that all your lessons that you have learnt, seem to come from conversations and interactions with people?"

"Why is that worthy of a note?"

"You have often said that you don't like people."

"I don't, they stress me most times."

"Two sides of a bladed sword."

"You know, this world is funny, and full of contradictions and convolutions. And I think i've decided: I like people."

It's not what you know; it's who you know

birds of a feather