- Hey! May I sit?
- I’m expecting company.
- So? Until your company comes...
- Not enough time. They’ll be here shortly.
- Your “shortly” is enough for me.
- My “shortly” costs…
- How much?
- Two fortunes… plus one more.
- Ha! Noice! I know that song.
- You Know it?
- Yes.
- Whom have you sung it for?
- What do you mean “have sung it for”? No one!
- So? Until your company comes...
- Not enough time. They’ll be here shortly.
- Your “shortly” is enough for me.
- My “shortly” costs…
- How much?
- Two fortunes… plus one more.
- Ha! Noice! I know that song.
- You Know it?
- Yes.
- Whom have you sung it for?
- What do you mean “have sung it for”? No one!
- Then, how dare you claim you Know it?
- I mean… I’ve heard it. Listened to it so many times.
- And… you trust what you hear that much, so you dare say you Know it?
- You’re weird… Can I sit?
- I don’t wanna have much with Strangers.
- You’re right… they call me Phoebos.
- Ha! First of all… why do you spell it with an ‘e’? And second, it would click more if they called you Ephoebos (1)… or Aphobos (2), at least.
- Fucking hell! What’s your name?
- You haven’t earned the right to know my name yet.
- Hey! You’re not fair! I…
- …aaand you just lost the right to!
- Anyway… can I sit?
- You're still a Stranger…
- But…
- Hold on! Shut up! Shut the fuck up already!
Look around you… How many of these people Know you?
- (…)
- How many?
- No one. Only you.
- I do not Know you, Phoebos. I only know your name and this is only because you said so. It’s not like I have seen an ID or something…
- I can show it to you, if you don’t believe me…
- Did you make it? Your ID… did you make it yourself?
- You are weird! Of course not! It was given to me! It’s Official! Valid!
- Oh, so... it was given to you? By others? And you accepted it? You adopted it…
- What do you mean? Where are you going with this?
- Your name is Phobos (3). Why do you spell it with an ‘e’?
- I said it’s Phoebos!
- No… you didn’t. They said so. You simply accepted it. And, since I don’t really like that one… I will call you Phobos from now on. Suits you better. It is what you really are anyway.
- I mean… I’ve heard it. Listened to it so many times.
- And… you trust what you hear that much, so you dare say you Know it?
- You’re weird… Can I sit?
- I don’t wanna have much with Strangers.
- You’re right… they call me Phoebos.
- Ha! First of all… why do you spell it with an ‘e’? And second, it would click more if they called you Ephoebos (1)… or Aphobos (2), at least.
- Fucking hell! What’s your name?
- You haven’t earned the right to know my name yet.
- Hey! You’re not fair! I…
- …aaand you just lost the right to!
- Anyway… can I sit?
- You're still a Stranger…
- But…
- Hold on! Shut up! Shut the fuck up already!
Look around you… How many of these people Know you?
- (…)
- How many?
- No one. Only you.
- I do not Know you, Phoebos. I only know your name and this is only because you said so. It’s not like I have seen an ID or something…
- I can show it to you, if you don’t believe me…
- Did you make it? Your ID… did you make it yourself?
- You are weird! Of course not! It was given to me! It’s Official! Valid!
- Oh, so... it was given to you? By others? And you accepted it? You adopted it…
- What do you mean? Where are you going with this?
- Your name is Phobos (3). Why do you spell it with an ‘e’?
- I said it’s Phoebos!
- No… you didn’t. They said so. You simply accepted it. And, since I don’t really like that one… I will call you Phobos from now on. Suits you better. It is what you really are anyway.
- Will you have me standing here forever? May I sit?
- Still a Stranger…
- Let me tell you more about me… So you know who I am.
- I told you, I’m expecting company.
- Oh, what company, for fuck’s sake?
- Pain, Dream and Knowledge…
- Huh?
- Have you got anything better to recommend? Can you offer me something that will be worth letting such a fortune go? I’m bringing The Abyss to the table… What do you have to offer?
- Errr… Journeys… Journeys in the wild Seas. All over the Earth. Wherever you tell me.
- How Deep can you take me, Phobos?
- It is Phoebos!
- Shut up! How Deep?
- Oh, you are weird! What do you mean deep? It’s not like I have some fucking submarine! I said Journeys. In the wild Sea. Any of the Five Seas you want! I have tamed them all…
- Ha!
- What now? May I sit?
- Nah, leave it for some other time. I’m expecting company, shortly.
- How about next Monday? A second chance?
- It will be Raining.
- Oh, you are weird! Who told you it’s gonna rain?
- I’m not expecting anyone to tell me when it rains. It rains when I say so… and the Sun comes out one when I feel strong enough to share his Light.
- I thought that when you receive the Sun’s Light you become strong, regardless… Sun gives Life… so they say.
- Oh, yes… There's no argue.
- Then? What?
- For Sun, in order to give his Light to someone, he needs to take it away from someone else. This is the agreement. This is how it works, poor kid. For me, to accept his Light… I must be ready to lift the weight of the Darkness that will fall onto someone else. I am not ready yet.
- Oh, now you’re making long sentences. You confuse me.
- No, you got me confused… with someone else, apparently. Perhaps, the one who was splish-splashing by the Lakeside… in the shallows.
- Nah, leave it for some other time. I’m expecting company, shortly.
- How about next Monday? A second chance?
- It will be Raining.
- Oh, you are weird! Who told you it’s gonna rain?
- I’m not expecting anyone to tell me when it rains. It rains when I say so… and the Sun comes out one when I feel strong enough to share his Light.
- I thought that when you receive the Sun’s Light you become strong, regardless… Sun gives Life… so they say.
- Oh, yes… There's no argue.
- Then? What?
- For Sun, in order to give his Light to someone, he needs to take it away from someone else. This is the agreement. This is how it works, poor kid. For me, to accept his Light… I must be ready to lift the weight of the Darkness that will fall onto someone else. I am not ready yet.
- Oh, now you’re making long sentences. You confuse me.
- No, you got me confused… with someone else, apparently. Perhaps, the one who was splish-splashing by the Lakeside… in the shallows.
- There is no one else. There's not even a Lake. Just mud waters from the rain, I reckon and, honestly? I cannot even remember.
- I believe you, Phobos. I do believe you.
- Don’t you ever call me Phobos again! My name is Phoebos!
- Oh, I don’t have to call you with your name anymore. Only with what defines you. Of course, not because you cause fear to others. But, because that’s who you are.
- (…)
- Hey, my company is here. I gotta go. I would ask you join us but…
- You fucking kidding me? I don’t See anyone!
- What do you expect to see, my poor child? Pain, Dream and Knowledge? These things are to be felt… not seen. Do you really think that the ones we call “blind” don’t feel any Pain, they don’t Dream and they don’t Know… just because they don’t See?
- Fair enough… Won’t you introduce me then?
- Gimme a damn good reason to, Phobos…
- ENOUGH! FOR THE LAST TIME, MY NAME IS PHOEBOS! PHOEBOS!
- Indeed… this might be the last time, actually. The last time you hear from me.
I asked you give me a really good reason to introduce you to my friends and, all you did was raise your voice, only to remind me of your name once more. I think that, for the time being, your name, your Ego and your ego alone, is enough for you… Phoebos with an ‘e’.
If you wanna have a company like my friends… you better start digging, motherfucker! Start digging that fucking pothole of yours, with the mud waters. And make sure you dig a well so deep, that the Sky will seem like a tiny dot when you look up…
Then, and only then, Phoebos with an ‘e’, start crying, motherfucker. Cry your guts out and don’t you fucking stop until your pitiful well overflows with your tears, so you can fucking swim your way up…
If you ever make it… if you ever fucking make it to the surface, Phoebos with an ‘e’… and have look around you, only then you will see the Lake. And you will Know that it is yours. It will be your own Lake.
And then, you will earn the right to meet my friends… my company.
Then, I might even reveal my name.
Oh, poor child… why do you spell your name with an ‘e’?
- I believe you, Phobos. I do believe you.
- Don’t you ever call me Phobos again! My name is Phoebos!
- Oh, I don’t have to call you with your name anymore. Only with what defines you. Of course, not because you cause fear to others. But, because that’s who you are.
- (…)
- Hey, my company is here. I gotta go. I would ask you join us but…
- You fucking kidding me? I don’t See anyone!
- What do you expect to see, my poor child? Pain, Dream and Knowledge? These things are to be felt… not seen. Do you really think that the ones we call “blind” don’t feel any Pain, they don’t Dream and they don’t Know… just because they don’t See?
- Fair enough… Won’t you introduce me then?
- Gimme a damn good reason to, Phobos…
- ENOUGH! FOR THE LAST TIME, MY NAME IS PHOEBOS! PHOEBOS!
- Indeed… this might be the last time, actually. The last time you hear from me.
I asked you give me a really good reason to introduce you to my friends and, all you did was raise your voice, only to remind me of your name once more. I think that, for the time being, your name, your Ego and your ego alone, is enough for you… Phoebos with an ‘e’.
If you wanna have a company like my friends… you better start digging, motherfucker! Start digging that fucking pothole of yours, with the mud waters. And make sure you dig a well so deep, that the Sky will seem like a tiny dot when you look up…
Then, and only then, Phoebos with an ‘e’, start crying, motherfucker. Cry your guts out and don’t you fucking stop until your pitiful well overflows with your tears, so you can fucking swim your way up…
If you ever make it… if you ever fucking make it to the surface, Phoebos with an ‘e’… and have look around you, only then you will see the Lake. And you will Know that it is yours. It will be your own Lake.
And then, you will earn the right to meet my friends… my company.
Then, I might even reveal my name.
Oh, poor child… why do you spell your name with an ‘e’?
(1) Ephoebos:Teenager
(2) Aphobos: Fearless
(3) Phobos: Fear
(3) Phobos: Fear
….adaptation in English from my “Me? I’m bringing The Abyss”, Aug. 2013
