Chapter 2: Chapter II: To Be or Not to Be a Theologian
Khristian's mind was filled with various thoughts. This young man, as cold as stone, now wept before God, seeking help and mercy.
"I don't understand what something like this could mean, but I think I've judged Alexander wrongly. I hope he'll open up to me someday so I can understand him better," Khristian thought, astonished.
After a few seconds, he knelt beside Alexander, beginning to pray himself. During this time, Khristian needed even more advice from someone, but no one could understand him. His parents, friends, and acquaintances didn't understand him, and the people here seemed more distant than he would have thought.
When Alexander noticed that Khristian had knelt beside him to pray, he began to look at him attentively and suddenly stood up and left. Khristian, absorbed in his activity, didn't notice Alexander's absence and continued to stay there.
Upon realizing Alexander's absence and after receiving divine inspiration, Khristian left the chapel to head towards the activities that were about to begin in one of the classes of the Institute. As he descended the steps to reach the area where the classes were, he met a group of classmates who greeted him and invited him to join them.
"Hi, I'm Michael, he's Gabriel, and the guy on my right is Marcus. You must be..."
"I'm Khristian, and I came to the Open Day to see what's happening here and to see if I'm suitable to be a theologian or not. Anyway, I'll give this opportunity a chance."
"We're glad to meet you. In a few moments, a play will take place. Come with us, anyway, I don't think you know where it's happening, do you?"
Khristian went with Michael and his friends to the room where the play was taking place. People were already gathered, including the local bishop and the rector, who welcomed the future students.
"How good it is for brothers to be together. It is a great joy for me to be present in these wonderful days when young people from different places come together to discover their vocation. I wish them courage and for the teachers here much patience," began the bishop's speech.
Khristian was amazed by the speech of the bishop whom he had only seen on television or through various news on the internet. After the speeches of the bishop and the rector, the students started a play. The play performed was "Hamlet," written by Shakespeare. To everyone's surprise, Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, was played by Alexander, the most worthy of this mission in the Institute. His fantastic performance, which at the end brought tears of emotion and astonishment to everyone's eyes, made Khristian ask himself various questions.
"To be or not to be, that is the question," said Alexander, portraying Hamlet.
"To be or not to be a theologian. That is the question that comes to my mind now," Khristian thought. "What are the advantages if I do it? But the disadvantages?"
However, after the end of the play and the closing speeches of the same characters from the beginning, a wonderful meal followed with various dishes from every region of the world. Asian, American, European, and otherworldly cuisines covered the spread tables with dedication from the nuns who had cooked diligently all day.
Khristian barely found a place in the crowded hall where people were loudly discussing the day's activities, including the wonderful play performed by Alexander in the lead role. Now, the only thing left was to find a seat at one of the tables set up in the dining hall.
Most of the tables were already occupied by those who had arrived earlier and secured their spots. While contemplating what to do, he felt a hand on his shoulder that snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Khristian, what are you doing? Aren't you going to sit at the table?" Raphael, his friend from the faculty, asked.
"That's exactly what I wanted to do, but I don't know where to sit. I'm thinking of going outside, smoking a cigarette, and then heading to bed," Khristian said somehow sadly.
"Oh, come on. Don't overthink it. Look, we have a free spot at our table. It's me and Antonio, and we need one more person."
"If you put it that way... Then, I'll join your table to take one of the two free seats."
With Raphael, Khristian went to the table indicated by him. At that table sat Antonio, the vice-president of the student council he had met in the morning when he arrived at the Institute.
"Hey, Khristian, take a seat," Antonio said to Khristian.
"Well, if I'm not intruding. Anyway, thanks for welcoming me to your table."
"Oh, come on, no need for thanks. Don't forget, we'll be classmates from next year, I hope. Come on, try some sushi and sake; they're really good," Antonio invited Khristian.
Suddenly, the lights in the hall went out simultaneously. Professors and gathered students were intrigued by what was about to happen. All eyes were directed towards the hall doors through which a shadow entered, carrying something that seemed to be a musical instrument. Upon a second look, most students realized it was a piano. What followed surprised everyone present in the hall.
A humanoid shadow entered the dining hall and sat behind the piano, delicately pressing the keys. Specially prepared lights illuminated the scene, bringing Alexander into view, ready to play something to entertain the audience.
To everyone's amazement, he started playing a fairly famous aria by Bach for those familiar with classical music, much to the delight of the professors who were quite passionate about Bach and his works. But that wasn't all. To enhance the appreciation of the young audience, especially the prospective students, he began playing various modern songs, including "I Need a Hero" by Bonnie Tyler, "Viva la Vida" by Coldplay and many other songs that students hummed and sang along with, accompanied by the sublime piano and tenor voice of Alexander.
All eyes were fixed on Alexander, the school's star who was the soul of that Institute. No one else was as dual as him. No one else could be as cold as a stone one moment and then play the piano happily to the applause of everyone gathered, savoring wines brought from the French region and dishes from all over the world prepared by the locals.
After the show ended, Alexander bowed briefly in front of those gathered, while everyone applauded and admired him like no other. Now, there was a problem. Where would our star sit at the table?
Everyone would have set aside their right to eat at that table and entrusted Alexander's place to him, but he wouldn't have accepted anyway.
"Alex, come here. There's a seat next to me and Khristian," Antonio shouted to him.
Somehow annoyed by his friend's irritating shout, Alexander approached the table while everyone's eyes were on him.
"Alex, don't be so cold. Look, after you played so wonderfully on the piano and with your sublime voice, do you want to go back to your egocentric personality?" Antonio asked him.
"I'm not egocentric. I can't stand so many people in one place. Anyway, it doesn't matter. Let's eat, and then everyone can go to their activities until the end of the day, okay?"
"Oh, come on. Look, meet our two future colleagues. He is Khristian, and he is Raphael. I think you'll get along well, what do you say?"
"I-I'm very excited to hear you sing. My name is Raphael, I'm 21 years old, and I'm an Economics student. I'm planning to become a student here next year. Please take care of me from next year," Raphael said with an angelic smile on his face.
Something changed in Antonio, though. Whenever he saw Raphael smiling so purely, something inside him made him restless. Could it be some natural attraction or just a friendly one? That remained to be seen.
But Alexander remained like a rock. He ate slowly and didn't look at Khristian, who was watching him attentively the whole time. That is until at one point, he realized what was happening and started paying more attention to what was going on around him, without changing his demeanor.
"Do I have something on my face? Why are you looking at me so closely?" Alexander asked Khristian sharply.
"N-Nothing. I just wanted to see if-"
"If what? If you want to look at someone, look at Antonio or someone else. I don't like it when people stare at me so intensely."
"I-I'm sorry, it won't happen again," Khristian tried to apologize.
"Let's hope so," Alexander concluded, and then a deep silence fell at their table.
Antonio felt somehow awkward about the silence that was happening at the table, where there was usually a lot of activity, but he couldn't do anything about it. Suddenly, a brilliant idea came to him.
At that very moment, one of the students passed through the area with a bottle of wine brought for the meal. Antonio's idea was to go and get a bottle of wine himself and force those at the table, including Alexander, to drink at least a little, maybe even the whole bottle.
Antonio left the group at the table while Alexander signaled desperately for him to come back so as not to leave him alone with the two prospective students. Much to his surprise, Antonio returned to the table with a bottle of white wine from Paris and began pouring it into the glasses of those at the table, starting with Alexander.
"Oh, come on, Antonio. You don't have to do this, seriously," Alexander protested heavily.
"Shut up, Alexander. If not, I'll tell everyone the secret you told me last time. Remember? The one about-"
"Don't do it. If I have to, then I can have a glass, okay? But after that, I don't want to hear anything about that secret or anything else, alright?"
"Alright, brother Alexander. In any case, let's toast to the newcomers and the exceptional show Alexander gave us today. Vivat Alexander."
"Vivat!" the others responded in unison, clinking their glasses of white wine.
Alexander, visibly embarrassed, clinked glasses with each of those at the table, including Khristian, towards whom he showed some distance.
At the end of the meal, the rector and the other professors thanked everyone for their involvement, especially Alexander for the intense participation he had in the activities of the first day, inviting them to be equally productive the next day when even more interesting activities were planned.
All the students stood up as a sign of respect and applauded, and most of them stayed behind to chat with each other and enjoy more snacks, including the delicate wine brought from Europe.
Meanwhile, Antonio decided it was time to go to his room, but a hand grabbed his arm, stopping him as he attempted to rise.
"A-Antonio... I mean, vice president... Do you have time to talk a bit tonight?" Raphael asked, visibly shy.
"Sure, anytime. Do you want to take a walk now or go somewhere else?"
"I think a walk would be beneficial after dinner," Raphael replied, after which he accompanied Antonio toward the exit of the hall.
Now, only Khristian and Alexander remained at the table, with Alexander pouring himself another glass of wine. Khristian extended his glass to be filled by Alexander, and to his surprise, Alexander served him.
"Does my presence bother you?" Khristian asked Alexander.
"No, why do you ask? Do you think I have nothing better to do than think about you?"
However, there was something strange in Alexander's voice. Something no one had ever heard before. Could it be hatred, anger, or something else? We will see.
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