The song of love sung by two lovebirds joins the relaxing sound of a babbling brook to maybe soothe the disturbed heart of Ryan with music. An effort in vain.
A soft hand touches his cheek, wiping the tears. Am I still in the game? Ryan wonders.
“You’re with me,” a female voice responds.
Ryan opens his eyes. Wearing a crown of flowers on her white headscarf, Santa Maria is giving him a compassionate smile. The smile does what singing birds could not do, and Ryan feels at peace at once.
Taking his head off her lap, Ryan sits up when his feet tickle. Various small fishes of different colors kiss him on the feet. Retracting his feet out of the stream, he turns back to Santa Maria. He has never met Santa Maria or has any idea what she would look like, but when one is in her presence, he would know that with every living cell of his body.
Leaning against a tree, she smiles again.
“Where am I?”
“You’re with me.”
“Are we in the game?”
“Not that I know of.”
“I don’t wanna play anymore.”
“But you are so good at it.”
“What are you talking about? I’m failing, over and over. I’m a pathological loser.”
“You are making an effort,” she says, leaning forward, “and you are making a difference, no matter how small it is. Those small changes will eventually make an impact, and love will prevail. Maybe not in your game time, but it will.”
“If I won’t be there to witness the victory, what is in it for me?”
“It’s your choice. If you keep your heart pure, you’d see beauty in love prevailing in the story, even if it is not within your story.”
“Listen to my mom, my man,” a male voice says from above.
Ryan looks up. Instead of the tree, there is a cross, and Jesus is crucified on it.
“Jesus!”
“What’s up, dude?”
“You’re also a gamer?”
“One of the best, man. One of the best.”
“Didn’t you end up crucified?” Ryan asks, pointing at him on the cross.
“Yeah, that part sucked. Especially when from up here I watched my people do nothing about it. But the game didn’t end when my story ended. I might have been labeled a loser while I was in the game, but look at my impact now. Millions of people do good for the love of me. Isn’t that beautiful?”
Maria touches Ryan on the hand. Warm energy transfers to him and overtakes his whole body, reaching his heart. Everything now seems full of vivid colors as if he was colorblind before. Before this moment, he had never noticed how alluring is the scent of light green grass; how exquisite is the pattern on tree leaves, and how mesmerizing is the song of lovebirds. But now, he can see, he can hear, and above them all, he can feel.
“Isn’t that beautiful?” Jesus repeats the question.
“It is. Indeed it is.”
“That’s my man. Many of my sheep, sadly, can’t see that; the ones who end up sacrificing their game time for higher ratings instead of higher values. But you’re smarter than that, aren’t you?”
“I guess. I should.”
“That’s the spirit,” Maria says cheerfully. “Ready to get back in the game, my dear? Make a difference?”
“I… I wish, but… but that seems impossible; not within the rules of the game.”
“Well, then do it outside the rules.”
“How is that even possible?” Ryan chuckles.
“Every game has a cheat code that skips the rules,” Jesus says from the above. “Look at what I did. I raised the dead. I mean, how cool is that?”
“How did you figure out the cheat code?”
“Simple. I just talked to the creator, and he taught me a couple of tricks. Easy peasy.”
“Time to get back in the game, my dear,” Maria jumps in.
“Couldn’t you then use them to escape this?” he asks Jesus, pointing to the cross.
“Nooooo. A true gamer never ruins the game. Cheat codes are exceptions and are to be used wisely, only for exceptional cases. Too much of it, and the game is ruined for the others. If people lose their faith in the game, they wouldn’t play it anymore.”
“Can you teach me a couple of tricks too?” Ryan asks, brightened. “I badly need an exception.”
“Sorry, dude. You gotta ask the creator directly.”
“Ready to go back in the game?” Maria insists, touching Ryan on the hand.
“I’m not sure.”
“Pal,” Jesus calls. “Remember, when in the game, play it like you believe it.”
“Come on, dear,” Maria says. “Feet go into the water.”
Resting his head on her lap, one foot goes into the water. It is cold.
“Maria.”
“Yes, dear.”
“Do you know where I can find the creator?” Ryan asks while putting his second foot in the water.
“I am here only to inspire, my dear,” Ryan hears before sleeping back into the game.