Giants

By Yen-Rong Chang

I am Pablo. It's been months since my birth and I have been living in terror ever since.
What I know is that my kind has lived with these giants of terror for generations and
generations. These giants that are incredibly immense in size and strength kill our kind without
mercy and step on us for fun. Such huge and foul creatures! What fun is there in squashing us?
Why are our fates so tragic? Well, we managed to live for millenniums this way and didn't
become extinct, so I guess we are more amazing than these giants.

Aside from their incredible physique, these giants seem to also possess exceptional
intelligence. They are able to invent and create a lot of objects from scratch, cook aromatic
food, and seem to have relationships with each other just like us. Well, in smaller numbers,
sometimes 2, sometimes 3, and sometimes more than that. The more the merrier because that
means more food for us to steal.

One thing about these giants is that they are very stingy. They do not like sharing their
food with us at all. Whenever we try to get a share of their food, they squash us. Brutal, aren't
they? There was a time when I tried to get a grain of rice from the giant's table, then a member
of their clan, "family" is how they call it, called forth a great force of wind and blew me away.
Thank goodness I am light and strong, or else I will be a ghost and I will haunt that particular
giant called Milly. She's such a pain in the butt. She loves to use her gigantic feet to squash us
repeatedly and laugh hysterically like a total creep. There was a time that she spat on us and
that's how my friend Cherico got paralyzed. Well, I do not hold a grudge against Milly for that
because Cherico was not a very good friend anyway.

I hate being an ant.

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I have to search for food every single moment of every day. If I don't, I will receive
punishment just like everyone else who fails to do so. The punishment is to be restricted from
the colony for one night, which actually isn't too bad because nighttime is when the giants are
sleeping. When they are asleep, I get to do a lot of nasty stuff, from stealing food to stealing
more food. I am simply a servant in the colony, so I do not get to slack off. The bright side of
being a servant is that I get to serve my gorgeous Queen Victoriant. She's sassy, but still
gorgeous.

Another thing that I hate about being an ant is that we ARE small, like itsy bitsy tiny. We
are always affected by the movements of the larger creatures, from cockroaches to those giants
in the house. Mr. Brown, the cockroach, is kind to us though. He always tries his best to get
some food for us and always gets himself into trouble. His record was being slapped 12482
times and stepped on 24328 times. His nickname is James Brownd. The giants also have a pet
dog named Jacky, and he is very naughty. Whenever he sees us in large groups, Jacky licks us
and some of my comrades get stuck on his tongue. What a nasty way to die! There was also a
pet fish in the family named Bluey, a blue fish. I used "was" because there was a time that Bluey
just jumped out from its aquarium and laid motionless on the floor. Our captain called us to
carry it back to our colony as our food. Bluey tasted fine.

Today is just another ordinary day. I got myself ready and walked out of the colony for
the daily food hunt. When I was just a few steps out of the colony's gate, Mr. Chester, the
queen's royal head servant, called me.

"Pablo! PABLO! PABLOOOO!" Mr. Chester shouted.

"YE-YE-YE-YES SIR!" I shouted back.

"The queen has a special assignment for you, follow me." Mr. Chester led me to the room of our
queen, and I followed him with excitement. As we got into the incredibly ornate room of the
queen, I knelt before the queen with my four legs down and two legs up. Just try to imagine
that.

"Parabola," said the queen, "I have a special quest for you to do."

"Her majesty, it is Pablo. What is it that you ask from me?" I replied.

"I have received news from our F.A.T. (Flying Ant Troops) that the giants have recently bought
some extremely tasty sweet caramels from a place named Japan. "

"Uhh-"

"DO NOT INTERRUPT ME. I need you to get me a cube of those caramels. You can go with as
many friends as you want as long as you are able to get me one of those tasty sweets."

"But Ma'am, why did you choose me for this task?" I asked.

"Mr. Chester said you have a catchy name and I agree with him, so I believe that you can
accomplish this quest easily. Oh, and I have also heard that you have a reputation of being the
strongest ant around. Now go, and come back only when you have the caramel with you," she
answered.

"Uhh, alright, Ma'am."

I stepped out the room and went straight ahead to the gate of the colony. I took a deep
breath and stepped out from the gate. What on soil was that about? Did she appoint me just
because I have a catchy name? When did I get that reputation? Did she even tell me where the
caramel is located? Oh well, this is not the first time she said such random things.

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I packed up and set out for the quest. They say that ants travel in large groups and are
social creatures. Well too bad, Pablo here is no ordinary ant. Pablo here is an independent ant,
an Independant. First, I went to the F.A.T. and asked for the directions. They told me that the
caramel candy is located on the table in Milly and her sister Julie's bedroom. After knowing
where the caramel is, I planned my way to my destination with Mr. Brown's help. Mr. Brown
allowed me to ride on his back and brought me from the corner of the kitchen (where our
colony is located) to the dining room. We stopped there because it will be too much of a risk if
anyone else sees us. I marched through the dining room while sipping on some nectar that I
brought with me. As usual, the giants were talking while they dine on their food, but this time, I
listened to their conversation. Their conversation went like this:

"Honey, have you finally found a school that accepts our dear little Milly?"

"Not yet, I don't know why they just won't accept her in. She is PERFECTLY NORMAL, and they
do not seem to know that."

"Honey...Well have you tried schools that provide special edu-"

"WHAT, SHE DOES NOT NEED THAT! MILLY IS PERFECTLY NORMAL AND CAN MANAGE TO STUDY
PROPERLY IN A NORMAL KINDERGARTEN."

"All right, all right honey. Let's just continue the search for Milly's school tomorrow."
 And then, they continued to dine. Based on my understanding and my superb analyzing
skills, Milly is a special child. Is that why she loves stepping on us and seeing us suffer? Well, that
is none of my concern at this moment. Sad for you giants, ehe. I went under the chair of Julie,
the baby of the family, because she eats like a pig, and there are always some food crumbs
beneath her place. I got a tiny piece of fish and went straight ahead to the Christmas tree in the
living room.

Now, why the Christmas tree? Well that's because I want to sleep and that's the safest
place to rest. I climbed up the Christmas tree, the piece of fish at my back and tried to find the
best twig for me to sleep on. Just when I found the best-looking twig, I got myself stuck on a
spider's net. Dear goodness, this can't be true, spiders are the nightmares of our kind! How
careless could I be to get myself into trouble? The spider slowly crawled towards me and bared
its fangs at me. Ew, they look disgusting.

"Ohohohoho, boy! Seems like I do not have to hunt for food tonight, right, YOUNG BOY?" The
spider talked to me.

"Uhh....we-we-well Mister Spider, I suppose that's how things are now," I replied cowardly.

"WHAT! Shouldn't you be fighting back or something! Show me your guts young boy!"

"I do not see any chance of living anyway so why will I fight back."

"I like it that way."

"A-a-alright if you say so. Sta-stand back you huge monster! Don't you even think about getting
a piece of me, you nightmare!" I exclaimed with full courage.

"ERRR DO NOT CALL ME MONSTER!"

"You can have this piece of fish if you wa-"

"EVERYONE CALLS ME MONSTER, NIGHTMARE, CREEP, CREEP-O, OR WHATEVER NAMES THEY

CAN THINK OF! Have they ever thought about how things are in our side?" interrupted the
spider.
"I can try if-"

"I am merely trying to live my life! I feed on other insects because that's how things are
supposed to be for us. I am born this way and you all have to respect that!"

"But if you feed on your fellow insec-"

"I am an arachnid."

"But if you feed on us insects then you surely are a monster in our eyes."

"Put yourself into my position. You are just lucky that you are created that way, in a way that
people do not call you monsters. But for us, we are created in a way that people fear us. Alright
enough chit-chat. Let me eat you."

"But wait wait! Like I said, you feed on us and that's why you are a monster in our eyes. That's
an inevitable fact. How do you expect us to be your friend if you yourself know that you are
created in a way we fear you?"

"Find a solution for both of us? It's been years since I have been trying to initiate, but no, it
never worked out. You insects only fear us and never want to approach us."

Right, a solution. We never think about that. We always come to a conclusion right after
we see and leave it like that for the rest of our lives. A gigantic monster that eats poor innocent
creatures? For Mister Spider it's just "I am hungry, let me eat or else I will die." We judge but do
not solve.

"Mr. Spider, if you may, please release me and I will talk to our queen as soon as I get back. We
will find a way that favors both of us. Please, I am your only hope." I said to the spider.

"ERR...what about my dinner?"

"Please, it's not every day that you meet an understanding ant like me. Here, take my share of
fish and savor it."

"ERRRRRRRRR okay, fine," Mister Spider released me from the net, "Go. Do not disappoint me,
young boy."

"Farewell, Mister Spider." I bid him goodbye.

"By the way, I do not eat fishes. Take this back," the spider threw the piece of fish back to me,
"What is your name anyway, young boy?"

"Pablo is the name, sir. And you are?"

"Spidee, I will not forget you, Pablo."

"Same here."

After that, I just climbed to another twig and rested for the rest of the night. Equality?
Understanding? Forgiving? I will save these thoughts for the near future.

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I woke up ten minutes later (that's already a long sleep for us) and continued my
journey. I walked and walked and walked and walked, what solution could there be for the
spider and ants? We can't just tell the spiders to scavenge like us or be vegetarians and eat rice.
Is there really a possible solution? Sometimes understanding is one-sided and that's the farthest
that we can go, understanding. We can't change what is right before our eyes, but we can
change what is in our mind. I am such a philosophical ant. Anyway, I have to go on.

Finally, I reached the bedroom of Milly and Julie. Both of them are asleep, and they
actually look adorable when they are not trying to kill us. I marched through my way to the table
and climbed up. Aha, there it is, the sweet caramel candy our queen longs for. Just when I was
approaching the caramel, Milly woke up and started sobbing. Her cry was very loud and wild. It's
like someone was trying to choke her. Because of Milly's crying, Julie also woke up and they
became the crying duo. Dear goodness, they are not cute anymore. The door opened and two
larger Giants, the parents I suppose, came in.
"Oh dear, dear! My dear, what's wrong? What seems to be the problem?" asked the mother.

"BIG BROWN BEAR TRIED TO CHOKE ME, BIG BROWN BEAR BAD, BAD, BAD! BAAAAD!" cried
Milly.

"AWAWA AAAHHH TOOTOOTATAA" followed Julie.

"Everything is alright, my dear. Marco! Go get me one of those caramel candies!" The mother
ordered the father.

"Hold on Martha," replied the father, "here sweetie, take this caramely candy and everythingy
will be alrighty!"

Milly took the caramel candy from her father's hands and put it into her mouth.

"Everythingy alrighty!" exclaimed Milly, "does big brown bear likey caramely candy, too?"

"Yes, yes, he does, and he will love it if you give him some. Now go sleep tighty and do not
worry!"

"Martha..."

Martha covered Milly with her quilt as she laid her on the bed and did the same to Julie. Marco
pulled Martha out the room and closed the door as they began speaking. I can still hear them
though.

"What, Marco."

"We can't always depend on these caramel candies. We need a REAL solution."
"Like what? Sending her away? TO SCHOOLS THAT PROVIDE SPECIAL EDUCATION? TO ABANDON
HER?"

"MARTHA! I didn't say anything yet!"

"Then what, what better ways do you have than caramel candies?"

"I...I do not know..."

"Then tell your brother from Japan to bring more caramels next time."

"Why don't we just buy from the local supermarket?"

"Milly only likes those from Japan, from that particular brand, or else she will cry and go wild
nonstop."

So that's the purpose of these caramel candies before my eyes. Suddenly, I do not crave
for them anymore. These caramel candies are the only hope of these giants to keep Milly calm.
How can I have the heart to take their "hope" away? For a moment, these giants are not as
ruthless anymore. It's still true that they have killed a lot of us, but that's their life and that's
how they are created after all. If I'm to be in their position, I cannot guarantee that I will still be
as kind and thoughtful for us. These giants, in fact, are just like us. They all have a story and a
heart, and even a life. Do we really have to judge everything before our eyes before we even
know what it is?

The caramel lay still before me, and I do not know what to do. I personally do not really
care about caramel candies, but I have already received orders from the queen. I just sat beside
the box of caramels and pondered on what I should do. What does the caramel even do? It only
suffice the short and temporary desire of the queen. I think I have something better to return
with. I can tell the queen about what is in my mind, all these thoughts that I have gained
throughout my journey. That's it, that's what I am going to do.

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Quickly, I climbed down the table and went straight to the colony and met with Spidee
again on the way. He looked at me with a puzzled face, I reckon he's wondering where the
caramel is. The real "caramel" is all in my mind. I took the last bite of the fish from yesterday
and finally went in the room of the queen. As usual, I knelt before her.
"WHERE IS THE CARAMEL, PALOBO!" shouted the queen.

"Her majesty, it's Pablo. I am sorry my queen, but I am unable to bring the caramel back because
of some reasons.'

"And WHAT could your reason possibly be?"

"The caramel is very important to the giants. I do not have the heart to take it away from them."

"DO NOT HAVE THE HEART?! When have you become so soft, young ant!"

"Before anything else, ma'am, I want to inform you that I brought back better things than the
caramel candy."

"Ugggghhhh! I just want some exquisite sweets. Go, declare what is in your mind."

"Ma'am, throughout my journey, I have learned one thing. I have learned that we are simply not
the only creatures in the world."

"I already know that."

"I mean, we ants are not the only one who have the power to judge in this world. Such as
spiders, we call them monster all the time without knowing how things are from their eight
eyes. The giants, we call them ruthless without knowing their life, and what problems they face.
It's true that they show no mercy to us, but that's just how things are supposed to be. We can't
change what is shown before our eyes, but we can change what is within our mind, the way we
see things. I made a new friend throughout my journey. His name is Spidee, and he's a spider.
He gets agitated every time someone calls him "monster" because he's just living his life the way
he should live it. It's how things are since the very beginning. It's not the fact that we fear him
that makes him frustrated, it's the fact that he is called a "Monster." Sometimes, words hurt
more than physical wounds."

"So, what do you want me to do?"

"Make a change."

"How?"

"Why hate if we can love?"

The queen fell into deep thought then gestured me to leave the room and so I did. I fear
the consequences, but I believe it is worth it.

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The next day, the queen walked out from her room and went up the stage and started talking.
She is still gorgeous.

"ANTS! I have something to say, so shut up all of you."

"What is the news, her maje-"

"YOU SHUT UP. So, I have decided. We should all stop the hate on spiders and giants. Not one of
you are now allowed to call them 'monster' or 'ruthless.' Stop the hate, spread the love."

What was that? Does she expect everyone to have a clue on what just happened with
such a short speech. Oh well, that was straight to the point. Everything got better after what just
happened. The queen made a promise to the Spider Clan that we will never call them
"monsters" anymore, and in return, the ants and spiders will become allies. Meaning, they won't
eat us anymore and we do not have to fear them anymore. Then with the giants, the younger
generations of ants are not educated in a way that we will fear and hate giants, but instead, they
are just other creatures on this soil like us ants. I can so feel the love spreading among us. The
giants may not see us like how we see them, equals, but the change starts within ourselves after
all. I went to see Spidee after seeing how things are already.

"Oi, Pablo," called Spidee.

"Spidee."
"You did not disappoint me."

"A promise is a promise."

After that, Mr. Brown came to me and congratulated me for what I did.

"Young boy, look what you have done!" said Mr. Brown.

"Ehe, are you proud of me, James Brownd?"

"I can't believe you just talked to your queen like that! I have heard about everything from Mr.
Chester."

"Well, I am awesome."

"Let's grab a drink later."

So I went to the NecPub with Mr. Brown afterwards and we talked about all the changes
that have occurred. Thank goodness Mr. Brown paid the bill. As I was walking home, Mr. Chester
called my name again.

"PALOBO! PAAALOOOBOOO!"

"YES SIR! IT'S PABLO SIR!"

"The queen demands your presence. Come with me." Mr. Chester led me to the ornate room of
the queen once more. Again, I kneeled before the queen.

"At ease, Palobolo. I have great news for you."

Oh dear goodness, don't tell me she will make me her wife! This is so cliché, I don't like it.

"Her majesty, it is Pablo."

"I want you to send a message to the giants this time, I want the relationship between the giants
and the ants just like the relationship between the ants and the spiders. Go."

Okay this is not cliché.

"A-a-alright, ma'am."

I walked out from the room and went straight ahead to the gate of the colony. I took a
deep breath and thought to myself. I am an itsy bitsy tiny ant, but I surely can do big things.

I love being an ant.