Friendship is Virtual

  Just like any other holiday, while everyone was doing their normal holiday routine such as going on a vacation overseas or whatever stuff they might be doing, a teenage human boy was working alone in his dusty mansion's attic. With bolts and screws scattered all over the dirty wooden floor beside a rusty toolbox, he was working on a project. A project that nobody could EVER find out. A portal to an altered universe, just to make friends. He grabbed a wrench just lying beside him and stopped all of a sudden, rethinking the loneliness that he had in the past...

  John Lewis was an ordinary teenager, also an only child in the family. Normally, the only child in a family would get the most attention and love. However, that was quite different in his family though, his parents were always so busy at work that they always hired someone to babysit him when he was little. Until he was able to take care of himself, they left him at home alone whenever they are at work. He tried to stop thinking about the past by continuing his work. He screwed of a bolt with the wrench held earlier. However, the images from the past kept appearing in his mind while he worked.

  His parents were workaholics. For every festival, New Year and Christmas, every family events, reunions and gatherings, even his birthday, they always told him the same thing: "Sorry I'm busy, some other time, son."

  "Sorry. No time for that."

  "Really? It's your birthday today? Well, happy birthday son."

  "Work, work, work... It's ALWAYS work! What makes that work is more important than family?" he scolded at his parents as they walked out the huge wooden mansion's door. Although John knew that his parents tended to work more is to make him live a happier and better life. But considering that he was already living in a mansion, with every room he could think of, a living room with a 90 inch flat screen TV, a soundproof music room, an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, an indoor gymnasium, he admitted that he lived a better life. However, he don't quite feel happier. That's the point that he don't get… All he needed was family time with his parents… However, his wish did not came true. He shed a tear and quickly wiped it away on his sleeve.

  Besides that, John's parents do not bought toys for him when he was a kid. They said they wanted him to be self-disciplined and some toys may be violent. Whenever he saw a commercial about toys and video games on TV, he ran to his parents room, requested politely: “Mom, dad, can I...”

  “If it’s about toys and video games, then NO!” said his mother. “We’ve told you a million times!”

  “B-but I...”

  “Son, go to your room! You know that we don’t buy toys or video games like any other parents because you may become violent and hurt yourself!” said his father.

  “You guys stink! I hate you!” John shouted and stomped out of the room.

  “You’ll thank us once you get older! We’re doing this for your own good!”

  There's also one thing, John's parents were so busy that they even could not care less about his actions. Therefore, he was free to do anything he wanted. Well, anything that was legal. That included his grades. Whenever he got an ace or a fail, they either congratulate him or told him to work harder. Their attitude towards John made him became disappointed, he tighten both of his fists and ran back quickly to his room.

  And because he could not had toys of his own, plus he had more freedom than anyone can get, he sometimes made toys of his own. And when his parents came to check on him on some occasion, he simply hid his toys by throwing them in the attic, where his parents would not bother to go checked on. As time passed by, since the time he could made toys on his own, he was able to make his own stuff, from plastic to wood to metal.

To avoid being caught in the act of making toys and playing with his creation, he thought of a better solution. He climbed up to the dusty attic in his mansion with a bunch of materials in his hands, and made toys using some tools inside a red toolbox just lying in the corner. However, he did not clean the place because he thought of his parents becoming suspicious when they went to check on it, consider that they do not.

  Eventually, using the knowledge he learned from computer and technical classes, which was his most favorite and best subjects he learned during high school, he was able to build machines. Well, just simple ones actually, like mini fans and nightlights on his own. He could also make simple video games of his own. Strange at a young age, huh? He took a break from his work, remembered the time when he made the nightlight for the first time and he accidentally put too much batteries on the circuit that it became too hot and caught fire. Luckily, he was able to put out that small flame. Well, most people don't succeed on their first try.

  As more time passed, he was able to build much more complex and wireless machines such as a WI-FI and advanced computer programming for virtual gaming and holograms until something made him decide to have a change in life…