LIRA: Book I

CHAPTER TWENTY: Diary

That evening, Lira began reading the second book Nicholas had lent her, which turned out to be a journal of a previous president. She wondered how this journal ended up in Prince Philip's library. She surmised that the prince was probably a really overenthusiastic book collector to have had obtain a journal such as this one. She flipped the book opened and began reading the first entry.

June 20, 2050

My first year as the president was already being tested as the imminent war could no longer be put on hold any further. Countries had waged threats over territorial disputes. Nations with the same interests took sides with one another. Previous treaties were ignored, and leaders of most countries refused to any further deliberations to settle these disagreements. From a third world country perspective, a war meant the destruction and destitution of small nations such as my country. I could hear the people protesting outside my office, wanting to remove me from my seat and place a more competent leader in my place. Maybe I should just step down and let someone else clean up the mess that was, in the first place, handed to me by my predecessor and his predecessor. What is a leader anyway? Someone who has the charisma to convince and charm the people? Someone who gives in to every whim of one sector of the society? Someone who is strong enough to enforce the law? Someone who put the people's interest above anything else? I can come up a million descriptions and hypothesis and yet I will not find a single answer to satisfy everyone...

Lira skipped some pages and settled to a page that caught her eye.

February 10, 2051

The war had ended. There were no winners; everyone loss. I wanted to thank the good Lord that the war did not last long, but as I surveyed the city, I wanted to cry with anguish as remnants of the war sprawled before me. Buildings were reduced to dust, vehicles scattered laid abandon to rust, and people huddled around a meager fire to keep themselves warm as night befalls us. Make -shift tents sprouted, some housing the sick and the wounded, and some served as storage for rations of food. Grey smoke that smelled of gun powder and dust surrounded us, almost choking us to death. I knew the states of the other nations were no less different from ours. I wanted to gloat at them for their stupidity and arrogance. See what it had brought upon us all? The ones clamoring for supremacy and those who wished for peace were given the same aftermath: an impoverished country. My people now lay sick on the street, some starving to death. Food supplies were running low. Reports were given to me that other people from other cities were out of control, creating havoc and looting food warehouses for their own supply. I am weary of everything and yet I could not let my emotions be seen. If I would look at the people with despair in my eyes, the people would further feel the hopelessness in our situation. I thought our misery ended here. I was wrong. I felt the earth beneath me shake as I witnessed the alarmed look of the people, scattering around and shouting, "Earthquake!"

April 5, 2051

Riot was rampant in every city. The people were out of control due to their desperation. It was hard for me to see my countrymen in such state. How would I address the people's needs? How would I control the chaos? How could we rebuild what was once a flourishing country? A child once approached me in the streets and asked "why was everyone fighting? Why can't everyone just work together?" I was in awed with the child's innocence. But then I, too, began asking myself the same thing. If people could use a massive amount of energy for fighting and arguing, why couldn't we use the same amount of spirit to work together and build the nation back to its former glory? If only things were as simple as that thought. My advisers came up with a solution. Tomorrow, we would be reviewing the possibility of forming a caste system...

June 10, 2051

When we thought things were all getting better, a new catastrophic event has yet to unfold. Reports were being handed out that an unknown disease was wildly spreading over parts of Asia and was suspected had reached our shores. I could not even comprehend where and how the disease started. Volunteers, though they were victims of the calamities themselves, have already worked day and night to help us provide the needs of the people. They were exhausted but their love for the country and its people never faltered even in their tired eyes...