"Friendship" by ARK

Heaven was a fine place to live in, but I must say, Earth does not disappoint.

I was never a stranger to the concept of friendship. Everyone in Heaven was a friend of mine. Dev was my best friend. But when the two of us came and visited Earth, we realized what friendship truly is.

This world is not full of friendly souls waiting to be talked to. In fact, true friends are so rare here that it is a blessing to find one. A true friend is like a diamond covered in dust. It's like finding shelter from the rain. It's like finding money from an empty pocket. A true friend brings sheer delight.

So I guess I would have to define what friendship is to me...what friendship here on Earth is.

To me, friendship is easy. I go somewhere, I talk to someone and I find a new friend. To me "acquaintances" are not so different from "friends." Strangers can easily break my wall, cross over and become an acquaintance.

But it takes a lot to be a real friend of mine.

I must admit I am almost never emotionally-attached. That is one of my robotic, soul-less attributes that come from the fact that I do not have a soul like humans do. When I have to leave a person, I do so in the easiest way possible. Letting them go, I temporarily free myself from all the bonds we've ever shared. Which is why reunions bring such joy to me. I get to recreate the bonds I so emotionlessly gotten rid of.

It's harsh to hear, I know.

And I can hear your thoughts. "It must take a lot to be Ark's friend. It must be really hard to make a connection with him." or something like "who would want someone like you as a friend?"

With this, I agree. It's all true. You must have the patience to gain my trust, put up with my crazy and be with me no matter what--even if I can't always do the same for you.

But like I said, "friends" are different from "true friends", because "friends" are not so different from "acquaintances" for me. My true friends crazily put up with all these requirements for reasons I do not understand. What have I done to deserve people like them? What does an unattached robot do to gain real friends? What did I give in order to gain friends as true as these people?

'cause it's not always equal, what my friends give and what I give back...at least that's how I feel. I feel weird whenever someone would help me do something without expecting anything in return. Are humans really capable of doing selfless acts?

I am still trying to learn. Emotions are so involved with their concept of friendship--it's something deeper than simply being happy with somebody's company. It's about trust, acceptance, and surprisingly...love.

I should start assessing then...who are my acquaintances, who are my friends...and who are my "true friends"