short

Three former radicals met and had a drink.

“Do you think we’re fucked up?” John asked Tim while pouring on a glass.
“You can say that. Kinsa may di ba? No one leaves the movement unscathed with its materialist objective conception of history,” Tim replied.
John drank the beer then put the glass down.
“But western thought explores human goodness based on reason, will and the intellect, not on any religion,” he said.
“That’s true. Then it’s not just who are fucked. A lot of people too,” Tim chuckled.
Bert listening to them said, “The world’s changed. The west has a newfound irrationality and subjectivity. That’s why movies like Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings are such a big hit.”
John poured the glass again with beer, and gave it to Bert.
“You mean there’s a subjective drift in the west?” he asked.
“Yes. The west looks back to its pre-Christina roots in the legend of Merlin he Magician and to the east, as well as to other cultures in search of something beyond cold rationality, Bert explained.
“Me, I’m weary of anything that tries to explain everything. Although I can say I was anchored in Marxism, but I’m no Marxist anymore,” John said.
“You’re being a typical postmodernist. But don’t you know not having a worldview is itself, a worldview?” Tim said looking at John.
“Yes that’s right,” John agreed.
“Me, I’ve decided to be Bisaya,”
The two turned to look at Bert.
“It comes handy as being born one, but unless one decides to be a Bisaya because in all actuality, he already is, he’ll never be one,” Bert went on.
John shook his head and said, “I don’t believe that. I don’t buy that. Seeing he world through a Visayan worldview?”
Tim said, “Let him be John!”
Bert looked at John and said, “You can believe what you want to believe and delude yourself! Look what happened to Che Guevarra. Nahimo na lang fashion icon, so ubiquitous na. Ang hammer and sickle sa puwa nga t-shirt, cool na daw. Di na subversive. You wanna believe in something? Nobody gives a shit anymore!”
Tim interrupted the exchange. “Wait a minute! Kinsa man tong tagay? Kahibawo mo, the problem is, you both think we’re each entitled to each other’s idea of truth. Do you want that? You can have your truth Bert. And you too, John. O, tagsa lang mo’g baso. Iyahay lang ta og tagay. Nganong magtagay pa man ta?”
John calmed down. “Wa man niy bugnaw ang beer.” Gesturing to the waiter, he asked, “Bay, naa pa moy ice?”
“Istorya na lang tag chicks,” Tim suggested.
“Hey what happened to that girl you were seeing?” Bert asked.
“We decided to go our separate ways. Conformist ra kaayo.”
“Anarchist man god ka,” John kidded.
“Di bay, romanticist na siya,” Bert said. And the three broke into boisterous laughter.
“This is all I can say, bay. There’s truth. It’s not relative. There’s love, and it makes all the difference. But it’s a big world. Let’s just feel free to find meaning in our lives and respect others’ own search and their right to it. If you can find a kindred spirit, well and good.” Tim said.
“O, sige, toast na lang ta aning mga botelyang way sulod,” John said, rattling the empty bottles.
Bert took a bottle and said, “Alang sa kasingkasing nga Bisaya!”
“Sa kasingkasing nga bisaya!” Tim and Bert joined in.