More Entertaining Than Fiction

There's an old, old adage that says "reality is stranger than fiction." While I don't know about the
"strange" bit, I have been given ample evidence to say that it might be. But that's not the point of this particular exercise. You see, in my pursuit of finding new and interesting times to waste my time with, I have bumped into a number of stories that my friends and contacts have divulged over the years. These can either be from their personal experience of how life can be so screwed sometimes, to tales they've heard from their friends. While most seem a little too run-of-the-mill to take notice of, there were a small number that really caught my attention as symbolic representations of just how odd life can get, not to mention just how good Destiny and Fate are at writing out plots.

Case#1: Why School Is Bad For You

I know a guy who is now penniless, living in a decrepit apartment his parents charge him rent for, and is lamenting his situation.

You see, during his college days, he managed to set up a rather successful (if small-scale) business. I won't divulge what the business was, but suffice to say that it didn't venture very far outside the original location. It wasn't a nation-wide thing, but it managed to turn in a decent profit while it was afloat.

However, due to some conflicts with the faculty and the fact that nobody could find his thesis, he was not allowed to graduate or obtain a diploma. With the diploma (and the degree it carries) being such an integral part of social interactions, he sought out to get it. During that time, he divided his attention between the business, his pursuit of his degree, and his new girlfriend.

Fast forward five years on. By this point, he's become completely obsessed in getting his Bachelor's Degree less as something he needs and more out of principle. About a year prior, he argued with his girlfriend about his need to calm down and forget about that stupid scrap of paper. They broke up days after said argument.

Eventually, he decides to just work on an entirely new thesis. He dedicates almost all of his waking hours to it, working on it to the point of maniacal obsession. Eventually, he finally gets his damned Bachelor's Degree. However, by that time, he's not only lost his business, but also all of his financial assets. Which prompted him to go into his current situation.

For an added twist of irony, he is now holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration.

Case#2: Bizarre Love Story

I once knew a girl who was groomed to inherit a powerful, but illegal, business from her aunt. However, the stipulation in her aunt's will was that whoever was the oldest surviving sibling would take control. The will did not, of course, did not have any stipulations on whether or not foul play was going to disqualify a sibling. Indeed, the text subtly encouraged it.

Now, this girl didn't seem to think much of that stipulation, as she was intent on ignoring the family business and convincing her boyfriend to marry her and have kids. She loved him dearly and he was madly, madly in love with her. To the point that even after finding out she'd been involved in some truly unsavory deals and incidents (one of which was infamous in Philippine history), he wouldn't leave her. About the only thing he refused to do was consider the idea of having kids, but she was working on that.

Incidentally, said boyfriend was once the boyfriend of the girl's deceased older sister. Also incidentally, said older sister died by a rather mysterious car accident. Also, said girl has a younger sister that is also interested in the boyfriend, but is equally interested in pursuing their aunt's criminal enterprise.

Fairly recently, when the boyfriend rejected the younger sister's advances for the last time, the younger sister was visibly angry and distraught. About a week later, boyfriend wakes up to find that girlfriend has been shot repeatedly in the hallway in front of his apartment. A week after that, the younger sister drops by on the pretense of comforting him. Nobody sees her arrive and nobody sees him leave. However, he was found dead about a week later, apparently of a heart attack.