Like Distant Identical Twins

Months after Danny walked into our class and started hitting Ranko, I began to discover more things about them. They also reminded me more and more of Sid and John, two false and ex-friends from college. Ranko is a milder version of Sid while Danny is a milder version of John.

When I was in college, Sid and John were friends at times, but usually couldn’t get along. I was friends with them until I knew their true selves. Ranko and Sid are both conceited, rude, cliquey, and argumentative at times. They joke too much, not knowing when to be serious. That means I couldn’t believe many things they said. Sid was very braggy, and Ranko somewhat is as well. Sid had a girlfriend, high voice, and many classes with me.  He was two years younger than I was.  Ranko also shares these traits with Sid.

John was irresponsible, unable to sort out his priorities, selfish, rude, impulsive, and stereotypical. For example, he often couldn’t decide between classes and entertainment, and kept repeating how certain majors and hobbies are for which gender.  He also named "loser majors" and made nasty and improper pranks because he couldn’t help it.  Danny also shows the same signs as John.  At times, he leaves class early or doesn’t show up, because he doesn’t feel like being there. He would also sign up for classes, then drop one or two of them for the quarter if he didn’t feel like attending the first or second week. He often has stupid excuses for missing classes. That’s why Danny avoided having classes with Ranko after the fight: he would rather not finish his classes than face the responsibility of seeing the effect of his violence and fixing the trouble. Instead of seeing how Ranko was treating me, and trying to improve things, he just ran away from his responsibilities. Danny also makes the stereotypical comment, "I can’t believe you don’t know [your native language]."

John often tracked and commented on my smallest details, gave useless and wrong "advice," tried to force me to follow his ways, and said things to make me feel worse. For example, he remembered who I sat next to in classes and how I drove my car.  At times, he kept saying how I would have no chances with grad school or careers with my majors, and that I should just stick with easy low-paying jobs.

One night, I was worried about trouble, and John made me feel worse by saying, "You are the bugger. You bother and stop people and talk to them for a long time."

Danny also tracked and commented me on small details, and gave useless advice.  For example, he usually remember when I arrived in class a few minutes late, and pointed out light stains on hard-to-see areas of my shirt.  I am not a risk-taker, and he asked me a few times to stop planning things and take risks.  Knowing that I organize and type my class notes because I can’t read my own scribbled handwriting, he kept saying how I was wasting my study time and should stop doing so. One evening, he said that I must be a spammer who bothers my friends with spam e-mail, knowing that I’m often afraid of upsetting others. He also tried to give the irresponsible advice of giving up on decisions (even crucial ones) after spending more than five minutes thinking.

John and Danny both share these traits: older than I am, in some of my classes, low thin voices, friends with unpleasant people, and no long term girlfriends. They both also had interest in me though they never directly told me themselves. I slowly realized that John had interest in me, especially after I found out his true self.  Though he never said anything about it, he kept trying to contact and control me when I was trying to get him out of my life. Danny was finally forced to reveal his true feelings after the fight and other people informing me about it.

Danny and Ranko’s fight reminded me of that one night in college when Sid and John were about to physically attack each other while doing homework together. Maybe Ranko and Sid are distant relatives, descended from a common ancestor, which would also be the same for John and Danny. They seem like very distant identical twins. Ranko and Sid, as well as John and Danny, could possibly have been identical twins in their previous lives. There is just so much coincidence.