When lethargic university lecturer, Theo Gomez, meets an enigmatic and mysterious woman one night, he never expects his life to change forever. Yet, when Juniper asks him the haunting question "Will you cry when I die?" he is drawn into a passionate...
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I don't believe that we only have one mind because our heart has a mind of its own
/2/ Game of Questions
[THEODORE]
WE stared for seconds when she asked that odd question. I repeated it inside my mind, will you cry when I die? I focused on her again and I saw a sheer determination in her eyes. Is this woman drunk? Or I'm the one who's drunk?
"Do I really need to answer that?" finally I said with a slightly amused smile.
"Yes." She replied without blinking. Parang obligado ako na sagutin ang kakaibang tanong mula sa kanya.
Napakamot ako sa batok, kinuha ko ang shot glass at ininom muna 'yon. I rarely talk to strangers but this one's the weirdest so far. Tumingin ako ulit sa kanya habang gumuguhit ang tequila sa lalamunan ko, nakatingin pa rin siya sa akin at seryosong hinihintay ang sagot ko.
"You're asking me," tinuro ko 'yung sarili ko. "If I'll cry when you die?" tumango lang siya at hindi ko na napigilang matawa ng kaunti.
Tumaas 'yung kilay niya nang tumawa ako at kaagad naman akong huminto, "Why?"
Gusto kong matawa lalo nang tanungin niya pa kung bakit. God, where this woman come from?
"Why? Really?" I said in an amused face, pero kahit na ipamukha ko sa kanya na walang sense ang tanong na 'yon ay hindi pa rin siya natitinag. "Okay, first, lady-"
"My name is Juniper Lee. Just call me Juni."
"Okay, Juni, you see, I'm not that kind of person who can cry easily. Noong mamatay nga 'yung parents ko hindi ako umiyak, ikaw pa kaya iiyakan ko?" tumawa ulit ako at hinampas ko pa 'yung counter, feeling ko I cracked the most hilarious joke in my entire life.
The woman, Juniper, didn't even smile or embarrassed. Is it only in my imagination that I can see pity in her eyes? Bakit naman siya naaawa sa'kin?
"I'm sorry about your parents," iyon lang ang sinabi niya at hindi pa rin maalis ang titig niya sa'kin.
"No, don't be sorry," another round of drinks came. My friends are nowhere and if they'll see me right now talking with this beautiful woman, I'm sure katakut takot na asar ang makukuha ko sa kanila. "Now, ako naman ang magtatanong." I must be drunk because I'm starting to be talkative, which I'm not really.
"Sure." She smiled and she asked the bartender for a drink.
"Bakit mo naman tinanong sa'kin na iiyakan kita kapag namatay ka? Who do you think you are?" I pointed her and she chuckled.
"I'm..." natigilan siya bigla at napahinga ng malalim. "I'm just a stranger, I know."
"Alam mo naman pala." Sabi ko at muling ininom ang nasa shot glass.
