She stands by the bar next to me thinking what she will order next. She is drinking like crazy all-night and she wants something different.
The bartender smiles at her and asks, "What do you want, sweetie?"
Before the bartender come over, she had seen some bottles stocked near the corner where she stands. Now that the bar is busy, she figured she'd try something silly.
What would you do?
In fifteen days, summer vacation will be over.
She smiles with her dreamy eyes.
"I love the rain."
"Even when it makes the power fail?"
He asks as he wipes a raindrop off her nose.
Her fingers kept on brushing through the long strands of my hair...
"Life can be tough sometimes... I understand what you are going through, but you’ll get over it and say: this too, shall pass."
Sweetly, she uttered those comforting words as my tears kept pouring like heavy rains in June.
I always think the reason is me – I doubted myself, in a way. I thought that she looked down on me, or that she doesn’t like me at all. But logically thinking, no one in the right mind can dislike someone she has not met before. No one can judge someone she has never even seen personally. And this thought led me to a realization that perhaps...
“You always treat your friends as work...”
It was like a red light flashing putting whatever I have in my mind to a halt.
I asked myself, “Am I? Is it me?”
I turned to the stranger to my left. What was he doing on the 2:00 a.m. train headed downtown. Was he headed in for drugs? Some huge party? I was certain he was a shady character.
He introduces himself to her and gives out his hand. She shakes it with such confidence and smile, with such bursting congeniality that she almost surprises herself. Since when was she this good at introductions? Now only if she remembers where she left her voice... time stood still for a moment and she finds herself stuck in half a breath ago.
Yes! I’m over you! It took me almost two years to finally say that I am over you. Two years to say that I’m ready to move on, ready to start a life without you. And be able to live life to the fullest, like I’ve always done, before you even came into my life. But am I really ready to fall and be hurt again? Be ready to trust my heart to another?
Joko Jun features Filipinos from around the world... musicians, writers, photographers, and other creative people.