"Hey."
"..."
"I actually hoped that you were going to talk, you know."
"Hmm."
"`Hmm` isn't part of the English dictionary."
"..."
"Whatever." A pause. "Anyway, how are you?"
"It's funny, that the whole shebang begins with civilities."
"Yeah, but that's the way a human's mind works. If you can't think of a particularly safe topic to talk about, you just got to go for the most neutral topic you can think of."
"Which is?"
"Well, in our case, it's the usual `how are you?`, but it could start with anything. Stock exchange, world economics, the weather...hell, even the latest gossip stream from the afternoon paper. You should know, as you're such a social person."
"How would I know? You're the conversationalist here, not me."
"It was meant to be sarcastic, silly. You were never one for jokes anyway."
"Hmm."
"Back to `Hmm` again...and I thought I was actually heading somewhere. But, as the usual thing goes, once you get too personal, one's bound to run away."
"I do not run." An indignant look.
"Sure you do. We all do, one way or another, one time or another. It's this impulse in us that tells us to get away from things you know, subconsciously, are insensible to do."
"What makes something sensible anyway?"
"Somebody once told me that you know what's right and what's wrong through your conscience. Perhaps it's the same with sensibility."
"I thought you didn't believe the conscience as an active part of your being."
"Well, yeah, but it seemed a nice philosophical thing to say."
A thoughtful pause. The chirping of birds. Then ---
"Idiot." An old endearment.
"Hey, I'm a wise person, and you know that."
"And you obviously are mistaking me for somebody else."
"Oh, yeah, you never worshipped the ground I walked on...that was probably Ethan. Or was it Nate? Or John? Or--- "
"Ahem."
"Err, yeah." A sheepish smile. "Sorry about that, got carried away; bur hell, you know that better than anyone else."
"Most likely."
"Yeah, you knew me best, and you know that." A smile. "How about a game?"
An arched eyebrow. "I seem to have bad memories with your `games,` if I recall correctly."
"Oh come on! This is harmless, really."
"Hmm."
"Please?" A puppy-eyed look.
"Why do I even bother?" A roll of the eyes. "I never seem to resist you in any way possible."
"Great!" A spark in the eyes." "Anyway, I ask a question, you answer."
"This is one-sided? I don't get a chance to ask?" A shake of an exasperated head. "You were always self-centered."
A laugh. "Stop teasing! Yeah, I am self-centered. You get to ask questions when I finish mine. That should be a fair deal."
"All right. Shoot."
"Hmm...what's my favorite color?"
"Black."
"Yep, that was easy, so I'm not giving you a point on that one."
"Whatever."
"What do I like and love to eat?"
"You like to eat everything, and I mean everything. What you love to eat though, that would be mocha-flavored ice cream."
"Told you, you do know me best."
"That's a statement of the obvious."
"What's my all-time favorite book?"
"Since your collection of comic books fall under a different category, your favorite book would be `A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius` by Dave Eggers."
"Why do I love that book?"
"It made you laugh."
"What is the worst thing I do?"
"Everything you do."
"Hey, that's mean!"
"Whatever. Cooking."
"Where am I best at?"
"Annoying the living daylights out of people."
"Hey, don't say it like it's the worst talent in the world! I'm actually proud of that one!"
"That's because you're insane."
A thoughtful stroke on the chin. "Well, that's probably it. Anyway, moving on, what's the fondest memory I have?"
"That would be memories, idiot. The answer's every single memory we had together." An honest look.
A blush. "Umm, yeah, how'd you know?"
"I have my sources." A nonchalant shrug.
"What do I most believe in, or hope I could believe in?"
"The world."
"What's the best thing in life according to my philosophy?"
"A gallon of ice cream and someone to share it with in front of the television, preferably one with satellite coverage." Another roll of the eyes.
"That's a good philosophy!"
"Yeah, for idiots like you."
"What's easily my best subject?"
"None, unless you count talking incessantly a subject."
"If I remember correctly, you were the one who came up with that particular line."
"One of the best ones I had, in case you want to know."
"I resent that!" A hurt look, mockingly portrayed.
"You shouldn't. Are there anymore questions?"
"I've still got loads! My favorite CD, what is it, and why do I like it so much?"
"It's that compilation of old songs you have. The only reason you like it is because it has that cheesy song, `Home to Stay` on it."
"That's a nice song!" A humming of the song.
"Stop. It might rain."
"If it rains, then it's gonna be a cleansing of the earth."
"And so?"
"I swear, whatever happened to your humanity?"
"Someone Up There must've forgotten to put one in me."
A shake of the head. "You know that isn't true. Besides, rain has this way of making things pure again, literally and figuratively."
"You should've been a politician. Your words have always been flowery."
"Think I could run for office someday?"
"Yes, when pigs fly, anyway."
"Need I remind you that you need to work on your sense of humor?"
"You've only told me for about a million times. I think I need to hear about it for another million times."
"There's something wrong in this setting. Why are you actually trying to crack a joke?"
"Because it's a way to make you wonder, therefore a way to make you shut up."
"I knew there had to be an ulterior motive." A teasing smile. "When did you do something just because you want to, anyway?"
"Loads of times. You only see things in a different perspective, that's why. A lunatic's perspective, by the way."
"You just love telling me of your supposed intellectual superiority over me."
"Only because it's the truth."
"In your dreams, silly."
"Got anymore questions?"
"No, I got all I need."
"How does a bunch of self-centered questions actually tell you something?"
"It tells me you have a good memory."
"Haha. Please, do remind me to laugh later."
"Gladly. Anyway, ask away."
"I only have one question."
"Ahh. Direct to the point as usual, I presume?"
"A lot of people die with presuming things."
"You aren't going to kill me, though."
"Whatever. Can you give me your word you'll answer truthfully though?"
"Of course, this is Mr. Transparent you're talking to."
"That's what I'm afraid of."
"Somehow, I seem to get the notion you actually don't believe me."
"With your track record, why should I?" A teasing tone.
"Just get on with the question, damn it!"
"Touché."
"Nah, just loads of curiosity being piled up in my throat."
"Why did we drift away?"
"..."
"This seems to be the only time I've been able to catch you speechless. Got to record this one."
"I...for once, I have no wisecrack, no philosophy, no rationalizing to give you."
"Caught you by surprise, huh?"
"Yeah." A weak smile.
"That's a first in my track record."
"What?"
"Me surprising you. It was always the other way around."
"At least I taught you a quality manner. That's nice to know."
"Why?"
"I thought you only learned all about my mischief, my chatter...the usual things."
"But you forget your own words, I know you best, remember?"
"Some memory you have there."
"Somebody had to keep his head between the two of us."
"Sensible as always."
"Is that your conscience talking?"
"Nope, just my usual self."
"How'd you know my action was a sensible one?"
"Because you're you."
"..."
"You're the same person I've always known, have the pleasure of knowing, and will always have the pleasure of knowing you as you really are --- right here."
A light touch on the chest.
"If we know each other this well, why did we drift apart?"
"..."
"If we complemented each other in ways we couldn't even understand, why the eventual separation?"
A tiny chuckle. "I thought you were the intellectually superior here."
"And you were the philosophical rational being here."
"You answered your own question, you know."
"How?"
"See, in the many ways we completed each other, pardon the cliché, there were infinitely many ways that we contradicted each other. You base your knowledge on the concreteness of something, I base mine on experience and that weird thing called emotions. It's like, you're science and I'm religion. Both are abide with each other yet contradict each other at the same time."
"Why do I get to be so exact? You're saying I'm easily defined."
"Because you are. No offense meant, but look at how you remember everything, and I mean everything, about you, about me, about...us."
"But remembrance is the only thing I have of what you say as `us`."
"So do I, as tawdry as it may sound. But you don't have to remember my favorite book to remember who I was, who I am."
A thoughtful look. "Sometimes, I just hate to admit it when you make more sense than I could ever have."
"Which makes me the sensibility master here. It means you should listen to me."
"That's overdoing it, idiot."
"You're never one for extended fun."
"As you were never for extended work."
"Makes us even, right?"
"Yeah."
"It's the complementary self within us."
"Admittedly, yes."
Another pause.
"You should smile more you know. You wouldn't want other people to think you're made of ice, don't you?"
"Smiling's more of your thing. Growling's more of mine."
"And that's what exactly makes us such an endearing pair."
A wistful smile. "Did I ever tell you I always liked the way you always made use of the present tense?"
"You didn't have to tell me; I knew...I know. If you know me best, I know you best as well."
"Complementary. And sadly contradicting as well."
"Too much knowledge does not allow you to be a person of real individualism. Too much sharing results to a merge that will be unhealthy for both parties."
"That's the one that made us drift, right?"
"Yes."
"No wisecracks?"
"No, I seem to can't think of something right for the situation."
Mock astonishment. "No wisecrack? You must be under the weather."
"As you are, saying all those untimely jokes of yours, which need a lot more practice by the way,"
"I'll keep that in mind."
"And have fun, remember that."
"Yes, mother hen."
"You know that I continue, will continue to lo---"
An SMS message alert.
A mobile phone taken. A message read.
Silence.
The phone put away.
"You were saying?"
A sad smile. "It was nothing."
"..." Contemplation.
"That was The One."
A statement. Not meant to hurt, nor was supposed to, but hurt nevertheless.
There was silence again. What else was there to be?
"Yeah, it was, as you delicately coined it, The One."
"You should go."
"I should. I said I'd meet---"
"Ahem."
"Right." Composure lost and regained. "I should go."
"Have fun."
"Thanks. So." Hesitation. "I'll see you?"
"Yeah, I'll see you around."
"It has to end with civility, huh?"
"No other way to do it. It's our own form of running."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. Finally."
"That's good."
"Then..."
"Come on, this is where civility tells us to end with." Encouraging, as always.
Another smile.
"Okay then...bye."
"Bye."
A soft rustle of the wind.
And everything was back to normal once again.
No nothing.
No everything.
Only me.
You.
Us.
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