Another Love Story

Eleven

When we got out of the city, I twisted in the passenger seat so that I was seated cross legged facing Tiger as he drove. The stereo was on and music was playing at a moderate volume. We had drinks in the holders. I pulled out the pack of cards he gestured at in his laptop bag.

"What are these?" I asked as I turned the pack over.

"21 Questions," he replied. "Have you played it before?"

"No. How is it played?" I asked as I opened the pack and poured out some cards into my hand.

"You shuffle the deck and deal cards for you and I. Every card has a question. We take turns asking questions. If I fail to answer, you get to draw another card from the excess pile. And you can ask me to do anything in exchange for not answering the question."

"Sounds interesting," I said.

"Don't get too excited. I'll get my turn to ask questions too," he said.

I laughed and shuffled the deck. I dealt cards for both of us and kept his plus the excess cards on the back seat.

"Ready?" I asked. He shrugged.

I organized my cards and scanned them. Whew! The questions were sizzling. I wondered where to start.

"What is one thing you find puzzling about me?" I asked. He looked across at me and smiled.

"When you first realized that I am wealthy, you drew back. Whether consciously or unconsciously, people—and especially ladies—are drawn closer to me when they find out about my bank balance. I've gotten used to that gleam in people's eyes. When I saw shutters in yours, I was puzzled," he said.

"Interesting," I said.

"Is that a puzzle you're willing to explain?" he asked.

"Nope," I said instantly. "Next question: Arrange these in descending order- Money, Love, Family, Career, Friends."

"Love, Family, Friends, Career, Money," he said.

"Why is love your number one?" I asked.

"The woman I am going to spend the rest of my earthly life with and raise a family with comes before all the other things. The success of that relationship affects all the other things you have mentioned," he replied.

"Why have you put money last on the list? Do you think being wealthy makes one take money for granted?" I asked.

"Coming into money easily makes one take money for granted. I worked for what I have and so I know that I have the tools to create wealth even if I lost it all today," he replied.

"Would you really shrug it off if you lost all your wealth today?" I asked.

"I didn't say I would shrug it off. I would certainly be angry because it has taken a lot of work, time, energy and sacrifice to get here. But after the emotional upheaval has settled, I would be able to get down to it, focus and hopefully bounce back," he replied. "It's like a hen. It goes to all the trouble to lay eggs. When the farmer comes to harvest those eggs, the hen is upset. But eventually, the hen gets back to business and lays more eggs."

"Alright," I said. "What one thing don't people know about your personality?"

"When I meet people, I observe them and make up my mind very early about whether or not they are people I would bring into my circle. I look out for how they treat their subordinates, equals and their superiors when they aren't watching. I watch their unguarded reactions to people. Afterwards, I am just as cordial and friendly with them but I keep them at a distance," he said.