"Morris."
"Yes?"
"Are you listening?"
"I'm sorry."
"May I know what's bothering you?"
"It's nothing."
Silence.
"Can we play a game?"
"What game?" her right eyebrow curved up.
"Stare game." I leaned over the table, "the rules are simple, we'll just stare at each other and the one who'll blink first will lose."
"Then what?"
"Then... If I lose... I'll tell you a secret. But if I won... there's a favor I would like to ask."
There. Silence again.
"Ok." hindi ko naman inaasahang mapapapayag ko kaagad si miss Karen. We've been here for half of an hour, doing this counseling stuff, ako yung kasunod na tinawag niya pagkatapos ni Jill...
"Let's start."
Our gazes met.
Sa loob ng limang minuto wala pa ring kumukurap sa'ming dalawa. Her eyes are so powerful. Tama nga ang hinala ko, she's different... Limang minuto na may katumbas na pabalik na mga pangyayari. Behind her eyes... I can see everything... Everything about her... About her past.
Memories... Flashing through her eyes. Memories that surprised me.
"S-stop." she closed her eyes, tears flowing down in her cheeks. I won.
Hindi ko rin inaasahan ang mga luha na 'yon, sa pagpikit nya nawala tuloy bigla yung mga nakikita ko. Hindi ko naman sinasadya, wala akong intensyong masama.
She wiped her tears and she took a deep breath. Maybe it reflected through her eyes, or bounced back, kaya siguro nalaman niya yung mga nakikita ko. Kaya siguro pumikit siya.
"How dare you, Morris." she's not mad. Miss Karen remained composed and prim, still, her eyes were closed. I'm an intruder to her memories... to her secrets...
"I'm sorry." sabi ko, kaya bilang pambawi na lang, "I will tell you my secret," even though I won.
"I... can see... what other humans can't see..." I whispered.
This time, binuksan na niya ang mga mata niya, biglang pagtanggap ng pagkatalo sa aming munting laro.
"I... can... see... everyone's past." whenever I looked directly and deeper into someone's eyes. I can see their past.
Some were nice.
Some were dark.
What we are today, is the product of our pasts. Past that cannot be changed. Past that tattooed in our hearts. Past that stored in our memories. Past that we buried along with our deepest and darkest secrets. My sight can travel time backward.
"So... you're also a Peculiar." bumalik siya sa normal na kundisyon.
"We're both and different peculiar in our own ways, miss."
She chuckled, "You and she are really the same."
I gave her a questioning look.
Then she answered, "Jill Morie."
I know.
Seeing the past is worthless. It can't change anything. It just keeps you locked forever, locked in loneliness, locked in memory.
I did love someone.
But I broke her heart.