"Once upon a time there was a boy who loved a girl, and her laughter was a question he wanted to spend his whole life answering" ~ Nicole Krauss, The history of life

~*~

Blue mountains, Australia:

"We're going to Jenolan caves, in the blue mountains,"Agnes informed, getting inside the bus.

"It's approximately 175 milometers away from here," Jason replied, looking outside the scenic beauty outside the window.  "Long journey"

Then, he looked at Agnes. "Hey, you're not eating that chocolate today"

She sighed. "All over. I don't have a single bar left"

Jason laughed. "Of course. You approximately consume three bars a day. So much of it isn't good for your health either, just so you know."

"I do."

"So the four of us are going to the diamond caves, river caves, imperial caves, etc. etc. Only Takumi and myself aren't going for adventure caving which both of you otherwise are," Akane said, cutting in. Jason raised his eyebrows.

"I didn't register for adventure caving, Akane. Would you mind checking again please?" he requested. She nodded.

"Checked. There."

"Mr.Lecturer, I registered your name," Agnes apprised him. Jason looked at her in the way a shark looks at its prey- blankly at first, then cautiously and threateningly.

"I didn't want to go for it. It's dangerous, do you even know that?"

"It's really not. People go for it all the time. Moreover there is proper security. Come on," Agnes pleaded.

This girl is enough to drive anyone nuts.

~*~

"Come on, hurry up!" Agnes shouted, bring him back from his world of thoughts.

"I think she's a victim of hyperactivity," Takumi said, looking amusingly at her. Jason and Akane chuckled.

They walked towards the caves where they were provided headlights.

"It's so dark in here," Agnes whispered, pointing her headlight towards what the guide was saying.

"That's the reason as to why we have headlights, you know," Jason replied. "Why are you whispering though?"

"Dunno. This atmosphere is kind of a "no-talking-otherwise-Big Foot- might-come" kind of thing, you know? Like the stories we were told as kids."

Jason smiled.

They visited a number of caves, including the Imperial cave, Chifley caves, orient caves, Temple of Baal cave. They contained rock formations, crystals and beautiful white stones. River cave featured the underground 'River Styx' which appeared as a pool of blue crystal water.

"Lovely, isn't it?" Agnes smiled. Jason nodded. The water was clear like a mirror, as if if ever looked into carefully, one would be able to find the very origin of purity in it. For some time, there seemed to be a hallo of peace in the cave. Soon, however, it was time for adventure caving.

"Let's go!" Agnes remarked.

"Agnes, you have no idea where you're going. They'll take to the deepest point of the mountain..."

"Exactly. It's going to be fun, believe me."

"This is insanity"

"Life is full of insanity," she said as a matter of fact and gestured him to follow her. Sometimes, putting sense into her mind was as useless as trying to do a calculus sum correctly.

~'~

After donning overalls, a harness, a helmet, a headlamp and safety briefing, Agnes and Jason were all set for adventure caving. First they were taken to the elder cave, a 9m long sinkhole. Following that, they squeezed themselves through the crystal chamber, the chapel and the armchair squeeze. Jason almost wondered how long this was going to go on. It was rather tiring, but he also realized it was extremely fun.

"Hey Jason?" Agnes suddenly said, looking at him.

"Yes?"

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"No, I don't."

"It's hard to believe"

"Why?"

"Because you're everything a girl would want."

"Well, thank you. I think I never found the right one. How about you?"

"Nope. Not yet."

"And why is that?"

"You know, no one can handle my personality."

He laughed.

And so, after squeezing, falling, laughing and living life a little more, they finally came out from the Imperial cave.

"Fun wasn't it?"Agnes smiled, wiping her sweat. Jason gave a light, modest nod.

"Told you," she said, grinning. "Start listening to me. I'm good company."
~'~

That night they drove back to the hotel together.

"You know what, Jason?" Agnes asked.

"What?"

"My real name isn't Agnes."

"What?"

"I didn't like my original name. It was embarrassing. So I changed it," Agnes whispered.

"So what was it?"

"It's Cherry. My real name's Cherry"

"Wow."

"Yes. Now don't talk about it, okay? No one knows about it."

"Why me, then?" he asked in the way of teasing her.

"I don't know," she said. "Perhaps because I'm bored and this is the only thing I could think of."

"Okay, Cherry," he grinned.

"Hey!"

~'~

"HOT HAIR BALLOON RIDE!" Akane screamed as they neared towards the spot. They were now at Melbourne, at the Great Dividing Range.

"Two people, one balloon," the instructor said, disinterest. Years of handling crazy tourists had probably turned him into a sordid human. Akane and Takumi hopped into one, leaving Agnes and Jason for the other. The guide lighted a small fire and the balloon slowly rose in the air. Jason and Agnes looked down at the green pastures. Slowly, they drifted along the smooth movement of the air. They looked at the marvelous grape vines, the trees and the green pastures; a feeling of tranquility spread in the moving air like water over the sands.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" she said to him. He nodded, looking at her. She had a video camera in her hand and was making a video of the scenic view. He realized how beautiful she looked. Her deep black eyes, her perfect face. He realized how mystifying, welcoming and warm her presence felt.

"Hey, Mr.lecturer?"

"Yes?" he said, slowly, removing his gaze from her.

"Don't girl runs after you in college?" she asked.

"Yes they do but I teach them, after all, Cherry," he smiled.

"You both make a great couple, really," the guide interrupted.

Agnes and Jason looked at each other, a little surprised.

"No, it's not what it looks like!" they said in unison.

But well of course, when both of them stood together there floated a mystical, attractive energy between them. After all life's a deceptive being, and people living their lives are deceptive too. And as for Agnes and Jason? They didn't know what was coming for them in the rest of their journey.

~'~