Remember Me This Way

Chapter 17

Pumunta kaagad si Hanna sa sala para kontakin ang numero na dinikta sa kanya ng lalaki. Habang si Logan naman ay pumunta sa kusina para makinig doon sa extension line.

It seemed an eternity before the phone began to ring on the other end. She nodded to her patient and he picked up the extension phone, staring down the hall at her.

"PDEA, hello?"sabi ng boses sa kabilang linya.

If her mystery man was surprised, bakit wala man lang bakas sa mukha nito ang pagkabigla?..In fact, he was cool...almost too cool as he hung up his phone and motioned for Hanna to do the same. Nanginginig naman ang boses ni Hanna ng magsimula na syang magsalita.

"S-sorry...wrong number pala."nauutal na sabi nya sa kabilang linya. She hung up the phone and went into the kitchen, sitting down at the table across from him.

"Bakit mo hinang-up?"tanong ni Hanna sa lalaki."Bakit hindi mo man lang kinausap ang taong sumagot sa kabilang linya? baka meron syang kinalaman sa--"

Logan leaned his head to one side and laughed.

"Yeah sure. Akala mo ba basta-basta nalang sila magpapalabas ng info sa taong hindi nila kilala, lalo na sa isang estranghero na tumawag, isipin mo nga."anito, while his eyes grew serious.

"Bago ka tumawag ulit, iisipin ko muna ang pwede mong sabihin sa kanila."dagdag pa nito.

"How about doing that back in bed?"mungkahi ni Hanna sa lalaki."Namumutla ka kasi at nanginginig."

"Hindi ako nanginginig"protesta nito.

"Trust me, nanginginig ka talaga."sabi nya sa lalaki at pinagsabihan nya ito na para syang guro.

"You don't leave me much choice about this, do you?"

"Yes"she said, meeting his gaze.

"All right"sabi ng lalaki at tumayo na ito."Dapat pantay-pantay lang tayo rito. I trust you and you trust me."

Napaisip naman si Hanna sa mga sinasabi ng lalaki sa kanya..Was he testing her? or was he trying to see how far he could go and how much she cared?

"Alam mo bang may kasabihan noon ang lolo ko."sabi pa nya."I'll trust any man until he gives me reason not to trust him.”

Napatitig naman ang lalaki sa mga mata nya.

"Sounds like a very wise man"sabi nito.

"Yes...he was"

Logan found himself wanting to thank her for all she'd done. But were Hanna Galvez was concerned, he found that he was feeling other needs as well, much more compelling needs. And much more troubling.

Pagkahiga ng pagkahiga nya sa kama ay lumabas agad si Hanna sa kwarto nya. Naiwan naman syang tuliro habang pinapakinggan ang katahimikan ng bahay. Bigla naman nyang naisip ang sitwasyon nya ngayon, kung paano ba nya mapoprotekhan si Hanna gayong hindi pa nya kayang protekhan ang sarili.

Mahina pa sya at masakit pa rin ang mga pasa nya sa katawan. Sometimes the pain was so unbearable that it made him as irritable as a bear. But he could handle that part. Ang hindi lang nya kayang labanan ay ang kanyang panghihina, and his inability to do even the smallest tasks for himself.

Magiging at peace lang talaga sya pag nandyan sa tabi nya si Hanna. If he'd had a happy home as a child, he might equate it with that feeling. Pero sa ngayon, wala pa talaga syang matatandaan sa nakaraan nya, sasakit lang ang ulo nya kapag pipilitin nya.

Bumaling naman ang pag-iisip nya kay Hanna. She was beautiful, there was no denying that. Kahit ang peklat nito ay hindi naman nakabawas sa kagandahan nya. Maganda ang mga mata nito at makinis ang kutis. And although she was petite, there was a womanly softness about her, with rounded hips and breasts. She was the kind of woman who made a man feel completely male.

"Damn Logan"he muttered to himself.

Hindi nga nya kilala ang babaeng iyon, and yet the images of her were already becoming all too familiar. Kahit hanggang ngayon ay mararamdaman pa nya ang maiinit na palad ng babae sa tuwing hahawakan sya nito. At kahit paman sa kanyang pagtulog, mararamdaman pa rin nya ang mga haplos nito.

Pero bakit nang hawakan nya kanina ang peklat nito sa mukha ay hindi man lang ito pumalag?

The scar on her face had felt soft, not much different than the rest of her skin, except for the rippled texture. And he found himself wanting to hold her, to kiss that ragged mark and tell her that everything was going to be all right. Pero wala naman syang karapatan na gawin ang mga bagay na yon kay Hanna.

Katulad ba kaya ni Hanna ang mga babaeng nagugustohan nya?

Hell, he couldn't even be sure about something so simple as that. He had a gut feeling that he wasn't married. Pero meron kaya syang napupusoan na babae bago pa sya nagka amnesia? May asawa kaya sya o wala?

Kaya ba sa bahay sya ng babae dinala ng tadhana para magkaroon sya ng sense of peace?...Pero sabagay na e-enjoy naman nya ang pag-aalaga ng babae sa kanya.

Maybe it was that sense of marriage, of belonging somewhere, to someone that made him feel so good when she was near.

Sa nakikita naman nyang katangian ni Hanna, hindi naman ito mahirap magustohan. Lumalabas kasi ang natural na pagkalambing at pagka maaruga nito. Hindi dahil isa syang nurse kundi taglay talaga nya iyon. Napapansin rin nyang napaka organized nito sa lahat ng bagay. Her clothes were neat but simple and he'd noticed that she wore the same tiny gold earrings all the time, kahit simple lang ito at walang arte sa mukha, para kay Logan lumilitaw pa rin ang kakaibang ganda ni Hanna.

Inilibot na naman ni Logan ang paningin nya sa paligid, hanggang ngayon nagtataka pa rin sya kung bakit mas pinili ng babae na tumira dito mag-isa. Siguro pinahalagahan lang talaga ni Hanna ang lumang bahay nila. Baka may sentimental value rin ito para sa kanya.

Sumakit na naman ang ulo ni Logan sa kakaisip. Siguro kailangan na talaga nyang magpahinga. Pinilit talaga nyang ipikit ang mga mata para lang makatulog...At sa di kalaunan ay nakatulog rin naman sya ng tuloyan.

*****