Purro: Your not so Ordinary Love Story

xxvi

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

~♦~

Hindi ko minsan maisip ang isang tao na ibabalik sa akin ang nararamdaman ko. Hindi niyo din naman ako masisi kung bakit ayoko yung tao na unang aamin ng derechahan kasi takot ako sa rejection. Kaya naman sa ikinikilos ni Blanc ngayon, surreal ang lahat. Hindi mo aakalain.

"I woke up in the hospital three years ago." He sat beside me on the bed. "Everyone was calling me doc, sending their condolences and everything." Pagpapatuloy niya pa then he briefly looked at me, maybe gauging my reaction.

"I was in the States, I didn't know how I got there. The last memory I could remember was jumping after you off the cliff." I switched off the television so that I could focus on what he was saying. Mas nauna pala siyang gumising sa akin, at parehas kami ng naging sitwasyon. Gumising sa panahon na wala kaming alam at iba ang memoryang nakatatak sa isip namin.

"They said my parents and I were the victims of a road rage and I was the only one who survived." Mahina niyang pagkkwento. "That time, I didn't even bother. It was only you on my mind." Pag-amin niya which immediately sent butterflies in my stomach, sarap yakapin ni Blanc! Jusko!

"Naka-survive ka ba? Nakabalik ka ba ng maayos sa present? Anong gagawin ko kapag wala ka na?" He rubbed his palms on his face na para bang stressed na stressed siya sa iniisip niya. "Anong gagawin ko kung lahat nung nangyari panaginip lang? Paano kung hindi ka pala totoo? I don't have any proof na totoo yung mga nangyari." Hahawakan ko sana yung kamay niya kaso bigla niya itong ipinagclasp at inilagay sa ibabaw ng hita niya. Mamaya na lang ulit ako bbwelo.

"And then when I got home, lolo was there, taking over my parents' funeral. Nag-aasikaso siya doon kahit na mahina na siya." He looked outside the windows as if reliving Mr. Purro's memories. "I hugged him as soon as I saw him, overwhelmed by the fact that he was there and what happened with you was possibly true." He smiled at me gently then looked back to the window again.

"As for his version, nagkakilala kami dahil kaibigan niya yung dean ng school natin. Hindi ka niya kilala. " Pagpapatuloy niya pa. "My hopes were crushed yet again." He looked gloomy kaya naman hindi na ako nag-hesitate na hawakan yung braso niya. Walang malisya okay? Parang kaibigan lang na nakikiramay sa malungkot niyang friend.

"Sabi niya lumipad kami pa-States after ko mag-highschool dito. From his version, lumayas nga ako sa amin because my dad wanted me to become a doctor but I brought a lot of resources with me and I even brought Georgina kasi may mga relatives siya dito." Kwento ulit ni Blanc, inalis ko din naman agad yung pagkakahawak ko sa braso niya. Baka masyadong invasive na yon, knowing na alam niyang hindi ko siya kilala.

"Nagkaayos si lolo at daddy and to make the story short, bumalik kami sa States after ko gumraduate dito. Lolo stayed with us there, he said he was teaching me business while I was taking up med." Halata sa mukha niya na disappointed siya sa ginawa ko pero hindi na lang siya kumibo. "Hindi na ako nagtaka sa kwento niya dahil a few weeks after that incident, nakapagtrabaho ako ng walang problema sa hospital and everyone was familiar with me."

We were silent for a few moments after his statement. Hindi ko na malaman kung ano ang gagawin ko, alam kong intense na ang atmosphere pero ayoko namang umalis dahil marami pa akong gustong marinig galing sa kanya.

"Lolo died three months after that." He said softly. "I was lost. I didn't know what I would do." He started twiddling his thumb and shifted his weight towards the right.