Eight-Piece

Jared : Painful Closure

Jared couldn't understand why all of a sudden a woman is affecting him in this way. He was never this patient. He was never this accommodating. He knew he had a soft heart for crying women, but this is something else. He feels her pain and he feels guilty like he really has something big to apologize for.

But this is crazy! Why do I feel guilty? She must have just mistaken me for somebody else. Not that I think there's somebody else with my exact same name but If there was, that I didn't know of, I'm pretty sure no one could have matched both my age, looks and name all at the same time for her to be so sure.

She hugged me... Cried on my chest and held on to me like I'm definitely the one she missed so much. No... I don't think she's crazy... so... how do I not remember her?

She was waiting for him to reply and he knew he needed to search for the right words to say. He wanted to say he remembers and he doesn't even understand why there's a part of him that wanted to be whoever the guy is if she is really mistaken. But no matter how hard he squeezed his brains, he just could not recall a single thing about her.

"I really... don't" He was too sorry to say those words. It was torture trying to make out any sense from what's happening. Those sad eyes... that sad smile... This is killing me. 

I was so eager and dying to meet this girl. It can't turn out to be like this. This isn't what I expected. You have caught my interest and spoke to me through your work. Why do I feel triggered by the pages of your book? Why among all the pile of abstracted elements in every painting you made for me, do I spot the ones that tug my heart? And now that I met you face to face, you're telling me that you missed me so much? Why am I affected? Why does the sound of your voice saying you miss me make my heart race?

He was about to hold her in his arms when she took a step back, almost stumbling down. 

 "Please don't touch me" She quietly said with eyes shut and he couldn't help but squeeze his heart with the inexplicable pain it caused him to hear her turn cold on him like that.

"Hanna..." Getting confused by his own emotions, he wanted to turn things around and make things clear but optimistic for both of them. "We just met. At least to me we just did. BUT, but.. hear me out..." He was trying to stop her from getting emotional again. "Listen... but if I really just forgot, I'm sorry... OK babe? Let's just take it slow... OK?"

She calmed down, thank God. 

"Your face... It does feel familiar but my memory is failing me..." He continued.

Jared sat on the edge of the bed,  she on the opposite end. She wiped the tears on her now serene face. She looked like an angel and his heart skipped a bit when she carefully stuck her hair behind her ears. He noticed she wasn't the wailer type when she cries. Just like her neutral-gendered look, her cries are quiet and her face never contorted even as her tears poured heavily unlike how a lot of women overdo.

"I'm sorry." She said. He felt uneasy hearing her apologize to him when he feels like he just broke her heart on the first day. It didn't feel right.  He looked down at his palms but he heard her sniff and blew air which made Jared look back at her and anticipate whatever she has to say. "I can't believe this... Let me guess, you are the "king" huh?

"What?" He could not hold back a small laugh that sounded rather bitter. What kind of King would make his queen cry? But he still could not get what she's talking about.

"You came here because I made the 8-pc paintings for you, am I right?" At least they were talking, he thought.  Even if her soft voice felt drained, he wanted her to keep talking if that mean it would jog his memory or even just extend this day with her.

"Yes. But... I knew about you even before I saw the paintings in my home." He wanted to see whether she'd be interested in what he's got to say. Her head bent towards her knees but her eyes... They were eyeing him from the side, waiting to hear more. That gave him some glimmer of hope.

He wanted to just look at her right now. He scooted towards her. She looked like a kid sitting on the edge of a dock by the sea. "I love you" She said to him which made him shook his head. What? Did she just -

"I said, how did you know about me?" She cut through his thoughts.

"Huh? Oh... my friend." He was disoriented by the vision. "He showed me your book when I was still in the Military service..."

Did I just imagine her telling me she loves me? 

"uhm... Tell me... Why do I feel some familiarity with your drawings?" Finally he asked the one question he has kept wondering about. He thought that he cannot let the conversation dwindle just because his mind decided to fantasize there for a while. 

She scoffed; the kind that has the tail of a smile. That was too cute. She's taking her time, hesitating a bit. Tell me please? He mentally pleaded.

'You taught me how to think that way... and so... I guess I learned to make art that way too." It was a huge revelation.

I taught her to think that way?! He breathed exasperatedly, and bent his head sideways trying hard to extract something... anything.

"It's OK. You don't have to try anymore." His face went pale.

"No you can't say that." He touched her hand but just briefly because she stood up and walked towards the door. He just sat there suddenly feeling so tired, rested both elbows on his knees and burying his face in his hands. "I was hoping we could talk some more" He spoke bitterly on his palms.

He stood up, stretched his spine backwards while he's clutching his hair and slowly went upright. He looked at her with pain in his eyes. "So, like what? You went here to install the artworks you created for me, I was too eager to meet you and that's why we met but you hugged me and you said you missed me, and when it seems like I forgot, you just up and show me the door?"

"Yes. You need to go now. We fly back home early tomorrow. I... I need to get some rest. Clearly, you are a king", she sighed, "living a very complicated life and I am just someone you already forgot. Remembering everything will complicate it even more. So it's OK. Let's just say you forgot about me like you would forget other girls whom you have brief relationships with, if you can call it that..." Jared did not budge from where he's standing. He was speechless. 

Was she just some girl I met?

"When I was creating the 8-pc I didn't name it. So you name it OK? As for this..." She gestured with her arms wide to refer to everything that has happened today. "I call this CLOSURE" She bit her lip, looked away from his gaze and pulled the door open.