Fading Echoes

Ocho

"Manang, paki-akyat nalang po mga gamit ni Greggy sa kuwarto namin" Irene told one of their maids, they just got back from the hospital.

Greggy heard it and immediately declined, "No, please put it in the guest room. Sa kuwarto ko" he directed. Irene looked at her husband, with her forehead creasing. "What? why? No, you should sleep with me in the room para mabantayan kita. You're not yet fully recovered, Greg" she remarked.

But instead of answering her, Greggy just gave her a smile at umakyat na. Sumunod naman agad si Irene sa asawa, "Greggy, don't be too hardheaded, kakalabas mo lang ng hospital. Sa kuwarto ka na natin matulog para mabantayan kita" she protested. Greggy was about to enter the guest room when he faced his wife.

"I'm okay, Irene. I can take care of myself" Irene raised her eyebrow, "I said, sleep with me Gregorio" she repeated. Greggy smirked and gave his wife a peck on the lips, "I told you, don't call me that" he said and went to their bedroom.

Irene's mouth dropped open, "Greggy!!" she yelled. Narinig lang niyang tumawa ang asawa.

Since everyone knows what happened, they allowed Irene to start working again even at home. Pero hindi pumayag si Irene dahil gusto niyang maasikaso nang maigi ang asawa. "Greggy naman eh! That's why I didn't start working yet so that I can take care of you, ikaw naman 'tong nagta-trabaho. Sino ba naaksidente sa ating dalawa?!" panenermon ni Irene sa asawa.

It's been three days, at ang abiso ng doktor ni Greggy ay magpahinga na muna siya ng isang linggo. But Greggy's been receiving reports and he couldn't stand to just stare at it.

Greggy immediately turned down his laptop's screen, "You know I can't live without working" sagot naman niya, bumuntong hininga si Irene at inilapag ang hinanda niyang merienda para sa asawa. It's avocado toast and a lemon juice.

"Can you just please pause? Makinig ka naman sa akin kahit ngayon lang" she answered. Naramdaman naman ni Greggy ang pagod sa boses ng asawa dahil lahat ng kinakain at kailangan niya si Irene ang nag-aasikaso.

"But if you really want to work now, kung gusto mo pumasok ka na ngayon din. Ihahanda ko pa office attire mo" dagdag niya, rinig sa boses niya ang inis. Akmang aalis na dapat siya nang hilaim siya ng asawa, which made her sit on Greggy's lap.

"Let me go, Gregorio! May aasikasuhin pa ako sa baba!" Irene scolded her. Greggy immediately reached his wife's lips and kissed her. "You love getting kisses from me, aren't you?" he teased. Irene scoffed and raised her eyebrow, "Aren't you the one who loves touching my lips?" panunuya niya.

Tumawa si Greggy sa banat ng asawa, "oh, wife, huwag mo akong hinahamon" he replied seductively, Irene clicked her tongue, "you think hamon na 'yon?" she smirked. She's clinging to her husband's nape habang nakasuporta naman sa likod niya ang bisig ng asawa.

"I'm thrilled" Greggy whispered and claimed once again, his wife's lips. He bit Irene's lower lip which caused her to moan, shortly, she responded to her husband's kisses as they deepened. Greggy held his wife's face with both of his hands as they continued to explore each other's lips-- when his phone rang.

They were caught off guard.

Pareho nilang hinahabol ang mga hininga nila as they let go of each other. Tumayo naman agad si Irene at inayos ang sarili. "You... You better answer that call, it might be important" she said at lumabas agad ng silid.

Night came, at hindi iniimik ni Irene ang asawa buong araw pagkatapos ng nangyari kanina sa study room. They're now preparing for bed, inihahanda ni Irene ang mga gamot ni Greggy when she felt her husband's hands on her waist. She clicked her tongue.

"Greg, your medicine" she said and faced him, iniabot niya rin ang baso. "Take that now para malinisan ko rin ang mga sugat mo" she added at pumasok sa banyo to get some gauze and cottons in the cabinet.