Summer Rain (On Going)

Part 19

NAGISING SI HANNA NA mas magaan na ang pakiramdam. Pero nagtaka siya nang mapansin na nasa loob pa siya ng sasakyan. Napalingon siya sa kanyang katabi at doon lang niya napagtanto kung bakit naroon pa rin siya sa kotse. Third was leaning back against, his eyes closed.

Third.

Yes, she immediately knew it was Third.

Not Julius.

Naramdaman ni Hanna ang pagpiga na iyon sa kanyang puso habang patuloy na pinagmamasdan ang lalaking nagtataglay ng mukha ng kanyang minamahal. She was about to turned away when she noticed Third was holding her hand. Ewan ni Hanna kung bakit bigla na lang siyang nakaramdam ng tila ba pagpalo ng kuryente sa kamay niya, kaya mabilis niyang binawi ang kamay. Nagising si Third.

"Sorry," mabilis na paumanhin ng dalaga.

"Okay na ang pakiramdam mo?"

"Oo." She kept her hand to herself, still feeling that lingering sensation from his warm touch. "Sorry kung nakatulog na ako dito sa kotse mo."

"Its okay. Mukhang kailangan mo naman talaga ng pahinga kaya hindi na kita ginising nang makarating tayo rito. Pumasok ka na sa bahay mo at ituloy ang pahinga mo. Aalis na rin ako."

Lumabas ng kotse si Third at naglakad sa kabilang panig ng sasakyan upang pagbuksan ng pinto si Hanna. Her offered her his hand and she took it. But something seemed to reached her heart too, as she watch their clasped hands.

This warmth, why does it felt so...familiar?

Tiningnan niya si Third. Nakamasid lang din ito sa kanya, tahimik na hinihintay ang kanyang pagkilos. Maganda ang dating ng sinag ng papalubog na araw sa mukha nito. It softened his features and even gave him a very solemn look. A look that made Hanna want to reach out and touch his cheeks...

Mabilis niyang binawi ang kamay at mag-isang lumabas ng kotse. "Baka gusto mong pumasok na muna at magmiryenda."

"Hindi na. You need to rest."

"Nakapagpahinga ako sa byahe kaya medyo maganda na ang pakiramdam ko. Hindi naman masyadong abala paghahanda ng miryenda para sa taong malaki ang naitulong sa akin."

He seemed to hesitate for a moment before nodding. Naramdaman ni Hanna ang pagguhit ng ngiti sa kanyang mga labi. Masaya siya na mananatili pa si Third ng ilang sandali na kasama niya? Well, hindi ba't iyon naman talaga ang gusto niya, bilang ito ang kailangan niya para unti-unting masanay sa ideya na ito ay hindi si Julius? Hayun na naman ang pagdaloy ng lungkot sa kanyang alaala. Hindi nga lang iyon tuluyang nakapasok sa sistema niya dahil kumilos si Third at na-distract na ang damdamin ni Hanna.

"You have something on your hair..." Third leaned forward to reached out something from her hair.

Hindi na nakakilos pa si Hanna nang maramdaman ang tila pagbalot sa kanya ng presensiya ni Third. He was really tall, and his presence was just too overwhelming. And yet, she felt like she was in the most comfortable place on earth. Third's musky scent enveloped her. It was very different with Julius' clean scent. And she wanted Julius' scent but she just couldn't seem to forget Third's scent.

But she could still see Julius' body in front of her, eventhough it was clear to her this was Third. Maybe if she could just forget about Third for a moment...

Tinitigan niya ang dibdib ng lalaki sa kanyang harapan. Maaari pa rin niyang maramdaman ang init ng katawan ng dating kasintahan. Puwede pa rin...

Isang maliit na kulay dilaw na bulaklak ang lumitaw sa harapan niya, hawak ni Third.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" wika ni Third. "I never knew that Narra trees have these kind of little secrets in it. Ang alam ko lang noon sa pambansang puno ng Pilipinas ay matibay ang kahoy nito. Walang naikuwento ang teacher ko noong nasa elementarya ako ng tungkol sa mga bulaklak na ito ng puno ng Narra."

Ang boses na iyon ni Third ang tila nakapagpabalik kay Hanna sa kanyang reyalidad. Sa reyalidad na wala na ang kanyang pinakamamahal.

"Wala na ang silbi ng ganda niyan kung wala na siya sa puno," tukoy niya sa munting bulaklak. "Wala nang silbi...kung wala na ang dahilan kung bakit siya nabubuhay at namumukadkad."

Kinuha niya ang bulaklak at hinayaan iyong mahulog sa lupa kasama ng iba pang mga nahulog na bulaklak. Umihip ang masuyong simoy ng hangin, at nakita ni Hanna ang tila pag-ambon ng mga dilaw na bulaklak mula sa mga puno sa paligid nila. And with the waning brightness of the afternoon sun, she couldn't stop watching the beautiful little yellow flowers falling on them, falling around them. At doon lang napansin ng dalaga ang tila paninilaw na ng sementadong sidewalk dahil sa mga bulaklak ng Narra na nahulog doon.

It was a beautiful sight, with the yellow flowers lying on the cemented pavement undisturbed. Nagmukha tuloy flowerbed ang sidewalk, at sa patuloy na pagbagsak ng mga bulaklak doon, Hanna couldn't help but smile. Masarap sa pakiramdam na pagmasdan ang naturang tanawin. Funny how she never appreciated these things before, to think na nasa paligid lang niya ang mga puno ng narra na iyon.

"Maaaring sandali lang sila kung mamukadkad at magbigay ng kasiyahan sa mga nakakakita sa kanila," wika ni Third. "And maybe they could have chosen to stay on the branches and continue to bloom on the tree. Yet they have chosen to let go and be at their most beautiful...even if it meant they would wither and die in a few hours."

"It doesn't matter how long they would stay at their prettiest. As long as they gave it their best to be the most beautiful thing...up to the last moments of their lives."

"Then live. And always be at your prettiest...no matter what happens."

Napatingin si Hanna kay Third. He was still watching the little flowers falling around them. And as if knowing she had her eyes on him, Third slowly turned his attention to her. She could still see Julius in him but...no, this was Third. No matter how much she tried her best to focus her attention on the fact that she was looking at the face of the man she had loved the most, she also couldn't deny that certain feeling she was having as he continued to watch him.

Looking at Third, Hanna felt like she had seen the first time she saw Julius at that pedestrian lane one rainy afternoon...

Nag-iwas na ng tingin si Hanna at lumayo kay Third. "Mainit dito sa labas. Magpalamig ka muna sandali sa loob ng bahay bago ka umalis."

"Alright."

Nauna nang naglakad si Hanna papasok sa kanyang bakuran, habang patuloy na umiikot sa kanyang isip kung tama bang niyaya pa niyang manatili pa sa tabi niya si Third.

Lalo at tila may ibang itinatakbong direksyon ang puso niya.

Come on, Hanna. You asked for this. For Julius. For yourself.

Right. For herself.