Pretend Wife II: Somewhere In My Past (On Hold)

II

"Que Horrorr! Ang kakapal talaga ng mukha nang mga squatters na yan na mag-demand pa." naiiling na tinapunan ng tingin ang galit na galit niyang tiyahin -- his Aunt Lorie. Hindi alam ng binata kung paano nitong nagagawang magmukhang poise pa din kahit pa puro pang-iinsulto na ang lumalabas sa bibig nito.

"Well, what do you expect from those kind of people, Tita Lorie? They are nothing like a leech. Sisipsipin lahat ng pwede nilang sipsipin." segunda naman ng kanyang fiancee na si Shane.

Tahimik lamang na tinungga ng lalaki ang hawak na alak sa kopita. He knows that what they're saying are right. Talaga naman na hindi na dapat mag-demand pa ang mga illegal settlers sa lupang pagmamay-ari nila. He knows that he should be on his Auntie and Fiancee's side. Pero baket parang may bahagi ng puso niya na nasasaktan sa mga salitang yun? As if he had been so very close with those kind of people. Parang dati-rati....

"Anyways, how about yung lupa natin sa Batangas? Naayos mo na ba yun, Harland?" hinarap siya ni Auntie Lorie. Harland then again took a sip of the wine. Naramdaman niya ang pag guhit nito sa kanyang lalamunan.

Ang lupa sa Batangas na tinutukoy nito ay ang tanging natitirang lupa na bahagi ng kanilang asyenda. For the past years, he was able to get all those land, sa utos at kagustuhan na din ng kanyang Aunt Lorie. Ang babae din ang may gusto na ipagiba ang malaking bahay na nakatirik sa kanilang asyenda matapos masunog ang kalahati nito. It's actually their family's ancestral home. May kung ilang beses na tinangka iyon tutulan ng binata, but every time, his aunt would remind him that they don't need that house anymore, moreover to renovate it. Auntie Lorie keeps on reminding him that his life is in the city. That that house is already part of his past.

Gustuhin man ni Harland na tumanggi, he just can't go against his Aunt Lorie. After all, ito na lang ang natitira niyang kamag-anak. His Lola along with his mother already passed away few years ago habang nasa Amerika siya at nagpapagaling. According sa kanyang Tita, they met their death through a fatal plane accident. Sumabog daw ang eroplano na sinasakyan ng mga ito on their way to visit him sa Amerika kung saan inoperahan ang tumor na nakita sa kanyang utak.

Sa totoo lang, Harland has no recollection about his mom or his grandmother. Hindi niya matandaan miski ang mukha ng mga ito. At dahil nga sa pagkasunog ng kalahati ng kanilang asyenda, ayon na din sa kanyang Auntie Lorie, nasunog ang halos lahat ng pictures ng kanyang pamilya. That's why him having mother and grandmother were all just stories.

His operation was a success. But, it caused him to lost his memory. And the reason why he is still functioning like the normal was because of all the therapy he'd been through. Wala siyang natatandaan sa nakaraan niya, aside sa mga alaala sa nakalipas na limang taon. Memories that his Aunt Lorie helped him to remember, together with Shane. He literally became like a baby. Miski pagtali ng kanyang sariling sapatos ay hindi niya magawa.

It was Shane who was at his side. Patiently teaching him to talk, to walk, and all the other stuff. Ayon din dito, isa siyang napaka-successful at magaling na businessman sa Pilipinas. That he is Harland Forto. That everyone fears him. Pinaalala din ng kanyang Aunt Lorie that before his operation, him and Shane were set to get married.

He chose to believed that. Kasi paminsan-minsan, meron siyang isang mukha ng babae na nakikita every time flashes from his past would visit him. Malabo yung mukha ng babae, pero the feeling that he's feeling while with her -- yun ang malinaw. Nararamdaman niyang mahal na mahal niya ang babae, at ganun din ito sa kanya. Kaya naman ng banggitin sa kanya ng kanyang Auntie Lorie na si Shane ang kanyang fiancee, it was so easy for him to accept that. Maaaring nakalimot ang kanyang utak, pero hindi ang kanyang puso. He knows that the girl on those flashes is the same girl that he is about to marry -- si Shane. Lalo iyong pinagtibay nang hindi siya iwan ng dalaga.

Sabi na din ng kanyang Aunt Lorie, isa daw 'tong napaka-sikat na News Anchor sa Pilipinas. Yet, she chose to leave her career behind to take care of him. If that isn't love, then Harland don't know what it is.

Alam niya mahal niya ang dalaga. He also knows that he owe so many things to her. Masaya sila. He thinks they are perfect match -- pero meron siyang hindi sinasabi sa babae. Something that bothers him from time to time. Dahil sa tuwing hahawakan niya ang kamay nito, pakiramdam ni Harland ang estranghero ang kamay ni Shane. That he should be holding someone else's hand. That that hand supposedly make him feel like it completes a missing puzzle. Even the smell of Shane's hair. Napakabango, pero parang may iba siyang naaalalang amoy. That mild, smell na hindi niya maipaliwanag. Gusto niya sanang magtanong, pero ayaw niyang saktang ang babae. Nagkasya na lamang siya sa paniniwala na ito ang babaeng para sa kanya.

"Babe, are you okay?" pukaw ni Shane sa kanya. Para naman natatauhang napatingin si Harland sa babae. Isa pa yun, her endearment to him. Babe.... Although that sounds so sweet, parang meron siyang naalala na ibang tawag sa kanya. Something annoying yet sweet.

"Ahh, yung lupa.. Hmmm.. Anyways..."

"Punyeta, Harland! Don't tell me hindi mo pa din nagagawan ng paraan yon? Yung mga foreign buyers natin naghihintay na sa lupang iyon. Ano pa bang problema?" lalong tumaas ang boses ni Aunt Lorie. Bagay na pinagtataka ni Harland. Kung tutuusin, marami naman silang properties na pwede i-develop, pero baket ito ang pinag-iinitan ng tiyahin?

"Well, almost 90% ko nang nakuha ang lahat ng lupain. Except for this one village.... Matigas ang mga tao dun. Kahit gaano kalaking pera ang inaalok namin, they won't give in."

"Punyeta!! Eh di pilitin nyo. Magdala kayo ng mga tauhan dun..."

"Hindi ganun kadali yun. At, legal ang panunuluyan nila dun. May titulo sila na pinagkaloob sa kanila ang lupang kanilang sinasaka at tinataniman."

"For all we know fake yung titulo na yun. Sino ang nakapirma sa titulo na yun? Ang papa mo? Ang mama mo? Ang Lola mo?"

Harland clears his throat before answering, "none of them! The signature, in fact, were mine."