CRIPPLED: JULLIANNA (VUILLTRAEN SISTERS SERIES #1)

WAKAS

"Hey, what are you doing?!"

I got panicked when I saw her cutting the hair of her doll. I immediately took the scissor away from her. It was late though. She has already cut it. The hair of the doll was scattered on the floor.

"Give that back to me!" she yelled at me, reaching for the scissor but I rose it more.

"Jullianna, hindi puwedeng gupitan ang buhok ng doll mo."

"Sino'ng nagsabi? Ikaw? Puwede, 'no! Wala ka lang alam kasi hindi ka naman babae!" pakikipagtalo niya.

"What?" I scowled. "Really, you can't cut nonliving things hair. It doesn't grow." I explained.

She's really stubborn. She wants what she wants and won't listen to you.

That was the Jullianna I've known in her four years of age. That's what she is... after their mom passed away. She's really stubborn and won't listen to you no matter what.

But every time she's enduring a pain... that's the only time she'll listen to you.

"Why... Why are you crying?" I asked her when I caught her crying in the door jamb of her room.

"I... missed my mom," she cried.

And I don't know what has gotten into me but... seeing her eyes in tears is urging me to hug her as tight as I can. The next thing I knew is that an eight-year-old Vico was hugging the crying five-year-old Jullianna.

"Tahan na, Jul," bulong ko sa kaniya.

"Mama," she cried.

My eyes then widened when I think of an idea.

"Hmm... I think I now know what to do to ease the feeling you have," I told her.

Kumalas siya sa yakap ko. "What?" Kumunot ang noo niya at pinunasan ang luha.

"How about you hug me whenever you missed your mom... then tell me what you wanted to tell her about? How about that?"

It was effective. My idea was really effective because she became open to me... and we got closer.

"Kuya, sa'n ka pupunta?" my sister, Fe, with the same age as Jullianna asked me.

"Kuya will go to his best friend's house, anak," Mama answered for me.

"You have friends too? Like mine?" she asked innocently.

I nodded. "Yes, baby. But Kuya has only two... unlike yours. Ang dami ng sa 'yo, 'di ba?"

Very approachable kasi ang itsura ng kapatid ko kaya ang bilis niya lang magkaroon ng kaibigan. Halos lahat nga siguro ng kaklase niya, kaibigan niya. Hindi gaya ko na... si Ylle at si Jul lang ang itinuring na kaibigan.

"Ylle, what's wrong?" Si Ylle, Ate ni Jullianna.

Nakita ko kasi siya sa may double doors, nakatayo at may luhang namumuo sa mga mata niya. Ngayon ko lang ulit siya nakitang gan'to kaya malakas ang kutob ko na may problema talaga. Bumaba ang tingin niya sa paperbag na dala ko na may lamang mga candies na paborito ni Jullianna. Same kasi sila ng kapatid ko ng paborito na candies.

"Si Seah... kinuha nina Lola," nanginginig ang boses niya.

Halos hindi ako makagalaw sa kinatatayuan ko sa nalaman. Gustuhin ko mang umiyak din, pero kailangan kong pigilan. Nabitawan ko ang paper bag na bitbit ko at nilapitan siya agad. Niyakap ko siya nang mahigpit.