"He's still here...still here..."
Carlo bursted into tears. Niyakap niya si Genesis ng buong higpit.
Wala siyang ideya kung paano o bakit nalaman ni Genesis ang pag-alis ni Vince. But that didn't really mattered.
Nor will it change anything. Vince had left the country, had left this house, had left him, hours and hours ago.
At wala ng nagawa si Carlo upang pigilan iyon.
"He's still here...he's still here," said Genesis, in his most comforting voice possible.
His hand gently resting on Carlo's back, the other one touching Carlo's left chest.
"He's still here," he said once again, indicating that Vince was still in Carlo's heart.
Umiyak siya, at nalunod ng kanyang hagulgol ang mga pampalubag na boses ni Genesis.
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Nagising si Carlo.
May klase pa siya ng alas-tres ng hapon. Napansin ni Carlo na nakahiga siya sa kanyang kama.
He thought about trying to look for Vince only to find out that he was already gone.
Lumabas siya ng kwarto at naroon si Genesis sa sala, at kumakain ng almusal.
Pati pagtimpla ng kape, masakit para kay Carlo. He used to make two cups of coffee.
He remembered how Vince smiled whenever Carlo made him his coffee.
A normal morning would be him and Vince watching tv, talking, cuddling, laughing together.
This is a strange day, sabi ni Carlo. That very strange day would be his normal day, from now on.
"Good morning," sabi ni Sis.
"More like good mourning," puna ni Carlo at tumabi siya kay Sis sa sofa.
"Sino pala nagpasabi na pumunta ka dito kagabi?" tanong niya.
"Instinct?" mumbled Sis, apparently, trying to make a joke.
"Si Vince nagtext sa yo ano," sabi ni Carlo.
If Sis was trying to make Carlo happy, he was doing a bad job out of it.
"Oo na, siya na," sabi ni Genesis. "He texted me at sabi na pagkagling ko daw ng class, i-check daw kita."
"Buti ikaw natext ka niya, ako hindi," sabi ni Carlo, feeling bitter.
"Oh, cmon," sabi ni Sis. "Tama naman siya diba? Kung di pa ako pumunta dito, lupasay ka parin."
"Hahaha, and I thought na mas malala pa dito ang mararamdaman ko if hindi kami nag closure," sabi ni Carlo.
"Aalis din pala ako. May class pa ako..." sabi ni Sis, while checking his phone, "...at 1PM mamaya."
"Okay..." sabi niya.
"Ayos ka lang ba?" sabi ni Genesis.
Tumango si Carlo."Naman, siyempre."
Carlo sipped his coffee. "Thanks pala ha,"
"You're welcome," sabi ni Genesis. "Ano ka ba, ayos lang. Basta bonding tayo with Greta soon, maybe sa weekend."
"Great. Can't wait," sabi ni Carlo but not feeling the excitement of it at all.
"Huwag kang nega nga, buhusan kita ng kape eh," sabi ni Genesis.
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Gabi na nang unang tumawag si Vince. This was the first time since going to Italy that they would be talking.
