Mel drove me home.
Pagkarating ko sa bahay, one of our maids were frantic. I was at the foyer taking off my shoes and changing into my house slippers.
"Bakit po?" I asked her.
"Ano po kase," She said while looking behind me, "Si kuya Maven mo."
I was about to ask her why when I heard kuya Maverick's stern voice,
"And where are you going, Maven?" his voice echoed throughout the whole house.
"Why would you ask me?!" I heard kuya Maven's voice. "Stop acting like you fucking care!"
I walked towards the living room and I saw kuya Maverick at the staircase and kuya Maven fixing his backpack.
"Maven, I asked you properly, bakit may bagsak ka last year?"
Kuya Maven paused on fixing his backpack and looked at kuya. "Sorry, if I can't be like you no matter how hard I work my ass off."
"Of course, you cannot be like Maverick, Maven." My father arrived sa living room. "And instead of whining like a kid here, embarrassing us from all of our house maids, why not work harder." He said this without even looking at all of us. Patuloy lang siya nag lalakad patungo sa kitchen namin.
I looked at kuya Maven and he just froze there on the spot, habang tumitingin sa sahig.
My papa paused and looked back at him, "Maybe by then you can be slightly comparable to Maverick." He said before walking towards the kitchen.
The living room fell silent and I looked up to kuya Maverick. I saw his clenched jaw and his regretful eyes. Bumaba na siya sa hagdan and kuya Maven resumed on fixing his back pack. He wore it and looked up to me, surprised I was there.
"Glad you're home safe. Kumain ka na." he simply said in a wistful tone. I was even surprised he told me that. He never talks to me or even looks at me. He patted my shoulder and walked away from the living room, to the foyer, outside our home, and to where his feet would lead him... to freedom probably. Or not because he is forever tied with this family.
I bet kuya feels so damn suffocated here.
Nakatayo lang ako doon trying to process everything. Kuya Maverick then appeared in front of me.
"Eat dinner now."
"Kumain na po ako." I responded sa kaniya. He just nodded calmly before walking past me.
I walked towards our room with my head filled with thoughts.
I kept on saying this but my siblings and I are and were never close. Although our ages were close, hindi talaga kami malapit sa isa't-isa. Even way back where we were still kids. I was the closest to mom. Kuya Maverick ka papa. He was always the favored son... or child, I mean, cause I'm here, kahit lagi akong kinalimutan. Papa isn't showy with his emotions though. I never heard him say the three words to us, even to kuya Maverick.
Kuya Maven was the closest to our drivers, maids, and butlers. He has the best social skills among us, and he got along most with them. It's funny kase kami 'yung pamilya niya pero hindi siya malapit sa amin.
And kuya Marshall has always been really silent. He was not close to either of my parents. He always drowned himself with books and games and I think he's content with that.
I feel extremely bad for kuya Maven. I wish I can talk to him like how normal siblings do pero we are not like that. I also feel bad for kuya Maverick because of the extreme pressure papa gave him.
