"You look much better now, baby doll." Kuya's voice sounds so sweet in his ears. His words always make him happy and special. Kuya always says he looks good as he puts on his clothes and fixes his hair after he washes his body to clean him up.
Kuya said he needs to take a bath not only to eliminate filth in his skin and make him feel fresh. He said it will protect him from getting ill. If only taking a bath could cure you, Kuya wished in his mind.
"Kuya... look... gooder" That is all he can say to Kuya. He wanted to tell him so many things and ask him a lot of information but his condition deprived him to do so. He is not normal. He is special. That's what Kuya always reminds him. Kuya always brags that he feels very blessed to have Tamtam as his baby doll.
"No! Tamtam look so much gooder than Kuya!" Kuya exclaimed while weakly pinching Tamtam's chubby cheeks. Kuya always admires his cheeks, saying they really look cute and fluffy.
Before, there was a square glass hanging in the walls of their cheap small apartment. When Tamtam came nearer to it, he saw someone he doesn't know. They just stared at each other for a long time, and when he smiled, the figure on the glass smiled, too. Out of nowhere, he saw Kuya standing behind the figure, grinning. He wondered if the entity happened to know Kuya. Suddenly he felt arms clasping around his neck and heard a snigger behind his back. He saw Kuya behind him and his big brother kissed his forehead. Then Kuya told him that the thing he just saw is a mirror. "That's you, Baby Doll." Kuya said, pointing on his brother's reflection. Tamtam scanned his reflection entirely - his flat face, puffy cheeks, big eyes, protruded tongue and thin hair, and he did not let a single detail on his face to be unnoticed. Slowly, He curved his lips upward and was truly amazed at the sight of his reflection imitating his action. Then he looked at his Kuya's reflection and saw him smile, too, before kissing his right cheek, endearing him.
And now, he is beaming widely at Kuya as he reached out his hands to him. Kuya knew that when everytime Tamtam reaches out his hand, he wanted to be kissed or hugged. Kuya always gives him both, but the kiss always comes first.
"I love you baby doll." Kuya whispered as he cuddled him tightly. He can feel Kuya's body heat warming his cold skin and Kuya's heartbeat vibrating in his chest like a parade of drummer boys. He feels alive every time Kuya embraces him.
"I...La...you...Kuya" He slightly rumbled, striving to pronounce the letter V. Kuya's embrace stiffened.
Kuya felt his heart slightly cringed when he heard those words. Hearing Tamtam's voice always shoots him with overflowing happiness tinged with pain, but hearing Tamtam's effort to show his love for him despite his condition shook his entire world. His 10 year-old special brother is the only reason while he, a misfit in this society, still continues to live. And hearing his endeavor to say "I love you Kuya" is like a sudden pull of gravity that triggered the tears in his eyes to stream down in his face.
"Kuya..." Tamtam felt the tears dripping in his neck. He can also feel Kuya's chest rising and falling. He never saw his Kuya cry before. He didn't know why, but seeing Kuya like this made him feel sad. Eventually, Tamtam started to cry, too.
"Sshh. Kuya is not crying. Kuya's just very happy to have a baby doll like you." Kuya said, and then he looked at Tamtam and wiped his tears. Tamtam wiped Kuya's tears, too. To lighten the mood, Kuya tickled Tamtam and the two of them giggled. Tamtam can now see his Kuya grinning from ear to ear. He loves it when Kuya smiles. It makes him feel very safe and comfortable.
"Now, let's go to sleep baby doll. Let's meet each other on dreamland, Ok? Don't make Kuya wait!"
Kuya said. Tamtam continued smiling as they lie down on their bed and tucked themselves under the blanket.
