SHIELDER (CPAGS Epilogue)

Part 3

I couldn't remember the exact reason why we suddenly had a vacation. Kung dahil ba sa maling homework na ginawa ko, hindi ko rin sigurado. Pero ang naaalala ko, pagkatapos noon ay nagbakasyon  na kami. Mom didn't even let me finish that school year but I think I passed anyway.

So, out of nowhere, we had an out-of-the-country vacation. I think my parents did it to take my mind off what happened. Para libangin ako. Halos araw-araw nila akong ipinapasyal sa mga lugar sa bansang iyon. And because we were in a different country, as a child, everything I saw fascinated me.

Nagtagumpay ang mga magulang ko sa gusto nilang mangyari. I didn't ask about it again.

I enjoyed every moment with my family on this vacation. Sa tingin ko pa nga, parang ito 'yung pinakamatagal na nakapag-bond kami ng ganito. Like every passing day, we spend all the time together. Hindi katulad noon na hindi ko na nakikita sina Kuya at Dad dahil sa training na ginagawa nila. And because dad was also managing the family business.

Bukod sa training na nakikita ko kung saan sinusuntok at sinisipa ni Dad si Kuya, I think he also started to train him handling the company too.

We were finally doing those things that my classmates answered on our homework. On how they spend their Family Day.

We were staying at a wooden house in the middle of the field. Sobrang lawak nu'ng field na kailangan pa talaga ng sasakyan para makapunta kami sa city. At the end of that field was a forest. 'Yung set-up pa nga ng tinutuluyan namin pati ng lugar, parang 'yung mga madalas kong nakikita sa horror at thriller movies.

Still, I'm okay with it. The place was so... peaceful.

I was happy. Iyon na yata ang pinakamasayang alaala na meron ako kasama ang pamilya ko. I even wished the time would stop. Or that we could stay there forever. Doon na lang kami at hindi na uuwi.

But I guess since then, fate isn't really on my side. Fate is always against me.

Ilang buwan lang ay natapos na agad ang pinakamasayang sandali sa buhay ko kasama ang pamilya ko.

Kuya still never failed to find time to play with me. Madalas ay sa gabi na kami nakakapaglaro dahil sa buong maghapon ay namamasyal kaming lahat. It was really fun. Kahit na kasi namamasyal na kami, tinutupad pa rin ni Kuya ang pangako n'yang palagi kaming maglalaro.

But that day, we didn't go out. Mom said we should take a rest dahil palagi naman daw kaming namamasyal. Kuya and Dad went somewhere in the afternoon, papalubog na ang araw nang makabalik sila.

They didn't tell me where they went even when I asked them. But I know what they did anyway. Kuya had his training again.

At night, Kuya Hunter came to my room to play with me. He was wearing a long sleeve turtle neck shirt, pero hindi naitago noon ang pag-iiba ng kulay ng parte sa gilid ng panga n'ya. It was starting to bruise.

I know that wasn't the only bruise he got. He was just hiding it with his shirt. But it failed to hide the one on his jaw.

He didn't want me to see his bruises, so I pretended I didn't see them.

"Kuya, why is Dad training you?"

Napatigil si Kuya Hunter sa paggalaw. I think he was about to move his Knight to pin my Bishop but he got distracted when I suddenly asked him about the topic that we considered taboo in our family. We didn't agree about it pero base kasi sa mga ikinikilos nila, parang bawal talagang pag-usapan ang ganoon.

So, I thought about asking my brother. He was more... open with me. Kaya nakakapagtanong ako sa kanya ng ganito.

Kuya sighed. Itinuloy n'ya ang gagawin n'ya dapat kanina. He moved his Knight which made me frown.