Twinkling Legacy

Chapter 4

"Eli, we had a deal! Ako ang nagpaalam kina mommy last time kaya ikaw naman ngayon." The 15-year-old Selene, or Sese as they call her, argued back at Eli. 

"It's just a party, Se. Hindi naman sila magtatanong ng details especially dito sa bahay gaganapin." Eli reasoned. 

They've been going on for almost an hour trying to decide whose turn it is to ask permission from their mommy Ce and mommy Ro. They wanted to throw a party with their classmates before the moving up ceremony — they are officially done in junior high school and moving up as senior high schoolers. Wanting to celebrate this milestone with our friends, the people they've shared the hardships and experience with. So, a plan about having a pool party at our house was hatched. Automatically, they said yes, because they're both sure that their moms would be thrilled to host it. That's why Eli couldn't understand his sister's argument. 

"I know about that, Eli. It's not that I can't do it, I want you to do it. It's all about fairness, brother. We had a deal, remember? Taking turns in every family responsibilities?" Selene answered back. 

He gets her, that's one of the many things Celeste and Aurora taught them. They provided everything the twins needed and wanted, but made sure they never grew up feeling spoiled and dependent to others. They taught them to fold their own clothes, clean their own room, buy their own stuff, and even cook for themselves if Rori couldn't cook for them due to work demands. Basically, they taught them to be responsible for their own lives and honor the responsibilities given to them.

"Fine! I'll go to their room." He finally gave in.

Selene, upon hearing her brother's response, smiled triumphantly and started dancing her way out of his room. An act in which Eli was thrilled to see because he's been trying to clean his room in peace but she just keeps talking and talking - it's distracting.  The twins love for each other is undying. Eli would be willing to catch a bullet for her, as he knows his sister would also do for him. But if there's something he couldn't stop, it's those mouth. They never stop working. She can talk endlessly for the whole day  that he often questions how one person could store that much energy. It took a courage not to turn on the vacuum while she's talking just so he couldn't hear her nagging.  

He turned on the vacuum and cleaned the corners of the room a broom couldn't reach. Rori loves a clean up. Who doesn't? She'd always tell Eli they've got two Celeste in the house, so both of them have to make it as hazard-free environment as much as they can. He never really understood what she meant by that until Cece and Sese dislocated both their arms because they slipped in the exact same spot where Rori warned them to be cautious. 

"Eli! I'm gonna borrow the vacuum too. And, mommy Ce and mommy Ro locked their door. You might wanna wait until mommy Ro comes out to prepare dinner." Selene came back, wearing that disgusted expression on her face. 

"Thanks for the warning, Se." Eli answered, laughing at her reaction. 

Memories flashed through his head, which made him immediately stop from laughing. The couple sure did an amazing job as their mothers, raising them using gentle parenting while still instilling discipline. But they sure did give them a different kind of trauma.  

Eli did not bother checking on them, whether they are done and ready to talk. He took his sister's advice and waited for Aurora to call him so he could help her prepare the supper for that night. He could have told her about the plan before going down to the kitchen, but he was kind of hoping  that Selene would also be there to help. Smart girl, she reasoned to Rori she had to talk to her friend. 

"Mommy, since matatapos na po yung school year and we're about to go to different schools next school year... we decided po to have a pool party here sa bahay." Eli simply blurted it out., confident that his mother would react positively.