Falling for the Masterpiece

Epilogue

KITE

Pain goes away differently for everybody. And even  though Kuya Yukihero died decades ago, para kay Kuya Ivan, it will always feel like it was yesterday.

Kuya Ivan retired at the age of 50. Malakas pa siya. He was able to change those absurd rules in the So Corporation when he was able to own 100% of the shares. But he did more than that. Ipinasarado niya ang M.I.C.E.S. Sinigurado rin niyang nabulok sa bilangguan si Aldrin Gargasgar.

He paved the way into discovering the cure for HIV. He made the company venture in the field of pharmaceutics. In time, they were able to perfect it. What's more amazing was he did not put a patent on it so that it could save more lives.

Nagkaayos kami ng tunay kong ama. Si Dante So. Despite being the reason why my mother left. Hindi ako nagtanim ng galit sa kanya. I wouldn't have met Kuya Yuki if it wasn't for him. Kuya Ivan taught me to never hold grudges on people. Ang pag-iipon ng galit sa isip ay may kakayahang bumura ng masasayang alaala. Ang pagtatanim ng puot sa puso ay nang-aagaw ng kaligayahang maari pang puwedeng ilagay sa dibdib ko.

Kuya Ivan is now happily married with one daughter. Pero kahit lumipas ang maraming taon, hindi niya sinukuan ang paghahanap kay Kuya Yuki. He had no clue at first where to find him. He used all of his resources to find his lost love.

He was able to fulfill Kuya Yuki's request. I grew up waiting for Kuya Yukihero in Batangas every Christmas. Hoping that one day he'll take me back. Tapos dadalhin niya ulit ako sa bubong namin, magpapalipad ulit kami ng saranggola.

But that day never came.

Naalala ko pa ang sinabi niya sa akin noon bago niya ako ihatid sa Batangas kasama ng mga kaibigan niya. He was coughing hard that day. Sabi niya, doon daw muna ako kay Kuya Ivan dahil kailangan niyang bumalik sa ospital at magpagamot.

"Kite, magpakabait ka kay Kuya Ivan mo ha?" He was so pale. Hindi na niya mabukas ang isang mata niya. Namumugto ang luha ko dahil ilang araw na siyang nanghihina noon.

"Kuya, huwag mo kong iwan dito, please," pakiusap ko. Panay ang hikbi ko. Tumutulo ang sipon ko habang parang tuko akong nakakapit sa hita niya.

Niyakap niya ako nang mahigpit. Ibinigay niya sa akin ang school bag kong Keroppi at isang malaking sketchpad.

"Hindi kita iiwan, Kite. Isipin mo na lang na nandito ako, nasakatauhan ng Kuya Ivan mo. Iisang tao lang naman kami. Magkaiba lang ng katawan. Pero iisa ng puso."

Years passed and I slowly learned what really happened to him. It was a gradual immersion. Unti-unti kong natanggap ang nangyari sa kanya. When I was in the right age, noong makita ko ulit ang sketchpad na kinulayan niya, pinagluksa ko siya ng halos isang taon.

I miss him so much, iyong kuya kong iyon.

When I became an adult, I decided to teach kids. Si Ma'am Susan na kaibigan ni Aling Alice na kapitbahay namin noon ay minsan kong nakasalubong noong bumisita ako sa dati naming bahay. She mentioned that she teaches at a preschool in Zambales. Paalis na raw ang Italyanong teacher doon kaya kailangan niya ng kapalit.

I found peace in teaching kids in Zambales. I was there for a while bago muling nahanap ang sarili ko. Kuya Ivan and Kuya Gabriel made me take over the So Corporation, but I would still visit the preschool once in a while. Ipinagpatuloy ko ang adbokasiya ni Kuya Ivan na para sana lunas sa kondisyon ni Kuya Yuki.

And now, as I stare at Kuya Ivan's back, hindi ko mapigilang sabayan ang mga hagulgol niya. Pareho kaming nakaitim. We finally found Kuya Yuki five years ago. Nakalibing siya sa isang probinsya kung saan namatay ang nanay ko. It is said that it was the same hill where he and his orphan parents used to fly kites when he was little.

Ah, kite—where they got my name.

Sa tuktok ng burol siya nakalibing. May puno sa dulo ng puntod niya na tinanim ni Kuya Ivan noong una kaming nakarating dito.

I felt a gentle breeze. The kind of breeze na parang kinakalabit ang aking balikat. Marahan akong napalingon. I felt the wind embrace me for a while before flying back to the vanilla twilight. The breeze carried the scent of the tree.

Nilingon ako ni Kuya Ivan. He forced a smile. But I could see trails of tears racing down his cheeks.

"Naamoy mo ba iyon, Kite?"

"It smells like flowers, Kuya."

"Yeah, flowers from the mango tree."

Witnessing their tragic love story made me realize something.

Pain goes away differently for everybody. It could take a decade, a year, a day. But sometimes, it never goes away.