Fix You

7

Mika

"Bye, teacher Mika!" One of my students said to me as he ran off to his mother's car.

Ngayong week, ako yung naka-assign to do pick-up duty. I am outside with a couple more na teacher's aide. Medyo nerve wracking tong pag-duty na to because I have to make sure my group of students are going off with the right person or service and are crossing the street properly.

"Bye, Miguel. Thank you again for this bird-origami. Ingat ka. See you next class." I called out to him as I finally started walking back since he was my last student.

Ganda pa din ng weather outside. Parang ang sarap mag-jogging before pumasok sa school.

I walked into the office and saw Mrs. Fille laughing at her desk. Hindi ko alam kung bakit natawa sya until I walked all the way in and saw Kierra sitting on the chair across from Mrs. Fille.

She had her back-pack on and her little feet were swinging. She had a pink headband in her hair and she was smiling brightly.

"Hi!" She said with her cute and matinis voice and waved at me.

"Hello, Kierra."

"Ano nga po ulit name nyo?" She asked.

"Teacher Mika."

"Ooh, you have a pretty name po. Just like mine, Kierra Mikaela."

"Well, your name suits you, baby girl. Both pretty." I told her and gave her a sweet smile.

"What is that po, Teacher Mika?" She asked while pouting her lips with the bird origami that Miguel gave me earlier.

"Oh this? It's an origami. Look o, it's a bird."

"It's a pretty bird po. It must be a swan then! Because swan is a pretty bird." She said knowingly.

I chuckled. "You love swans?"

"Swans are pretty but I hate birds po." Naupo na ko sa chair na katapat ni Kierra since wala na naman akong class, I'll just wait until 11:30 bago ako umalis. So to kill my time off, I might as well talk to this cute little kiddo na lang.

"Bakit mo naman hate ang birds? I thought you said, swans are pretty?"

"Oo nga po. But I begged for a bird once. Then when I finally got one, I wanted to give it back right away. So ingay even it's bedtime na, I can't sleep!"

I laughed. "Well, that does sound annoying."

"Mm-mm, it is po! But my kuya got mad. Sabi nya, sayang lang daw yung money na pinangbili dun sa bird. But then I told him po na I was naiingayan nga! You know po what my kuya told me?"

"What?" Everything she said interests me, kaya nakikinig lang talaga ako sa kwento nya. She had a big personality for such a little girl.

"He said he was naiingayan din po sakin, so maybe he should sell me din like the bird." She rolled her eyes at her kuya's teasing comment.

Napatawa naman ako. "I'm sure naman your kuya didn't mean it."

"Well, opo, but he is maingay din and annoying pa, so I am thinking about selling him too."

Napatawa na naman ako. Hay, so cutie this kid. Plus, she and her kuya sounded like typical bantering siblings pa. I always admired that kind of relationships kasi. Where there is someone you can tease and pick on, sounds fun diba? And no matter how much you tease and pick on them, nandun pa din yung silent understanding that no matter how much you harass the other, you still love each other to pieces. It's a very unique kind of relationship.

"So he is feeling better na?" Naalala ko lang the last time Kierra talked to me, she said that her kuya is sick.

"Opo, he is. He is way, way better now. Things have been getting better lately." She looked over to the side like she was thinking of something of something else.

The way she went from carefree child to a withdrawn young girl is startling for me. I don't understand it.

"That's good to hear. I'm hoping things will stay better for a long time."

She looked over at me and gave me a smile. Parang may something very familiar sa smile nya na hindi ko ma-pinpoint.

"Kierra! Nandito na yung sundo mo." One of the teacher's aide on pick-up duty said. "Come here, I will walk you out."

Kierra hopped up from the chair. "It was nice talking to you, teacher Mika. Take care po and stay pretty!" Then she gave me the sweetest smile.

I chuckled. "You too, Kierra. Stay pretty."

She waved to everyone that she passed. Very energetic talaga this baby girl.

I looked outside to see kung sino yung susundo sa kanya. I bet her parents must be good people, I mean look at Kierra. She's so sweet and thoughtful.

When I looked outside, parang nahulog yung puso ko.

Kiefer

Nakatayo sya sa may labas dun sa may harap ng kotse nya and was doing something on his phone. He looked up and turned to the door where little Kierra is running towards him.

His face had a small smile on it as Kierra hugged him around the waist and his hand ruffled her hair. Kierra pulled away and punched him lightly in the stomach. Kunwari syang nasaktan, so he clutched his stomach.

Tumawa ng malakas si Kierra and I could hear it through the window. Kiefer opened the door of his car and carried Kierra to help her get to her seat sa shotgun. It was a sweet gesture.

He shut the door and got into the driver's seat.

"They're quite a pair, aren't they?" Mrs. Fille's voice said from behind me. Nagulat ako 'cause I was so wrapped up in seeing Kiefer with Kierra.

"Ah, o-opo. Is he her brother?"

"Oo." Mrs. Fille answered. I wasn't stupid. Malamang kapatid nya yon.

Kiefer, Kierra

Kierra, Kiefer

Their names are alike. But there'sstill that small possibility that Kierra could be Kiefer's child.

"Siguro close na close sila." I said.

She chuckled. "I would say so. As for my observation, sobra."

I turned to her now since Kiefer is already long gone. "What do you mean, Ms.?"

"Well, Kiefer is her guardian. He has been for a while now."

Kiefer is Kierra's guardian? Pano nangyari yon? And for a while now? Kiefer is only 20. Kierra is 6, so pinanganak sya 14 pa lang si Kiefer or so. How does that happen?

"Talaga po?" I tried to act like it wasn't really a big deal. Wala naman kasing may alam na kilala ko si Kiefer dito, and no one knows din how much learning about his life means to me.

"Yes, quite a sad story to tell really..." Hindi sya nakatingin saken, and she seems to say it as a rambling thought. "Sorry, I shouldn't say anymore. I already said too much."

Naintindihan ko kung bakit sya tumigil, because of confidentiality and all that, but I wanted to know more. Gusto ko pa sanang magtanong kay Mrs. Fille. Pero I decided I should be asking these things to Kiefer. I want to learn these things from him.

But I had a feeling it would take a while to get that information out of him. It's okay tho... I can be patient for him.

Hopefully.

A/N: Spontaneous update from yours truly ✨

Who's proud of the bbq kanina? 🙋 15 points! Plus the lotlot video. 🙊

Gotta love 15th. 😌💙💚