Smart Tactless Fangirl (TOG #5) - Published by PHR

Special: Richard Vernon Avilla

Special: Richard Vernon Anderson Avilla

"BABY BOY! Come on! You can say it! Say 'Ku'."

"K-K-K-Ku..."

" 'Ya'."

"Y-Y-Ya..."

"Kuya!"

"K-K-K-Ku...y-y-ya!"

"Very good! Mama! Richard already said 'kuya'!" natutuwang sabi ni Kuya Ramses.

I remembered when I was three years old, I was very close with my older brother Ramses. Mahigit isang taon lang ang tanda niya sa'kin pero magaling na agad si Kuya Ramses magsalita. At the age of four, he taught me how to speak. I was three years old, and yet I can't say a single word properly.

Doctors said, I have a speaking problem. To be exact, I have a speech and language deficiency called 'Childhood Apraxia of Speech'. I don't have a problem formulating my thoughts in my head. Alam ko kung anong iniisip ko, alam ko kung anong gusto kong sabihin. But the thing is, my brain can't coordinate with my lips, jaws, and tongue properly. I have a problem in saying sounds, syllables and words.

Dapat isang taong gulang pa lang ako, I should start babbling. But I was a very quiet baby. My family thought I'm a special child.

Maybe, I am. I don't know. Natatandaan kong dumaan ako sa maraming speech therapies. They got me a speech pathologist for three years.

Although the people around me had a hard time understanding me, I can understand everything they say. I play with my big brother always, and he doesn't mind if I speak or not.

"Paglaki mo, kuwentuhan mo 'ko, ha?" nakangiting sabi pa sa'kin ni Kuya noong limang taong gulang na siya at apat na taong gulang pa lang ako.

What will I tell you, Kuya? What do you want to know? Tumango lang ako dahil gusto kong kausapin din si Kuya Ramses. Natatakot lang akong magsalita ngayon dahil hindi ako katulad niya. Magaling magsalita si Kuya. Hindi siya bulol...

"Hello, baby boy!" magiliw na bati ni Kuya Charlie.

"You're a very cute boy!" sabay kurot sa pisngi ko ni Kuya Reynald

"Can you say my name? 'Kuya Gideon'." He patted my head.

"Say 'Kuya Bari', too," then he patted my head, too

Here are my cousins. Kuya Gideon and Kuya Bari will always pat my hair. Kuya Charlie and Kuya Reynald are very noisy. They talk a lot. My brother talks a lot too, but these two are the noisiest kids ever. I don't like them talking. Kinukulit nila ako palagi.

"Baby boy, laro tayo. Halika!" hila sa'kin ni Kuya Charlie.

Umiling ako at tumakbo pabalik kay Kuya Ramses. Nagtago ako sa likod niya. Ayoko sa kanila. Gusto ko kay Kuya lang lagi. At bakit baby boy din ang tawag nila sa'kin? Gusto ko si Kuya Ramses lang ang tatawag sa'kin niyon. Siya lang naman kapatid ko dito.

"Richard, you play with them."

I shook my head.

Tumawa siya at hinila ako palapit sa mga pinsan namin. Ayoko talaga makipaglaro sa kanila. Gusto ko kay Kuya Ramses lang.

Pero makulit talaga si Kuya Charlie at Kuya Reynald. Hinila na naman nila ako. Ano bang problema nila? Hindi ba nila naiintindihan na ayoko sa kanila?

I punched them both. They were all laughing.

But Kuya Ramses told me, "That's bad, Richard! You don't have to punch them! You can say 'No' politely," saway niya sa'kin. "Say 'sorry' to them."

No! Bahala sila. Umiling lang ako at sumimangot. Kuya Charlie and Kuya Reynald just laughed again. They ran away and played by themselves.