Begin Again

Bonus

16 Years Later

Dear Mr. Medina,

We, at Columbia University, are pleased to inform you of your acceptance...

"Kuya! Kuya!"

CJ quickly folded up the letter and hid it under his pillow just as Claire, without knocking as usual, came barging into his room.

"Kuya! Tawag ka ni Daddy," she panted.

"I'm coming."

"Pwede ba ako sumama sa inyo?" Claire asked.

"Ano sabi ni Dad?"

"Hindi daw pero..."

"Then no." CJ walked past his sister and out into the hallway.

He stopped by the neighboring bedroom where his youngest sibling, and only brother, was playing with his toys.

"Hey, Lucas!" He said. "What are you doing?"

He held up a dinosaur. "Roar!"

CJ laughed.

"Kuya, play with me!" The five year old pleaded.

"Not right now, bud. Come on." He heaved Lucas up. "Let's go to Mom. You need to eat."

CJ went down the stairs with Lucas in his arms, Claire trailing behind him. "Kuya, please, kapag ikaw ang nagsabi kay Dad papayagan niya ako!"

CJ stopped on the bottom landing and turned around to face his younger sister. "Bakit ka pinagbawalan ni Dad?"

Claire paused. "Ha?"

"Bakit ka pinagbawalan ni Dad na pumunta sa warehouse sa Tagaytay?" He asked.

Claire looked away and fiddled with her hands. "Kasi 64 ang nakuha ko sa Chem test tapos tinago ko sa kanila," she mumbled.

CJ shook his head and kept walking. "Then I can't help you. You know the rules, Claire. Pwede lang tayo magtrabaho kapag okay ang grades natin."

"Pero Kuya!" She whined.

"Go study!" He yelled over his shoulder.

CJ entered the kitchen, where his mom was braiding Larissa, his eight year old sister's hair while she ate. Ceres sat across from them, eating her own plate.

"Salamat anak at binaba mo si Lucas," Leah said. "Kumain na kayo. Nasaan si Claire?"

"Throwing a tantrum," CJ said. "Where's Dad?"

"May kausap sa phone. Lalakad na kayo pagkakain." Leah tied Larissa's braid and stood up.

"Thank you, Mommy," Larissa smiled up sweetly at her.

"Walang anuman, anak." Leah bent down and kissed her head. "Kakausapin ko si Claire. Ikaw muna bahala dito, Kuya."

He saluted her with one hand while he scooped rice onto his brother's plate. "We're going to eat our vegetables today, aren't we, Lucas?"

The little boy pouted. "Ayoko ng trees!"

"Okay." CJ heaped some beef onto Lucas' plate, carefully keeping the broccoli out of it. He put a lot of broccoli onto his own plate instead.

He stabbed a piece of broccoli and enthusiastically bit into it. "Mmm!" He said.

Lucas stared up at him. CJ gave Ceres a look across the table and she lifted up her own piece of broccoli.

"Mmm!" She copied him.

"I'm eating my broc'li, Kuya!" Larissa said happily.

"Very good, Issa!" CJ said. "You're gonna grow big and strong because you're eating your veggies. And pretty, like your Ate Ceres."