KYLA

HER NAME IS KYLA

It was a pleasant Saturday morning. The sun was shining brightly and the sky was clear. I was busy helping my older sister, Sabrina, in bathing our one year old golden retriever, Kit. It was both our duty since it was the two of us who begged and bugged our parents to give us a dog to raise and play with.

"Rob, will you please hold the leash for a while?" Sabrina requested, brushing off the hair that kept dropping on her eyes. I'll just go and get Kit's towel inside the house.

"Okay, " I responded. I took the leash from her hand. Kit was wiggling and yapping excitedly. I had a hard time containing him. He's gotten quite huge since the time he was first brought home by our parents.

"Kit! Calm down, boy. " I wrapped the leash around my wrist and kept tugging him back as he was so determined to free himself. "Manang! (Older sister) Come out quickly! I can't hold back Kit any longer."

"Just wait a bit more, Rob!" My sister shouted back from inside the house. I can't find Kit's towel."

Kit kept wriggling. He's a very active and mischievous dog that's why my Dad told us to keep him on leash when no ones around to look after him or when we bathe him. He is hard to control and he often runs wildly around the premises of our house and sometimes destroys the plants and everything that he thinks he could play with. There was that time when I left him alone for a while and when I came back my dad's favorite dress shirt was torn into pieces. I was scolded and Kit was put on leash for several days. I don't want that to happen again that's why I and my sister always make sure we had our eyes on Kit.

I pulled Kit towards his dog house. I've decided to tie his leash on the metal bar next to it. However, before I could tighten it, he suddenly, with great force, yanked away. The leash slipped off the metal bar.

"Kit!" I yelled. "Come back here!"

He ignored my call and kept running. I panicked when I realized where he was heading. The gate was left open. Ken forgot to close it when he went out to go to his friends house a few blocks away.

"Manang! Kit's going to go outside! Help me catch him!"

My sister came rushing out. "What? Where is he now?"

I run after Kit. He was already outside. I was in great panic. We might lose him once he goes farther away. My heart is throbbing wildly; I can no longer see him.

"Kit! Where are you? Come back here! "I shouted. I can hear my sister's footsteps behind me.

"Where is he? "my sister asked breathlessly.

"I don't know, "was all I could say.

Suddenly, we heard a loud squeal.

My sister and I got nervous. We were afraid Kit might have bitten someone and if that happens, my Dad will certainly cut back our allowances or worse, send Kit away as punishment for not being responsible enough.

"Manang," I said in a worried voice.

My sister took my arm and pulled me with her towards the source of the squeal. It led us towards the community park just right next to our house.

Kit was sitting on his haunches; his tongue lolling out and his tail wagging. In front of him was a girl who was gleefully patting his head.

"Kit! There you are! Come here you bad, bad dog!" my sister ordered Kit. Amazingly, Kit obeyed which he never did before towards my sister. He only listens to my Mom or my Dad.

"Are you alright?" Sabrina asked the girl who was playing with Kit.

The girl turned around. I felt like my heart stopped beating. I could not breathe. It was her.

"Yes, I'm fine," the girl replied. She looked at Kit, at my sister and finally at me. She had beautiful eyes. Her long eyelashes were as graceful as the wings of a butterfly.

"Did he hurt you? " my sister asked worriedly as she picked Kit's leash on the ground.

"No, he didn't. He's quite nice, actually. And adorable," she answered.

My sister let out a huge sigh. "Thank God! I don't know what to do if he ever did. My dad will surely punish me and my brother."

The girl smiled. "You're siblings?" she asked.

"Yes. I'm Sabrina by the way and this is my brother, Robert. But we all call him Rob except Ken. Ken is my other younger brother. And you are?"

"Im Kyla. It's nice to meet you." She extended her hand to my sister which Sabrina took eagerly.

"Nice meeting you, Kyla! Its my first time seeing you around here. Are you here for vacation?"

Kyla shook her head. "No. We just moved here the other day. I live in there," she said and pointed at the house just across ours.

"Wow! You are our new neighbor!" my sister blurted ecstatically. "I'm so glad that there's finally another girl around here."

Kyla smiled at my sister's enthusiasm. She turned to me and reached out her hand for a handshake. "Nice meeting you as well, Rob."

I stared at her hand. I can't look at her. We met again too soon and I am in an embarrassing state with my wet shirt and rowdy hair. Why do we keep meeting each other this way?

I swallowed hard. "Hi," I replied in a small and squeaky voice. I ignored her hand, turned on my heels and walked quickly back towards our home. I can hear my sister apologizing for my behavior as I went away.

It took quite a while before my sister and Kit came back.

"That was quite rude, Rob," my sister admonished as she entered the house.

"I'm sorry."

"I'm not the right person to receive that, Rob."

"I know."

I left her and went to the garden. I sat on one of the native chairs, opened one of my favorite books and pretended to be busily reading. I don't want to discuss my actions towards our new neighbor with my sister. Of course I cannot blame my sister for being curious. I always act nicely to everyone especially to people I've just met.

After a few minutes, I heard my mom's voice. She just got back home from her work in her clinic. She's a dentist while my Dad's a businessman who runs a modest furniture making company.

"Rob, what are you doing in here, honey?" my Mom said as she approached and sat on a chair across me.

"I'm reading," I answered briefly.

"I can see that. But aren't you and your sister supposed to be preparing to go at Karl's birthday party later?"

I shook my head. "I don't wish to go, "I answered. Karl is my cousin. He is the son of my Mom's older brother. He is three years older than me, the same age as that of my sister.

"Why? Is there a problem? Did you two had a fight? " my mom inquired, her voice filled with worry.

"No. Karl's always nice to me," I replied. Its just that his friends are the ones who are always bullying me.

"Then why don't you want to go?"

"I just don't like going out."

My mom sighed. "Rob. You need to go out, meet other kids and make new friends. You can't always stay at home."

"I do meet new kids. I met one earlier. She's our new neighbors' daughter. Her name is Kyla."