Them and Us

Prologue

It was exactly 38 years ago when both my air and sunshine was taken away from me—my parents. It was scarred in my mind how that tragic event shattered millions of happiness in me. I turned gloomy. I was aloof—even depressed. I was drowned in sulk.

I had the money, the company, the house, but I had no one. I wasn't bullied at school, but I wasn't seen as human either. I was no wind because even my existence was never felt. I was mere invisible to every human eye at school except for my teachers since they noticed my potentials and I owned the spot of number 1 at the campus. Yes, I had the spot, but still, I had no one.

In my 18th year of sad teen-aging, I have come to realize some stuff. I've got everything everyone wants but not the very thing everyone needs. Parents. I don't have my parents with me and so is my happiness. I had no reason to smile. I planted it deep in my mad heart that what right do I have to be happy when my parents are not even around? They are the only ones who got me. They are the only ones who made my life happy and now that they're not here walking with me above this rough earth, I had no reason to continue living.

In my 18th year of existence and my 6th year of living without my parents, I decided to give my life up. Not in the way how everyone else dies, but in a way where I'll be the one to take it myself.

"Ate, may lason ho ba kayo sa daga? Yung powdered?" Tanong ko sa babaeng nakayuko na parang may kinukuha sa kinailalimang sulok ng pwesto nila sa palengke. Patuloy lang ang ale sa pag yuko kaya nilakasan ko pa ang boses ko. "Uhm, ATE."

"ANAK NG PUT—" Bago napatayo ang isang "lalake" pala, ay nauntog muna yung ulo niya sa mga patungan ng mga ibang paninda nila. Nakaluhod parin siya at tumingin tingin sa labas ng kanilang tindahan at tiningala ako. "Ah, ako ba?" Umubo ubo siya at ngumiti, "Maam, ako ho ay isang ginoo. Makisig, matikas—"

I cut him off while he's in the middle of talking and... showing off his muscles. "Ah, kuya. Sorry po. Pero meron ho ba kayong lason sa daga?"

"Ah maam, meron ho! Ano ho bang brand ang gusto n'yo? Meron kami—"

"Kahit anong brand lang ho. Basta yung powdered." Madali kong sabi.

"Maam? Para hong parati n'yo kong pinuputol ah?"

"Sorry kuya nagmamadali lang. Pakiabot na ho please. Heto na hong bayad." Dalawang isip na inabot ng tindero ang panlason ng daga. Dali-dali ko naman itong hinablot.

And there, my miracle happened. I was able to live because I was destined to live my life with my falling star. In my senior year, at my not so perfect 18th year too, I did not find magic, magic found me. Then there I knew I was cornered. I was no way out of the most beautiful phenomenon that's about to happen to me.