The Sound of a Sigh

Sincerely Yours, Jordan!

My name is Jordan, Jordan Phillips. Meet my cousin and bestfriend, Michael Phillips. Obvious naman kung saan nakuha yung pangalan namin - "Michael Jordan". Our fathers are twins and they're both big fans of Michael Jordan. So, gets nyo na?
My father and Michael's father are half white. Kaya tisoy kami ni Michael. Thanks to our dads, gwapo kami. And since our fathers are twins and kamukha kami ng mga daddy namin, magkamukha rin kami ni Michael. My mom said I would have a twin but she lost it. Malakas daw kasi ako, so I survived. But it's okay. Michael is like my twin brother, anyway.

Basketball is the sports that we both love. And it's our passion. Our dads are teaching us basketball. Aside from that, they enrolled us to different basketball clinics. And we're also part of the school's basketball team. And we're doing well.

Our family lives in a village called "Green Village". Malapit kasi eto sa paanan ng bundok kaya marami kang makikitang green. There's also a falls nearby where me and Michael secretly go. Our parents forbid us to go there. Baka raw malunod kami. Strict ang parents.

I think I forgot to tell you our age. I'm nine, while Michael is ten. Actually, eleven months lang naman ang gap namin. Michael's house is just beside our house. Our dads are so close kaya naman ayaw nilang magkalayo sila sa isa't isa. Mag-bestfriends na rin pati mga mommy namin. Nakakatuwa di ba?!

Suddenly, Michael's parents called for a family meeting. At doon ko nalaman that Michael's family are leaving for Singapore for Tito's work. And they are staying there for good. I know nalungkot ang dad ko sa balita. Pero mas nalungkot kaming dalawa ni Michael. For the first time, magkakahiwalay kami ng bestfriend ko.

So, fast forward, one day ago, Michael's family left the country. We actually sent them to the airport. So, now I am left alone. Mag-isang anak lang kasi ako. Wala na ang bestfriend ko. Wala na ang twin brother ko.

I was practicing basketball when a car stopped in front of Michael's old house. Oh, I could remember Tito told us that they sold their house. At malamang, sila ang nakabili sa house nila Tito. A woman came out of the car. She's like my mom's age. And a little girl went out from the backseat. And she's just so lovely. She has a straight black hair. Parang model lang ng shampoo. At bilog ang kanyang mga mata. Super black pa. Her checks are so pink. Parang kerubin. Kasing ganda sya ng babae na I assume mama nya.

My mom hearing the car engine went out from our house to welcome our new neighbors.
"Hi! Call me Sandra. Eto naman ang anak ko si Jordan. D'yan lang kami nakatira oh," sabi ni mom.
I said, "Hi!"
"Hello, I'm Patricia, single mom. Meet my daugther, Nadine. Say hi to them Nadine," said her.
"Hi!" sabi ni Nadine na nakatago pa sa likod ng mama nya.
So, I thought, "Nadine pala ang pangalan mo. At mahiyain ka pala."

"Well, Patricia. Alam mo ba na twin brother ng husband ko ang nakatira dati d'yan?" chika ni mommy.
"Oh really?" sabi ni Tita. Sabi nya tawagin ko raw syang tita.
"But they moved to Singapore for good. Nalungkot nga kami eh," added mom.
"Ay ganun ba? So sad. Ah sige. Pasok muna kami sa loob ha. We have to fix our things pa kasi eh." Tita and Nadine waived us goodbye.

One Sunday afternoon, I sneaked out to the falls where Michael and I used to play. I really miss my bestfriend. And then, I realized that someone was after me. So, I hid behind a bush. There, I saw Nadine looking for me. So, I surprised her.
"Bulaga!"

Natakot ko ata sya so she cried.
"Uy! Sorry na. Ba't ka ba kasi sumusunod sa akin?" said I.
"Gusto ko lang naman makipagkaibigan sa' yo eh," she answered.
"Sige. Friends na tayo. Wag ka nang umiyak," I said to her. "Sige ka, baka kunin ka ng monster na kumakain ng mga iyaking bata."
Ngunit hindi pa rin sya tumigil sa pag-iyak.
"Oh tingnan mo. Dumilim tuloy ang langit dahil sa pag-iyak mo," sabi ko.
Hay salamat! Tumigil din sya sa pag-iyak.
"Sabi ni mama, naiintindihan daw tayo ng kalikasan. Dahil daw sa atoms. Lahat daw ng may atoms, nakakaintindi, kahit hindi man sila makapagsalita. Kaya raw nung namatay si Jesus, naintindihan daw yun ng kalikasan. Kaya dumilim ang langit at lumakas ang hangin at yumanig ang lupa para maipakita na nalulungkot sila," sabi ni Nadine.
"Talaga?" sagot ko na nakataas ang kilay.
At doon nagsimula ang friendship namin ni Nadine. Nalaman ko na magsing-edad lang pala kami. Nalaman ko rin that her dad was an engineer and he died trying to save a construction worker's life.
"Yours" ang tawagin namin sa isa't isa, from the complimentary close 'sincerely yours'." At yun nga, naging partners kami sa mga kalokohan. At naging close na rin ang families namin. Salamat at nagkaroon na rin ng bagong bestfriend si mommy.