The Sun, The Moon, and Their Stars

01 : Firsts

June 2004

Benjamin

I stretch my arms up above my head and look around.

There's a dim sum shop in front of where we park and a souvenir stall about to open next to it. A group of gas station crew walks by as I drop my hands and yawn again. Another SUV park to the left of ours and two kids about Althea's age jump out from the backseat. A woman in baggy faded jeans and a loose shirt, their mother most likely, steps out from the passenger side and follows the boys to the nearest fast-food restaurant.

I hear the distant hum of collective noise from the sounds of people, the cars passing by, and the birds chirping. I turn in the direction of the nearest row of trees and spot a group of sparrows on the branches.

My dad comes back from somewhere behind me and walks to the driver's side of our car. I see my sisters approaching with take-outs at hand, our mom lagging just a few steps behind. I hear Jessy laughs at something Althea said as I go back in the car and close the door.

Jessy hands me a small pack of French fries from the backseat, where she sits with our mom and Althea. Dad drives off from the parking lot and out of the pit stop. We're back on the highway now.

The morning sun of this early June day rises higher to my right, casting light and heat upon the grounds, trees, houses, roads, and buildings that are growing taller as we near the Metro.

I hear dad say something about hoping it won't rain, in fear we might get stranded 'cause it floods where we're heading, where my sister chose—of all places—to go to college.

*

Jessica, aka Jessy, is just ten months older than me. We grew up close that some of our parents' friends thought we were twins. We also look very much alike, except her hair is curly, and mine is straight. We even have the same smile. Our old pictures show that we dressed quite like the other as well; hers the girly version of mine, or mine the boy version of hers.

We shared a room until our parents renovated the house and added a second floor, where we have our rooms now. She was thirteen, and our youngest—Althea—who was two then, got our old one right across our parents'. By then, Jessy spent more time inside her bedroom, while I held the territory of the TV at the small lounge area right in front of our doors. There were a few instances, though, when she sat on the other end of the couch and joined me with whatever I was watching.

When I grew a couple of years older and had gotten some sort of temper, I'd fight with her over silly things. Still, I'd end up the one leaving the scene. I either walked out of the house and wandered around the neighborhood, or just sat on a chair by the front gate and tried to beat my record at Snake. Earlier this year, after I turned sixteen, our parents allowed me to use the scooter. So, when I wanted to free myself from sisters, I'd go around our town until I used up the gas.

*

We enter the campus a quarter before ten.

I look around at the buildings and the structures, and I feel like being part of an old movie set centuries back. If not for the cars and the casually dressed people walking around, the place looks and feels suspended back in time.

A priest in full-on Dominican attire crosses the street, and I quickly turn back to tell Jessy, who's already looking over the passenger seat and pointing the same sight to me. I face the windshield again as I try to hide a laugh, for I recall the conversation we had last night.

**

I slouched on the couch with my feet on the table, while my sister frantically walked in and out of her bedroom with a piece of paper and a pen in her hands. I turned my head left and saw her door open, showcasing the bags she packed with what I assumed were things she'd bring to her dorm. I focused back on the TV, at what I thought would be an intense tennis match.