The Sun, The Moon, and Their Stars

43 : Strings

May 2005

Benjamin

The feel of summer air is significantly better here than in the Metro, and I don't think I'll ever forget the difference. The sky is clear this Saturday afternoon. It's like saying everything's going to be okay. That's how Kim described it once.

Kelvin opens their gate two minutes after I rang, and he looks like he hadn't slept at all last night.

"Hey! I—"

"When's the last time you talked to my sister?" he quickly asks.

"Two weeks ago," I reply, as relaxed as I can. "Well, we exchanged Friendster messages," I add with a shrug. "I sent another one, but I haven't checked a reply."

He just keeps blinking at me.

I ask what's wrong 'cause I can sense that something isn't quite right.

He drops his hand from the side of their gate and sighs. "A lot has happened since then," he says. Then he steps back and tells me to come inside.

I take off my cap as I look around and find nothing unusual.

"What's going on? Is Kim here? Can I see her?"

He nods while he closes the gate. "I should tell you something first." Then he points me to their veranda.

"Okay."

I sit down on the nearest chair, and he does the same on the one across me. This reminds me of that morning with their father.

I can hear loud music coming from inside their house. It sounds like something from Green Day's latest album.

Kelvin leans forward and runs his hands on his face up to the back of his head. "Our family is going through something right now," he says, looking down on the floor. "Our father had a health scare days ago." He lifts his head up and looks at me; his eyes are so tired. "Heart attack," he adds.

I hold on to the armrest a bit tighter. "Is...is he...okay?"

He nods. "It's an acute thing, thankfully. He's going to be fine." He sighs. "They're at the doctor's right now, for a check-up."

Kim told me that their father has this bad habit, so it's not surprising that he also has an accompanied unfortunate condition.

Kelvin must've been in charge of some things around here, which explains the eye bags, and his droopy composure.

He lifts his back and sits up straight. "We also found out that our parents are drowning in debt. With the hospital bills and all that..." He trails off and looks away. "It's tough right now," he quietly adds.

"Sorry."

"And then, Kimmy..." He points at the door, loud music still blasting from somewhere there. "Since our parents can't afford to send her off to college, our grandfather is going to help her."

I loosen my grip on the chair and leans forward a bit. "That's...that's good, right?"

"The thing is..." He slumps back and rests his arms on the sides. "He has one condition." He sighs again. "That she has to stay here, at the local state college instead."

I just stare blankly at him. "What?" I ask. "Turning down Nat. State?"

I want to rewind him right now, so I can hear those words again, just to be sure that I got it right.

He presses his lips and nods.

"Why?! No one in their right mind turns down the best school in the country! She worked hard for it. No one deserves it more than her!"