Emperyo Lazaro

17:

I was sweating and shaking when i woke up, mainit at hindi pamilyar ang lugar, my clothes were white, and the space was tight.

The only thing that surrounds me was the tight spaces, the darkness and something soft that was plastered in each area.

Nasa kabaong ako!

" Help me! Somebody! Please! " sigaw ko, i tried kicking the top of the coffin but looks like i was buried.

I am about to get fucking buried 6 feet underground.

Hindi pa siguro gaano kalalim dahil naririnig ko pa ang pag iyak ni Kuya.

Si Kuya!

" Asher! Kuya! Help me, Please! Hindi ako patay! Help me. Please! "

Saka ko narinig ang pag hihiyawan, but this isn't a scream of joy.

But screams of terror.

" Stop putting soil you brainless fuck! May nasigaw! "

Naririnig ko muli ang pag hukay, but one things for certain, may narinig ako kalabog mula sa tuktok ng kabaong.

I saw the coffin open up, the rays of light blinding me, i was saved.

I was fucking saved!

" Kira? Gising ka na, Please. " hawak ni Kuya sa pisngi ko, his thumb carresed my cheek.

" Kuya, i'm right here, bakit hindi mo 'ko makita? "

Umiiyak parin si Kuya, yapos yapos nito ang katawan ko, pero hindi ako.

Patay na ba ako?

" Kuya, andito ako, pansinin mo ako, please. Kuya naman eh. " niyakap ko ang kapatid ko na naka-yakap parin sa katawan ko. 

" Jusko, Asher! Halika at tumayo ka riyan! Please, son. Ayaw ka makita ng kapatid mo nang ganiyan, alam mo yan. " sabi ni uncle, habang nakita ko kung paano ka dahan dahan ang pagbaba ni Kuya sa katawan ko pabalik sa kabaong, his eyes were puffy, his shades didn't do justice for how deep the bags under his eyes were, ngunit noong naibaba niya ang katawan ko sa kabaong, napahagulgol naman ito, pati rin si Uncle at si Manang.

My brother is still staring at my corpse, he was devastated, he was in anguish, and i can't do anything. 

" Akala ko ba hindi mo ako iiwan, pero tignan mo, ikaw pa ang nauna. " he said, as he sniffled and his voice croaked. 

" You took the shot to save me, when it should've been me who does the saving. You love and lived your life and now they took you away from us. Away from me. Inilayo ka nila saakin,  in fear of you ending their careers. Mga sakim sa kapangyarihan at kayamanan. " his voiced laced with anger and sadness, hindi ko alam kung kailan pa ako namatay, pero naririnig ko ang bawat tibok ng puso niya. 

" You left me without a warning, you just jumped in front of me then died, the last interaction we had was when you told me how much i mean the world to you. " napaiyak ito muli. " and i told you how much you mean the world to me, but iniwanan mo na ako so ano na ang gagawin ko sa buhay ko? " Nakita ko si Uncle na nagpupunas ng luha habang si Manang ay halos himatayin na kakaiyak. 

they love me, they really do. 

" Remember the song that we used to jam in my room? Pag pinakikinggan ko iyon, nasasaktan ako ng sobra, Kira. The song is indeed about bidding your goodbyes but you got to be prepared and afraid to even pass. Ngayon alam ko na kung bakit paboritong kanta mo iyon. "