Copper

1

that night

He shut the door behind him.

"bullshit" bulong niya pag dating sa parking lot, remembering na nakalimutan niya ang susi ng sasakyan sa taas.

"Dani, nasaan ka? sunduin mo nga ako dito sa parking lot ng condo ni Beatriz."

"Sige Kuya, papunta na bayaran mo gas ko ah" pangungulit ni Dani.

Dani stays in an apartment a few blocks from Bea's condo. Kaya saglit lang ay nandon na ang kanyang kapatid,

"You look weird" she greeted her brother.

"shut up" masungit na sagot ni Thirdy

"Ayon naman ang kotse mo bakit ka nagpasundo" takang sabi ni Dani.

"Naiwan ko susi sa taas. Kunin mo" Sumimangot ito.

"Wtf. bakit hindi ikaw?"

"Break na kami. Kunin mo na. Babayaran ko gas mo"

"Atyaka bibilan mo ko sapatos" she giggles,

Dani immediately went out of the car at tumakbo pa elevator. When she reached Bea's unit, nagdoorbell siya pero walang nagbubukas, she tried to open the door and it's unlocked,

"Ate Bei"

"Ate"

Copper went to his Auntie and barks,

"Where's your mom, Cop?"

Dani roamed around the unit trying to look for Bea,

"Copper where is she?"

Copper walks to the CR's door

"Is she here?"

"Ate Bei, si Dani to" she knocks,

"Are you alright?"

but Beatriz didn't answer

"Is she really here?" asking Copper

"Ate papasok na ko ah. I'm worried"

Dani opens the CR and saw Beatriz lying on the floor.

"Ate Bea!"

"Ate! Omyghad"

"Ate!"

she dialed his Kuya's number and he quickly answered,

"Fuck you! Ate Bea passed out in the CR! HELP ME OUT"

Thirdy didn't even answer and quickly ran to the elevator.

"Hindi ba natin siya dadalin sa ospital, Kuya?" Dani asked after her brother carried Bea papunta sa kama,

"No. Ang OA. Get me water doon" He pointed at the kitchen.

Bea's really pale. She's tired.

"Bakit ba kayo nagbreak? Parang mga tanga tapos magbabalikan din naman"

"No this time ako nakipagbreak" he said calmly

"WTF! KUYA HINDI KA GWAPO LET ME REMIND YOU"

"Pag panget bawal makipagbreak?"

"Kuya, Bea De Leon? Talaga ba? You know na maraming abangers diba? She can instantly replace you" pagbabanta ng nakababatang kapatid.

"Shut up and call Maki"

"Seriously?! hindi ba pwedeng bukas nalang kayo magbreak? she is clearly unwell para hayaan mo na iba mag alaga."

"Dani pls lang"

"Fine susumbong kita kay Mama"

she dialed Maki's number but she didn't answer,

"okay hindi sumagot ikaw magalaaga kay Ate Bea" Dani's fixing her things to go out when Copper barked

"Cucu, shhh!" saway ni Thirdy

"Cop, Bantayan mo yang tatay mo wag mo papaalisin hangga't hindi okay ang nanay mo"  Dani pets Copper before leaving,

he sighs after hearing the door closing,

"Bakit ka kasi umiyak nang umiyak? Kaya mo naman ng wala ako iyak ka pa dyan" he whispers while fixing the bed for Bea.

"Paano kita iiwan niyan?"

Bea woke up seeing Thirdy sleeping on the couch in their bedroom

she sighs

"I passed out again." she whispered

she quickly got up and went to take a shower, she tries to remember what happened before she passed out pero hindi niya maalala.

"It's okay Bea. Nakalimutan niya naman talaga yung susi nung car kaya babalik talaga siya, nakita ka lang niya walang malay kaya di pa siya umalis" she told herself.

when she's done, hindi na siya nagulat na wala na si Thirdy sa couch.

She checks her watch and 15 mins nalang mallate na siya.

She put the dog food in Copper's bowl and left his water with it.

"I'll be back later. Okay?" she talks to him and the corgi just barks.

she immediately get her keys and ran to the elevator.

A few minutes passed and the door opens again

"Oh, you're eating na?" Thirdy asked Cucu pero hindi siya pinansin nito,

"Where is she? still taking a bath?" he asks again as if the dog will answer,

he puts his ear sa door ng cr to check if andon pa si Bea but wala ng sound.

when he realized na oras na ng pasok nito napailing siya

"Hindi nanaman kumain" so he texted her

I bought you bfast but you left. Iwan ko nalang sa ref ah. Eat this paguwi. I will get my things na din. Wag ka msyadong umiyak mahihimatay ka nanaman. Eat on time and drink plenty of water, Beatriz. If you do not want Copper here just text me and i'll pick him up.

he sent it and look around the unit,

"i'll miss this" he whispered

when he's putting his things sa kotse, his phone vibrated. She replied,

come back nalang pls

parang may kumirot sa dibdib niya pero buo na ang desisyon niya. Ayaw na niya. He continued to put his things sa kotse at umakyat ulit sa unit.

"Cucu" tawag niya sa anak na aso,

Copper went to him and lick him

"I'm sorry Daddy's leaving. I'll visit you every lunch time when she's not around. Okay?"

"Protect her. Don't be too pasaway and playful mabilis mapagod si Mommy"

"Try to be a good kid"

"Don't eat her heels and bags"

"I love you Cucu! You're my uniqo hijo" he kissed him.

Copper starts barking when he realized na aalis na si Thirdy.