THE WAY WE LIVE

XVII. He died with them

Manila North Cemetery

He walked towards the grave with heavy foot steps. Four years have passed but he could still feel the emptiness their death brought to his life, to their lives. Seb and Sen were just four years old, and he was only 20 then.

His life suddenly stopped. He quit college to find a job so he could provide for the kids because he did not want them taken cared of by someone else, by some relatives he knew nothing about. For two years he worked day and night, even on weekends. He was merely living, only breathing because there were two little human beings waiting for him every night, waiting for his hugs and kisses even if he would only bring bread and milk, or nothing at all.

Seb and Sen's "Mano po kuya Sejun, love you Kuya Sejun, Kuya Sejun pasalubong?" were the reasons he lived back then. Without the twins, he could have died a hundred times.

Sejun desperately wiped the tears off his face and managed to smile. "I'm sorry Mom, Dad dapat masaya ako ngayon, graduate na po ako kahit medyo late"

Good thing Ken and his family were there, where he had left the kids most of the time. Ken, his bestfriend who never left his side, was always with him ever since they were kids.

And then there came Emma, who he met in a bar one night, and made his life a lot easier. She paid his rent and tuition fees so he went back to college and graduated. In exchange for something he was willing to sell to anyone just to live and have a fighting chance against someone who made his life miserable, who made his siblings parentless at a very young age.

Just a thought angered him.

Sejun cleaned  the dust and dirt off each gravestone so he could clearly read his parents' name.

Jean Nase

Francis Nase

"Mom, Dad I miss you so much, mahal na mahal namin kayo nina Seb and Sen"
He lighted the candle he brought and uttered a quick prayer.

"Don't worry Mom, Dad someday your death will be given justice."