Almost Maybes

Chapter 3

The last six hours of my birthday was spent with my family. Kuya Eli gave mom a hand to prepare a small surprise at home. I gave him a big hand when he'd learned the ropes on how to cook fresh basil pesto, it was my favorite dish but made with his very own recipe. It tasted good, by the way. He was a real cook. A wife was all he needed, so he could move out of our house and start preparing mouth-watering meals for someone he loved.

It was also the first-time mom had baked a cake for this occasion. Dad was not able to come over for dinner. But I didn't mind, he called me up late at night to say his good wishes. He said we could meet sometime this week for a post-birthday celebration. I knew what the setup would be, we would be eating lunch or dinner in his preferred restaurant. There was no need to look at the menu, because dad would order those he liked, without asking if I was allergic to seafood or not. Despite being the flawed father, he was still my first love. He had shortcomings, but he was there every time I needed him. He was there on my very first birthday, on the day I learned to blow out the candles on my cake, and on every special day in my life. He might be absent this year on my birthday, but he was dad.

The meager celebration we had at home brought rapture to my heart. It would almost be the most special birthday I had so far if Rex had not forgotten about it. I waited until exactly midnight for his greeting. He did that last year when I almost expected him not to message at all. He called a minute before the special day ended.

We went straight home after his silly joke about Physical Education. On our car ride, we had not spoken that much. He would usually prattle or tell confidence that I'd never heard until we reached my place. That night was one of the strangest nights of my life. He talked if I asked questions, he just nodded if I needed his approval on a matter I brought up. That was how the car ride had been. I knew there was something he should have said but kept it to himself.

It was now past six in the morning. Eliseo the great barged into my room; he beat my alarm clock before the wake-up call. The mere reason he did that was to say that I must throw out the trash from last night's party.

Right now, I was walking along the garden path, trampling my feet on the stone and gravel which were scattered on the surface, while approaching the front gate. Under my breath, I was muttering profanities for my brother's rudeness. He could do this alone, maybe after lunchtime, yet he passed the work to me, his younger and only sister. This was the best post-birthday present he had given.

I could go back to bed after this and rest before preparing for work. All I needed to do was leave the garbage bag in front of our gate, and the trash collector would know what to do with it.

I swung the gate open, but it didn't produce a loud bang. Sadly, Eliseo, the great, couldn't hear how irritated I was.

"Hey, Conde."

I was astounded to see who was standing outside when I opened the front gate. The irritation I felt for my brother went away in an instant. Rex's face showed up, his smile was as bright as the morning sunshine; it was not an effigy nor a standee of him, it was Rex Asis. He had the I just got out of the bed look, and the sleep shorts and white t-shirt he was wearing was proof that he jumped out of bed without having a change of clothes.

I made a reply, though a bit astonished to see him looking like this. Rare image of a Rex Asis was now registered in my head. It was saved in the file folder with the title: Morning Look of Asis

I responded trying not to look wide-eyed by seeing him early this morning.

"Hey, Asis."

"Good morning," he said with a smile, staring back at me.

"There's nothing good in my morning. If you would please excuse me, I need to put this trash on the exact spot you're standing."

But he did not move, instead, he was handing over a paper bag to me.