So Long, My Majesty

chapter 7

"NAKASIMANGOT ka na naman ulit? Pang-ilan mo na yan? Ang aga aga ate. Nakakasira ng araw yung ganyang mukha. Totoo."

"Papa, mama oh, si Rash inaaway na naman ako."

"Naku ma pa, isip bata lang talaga yan si ate at pikon. Minsan nga di ko na alam kung sino sa aming dalawa ang panganay eh."

At di ko na talaga matantya ang pangungutya ni Rash, binato ko sa kanya ang box ng posporo kaya ayon at nagtatakbo siya... parang tanga lang.

Nasa sementeryo kami ngayon, dinadalaw sila mama at papa. Today is the 9th year of our parent's death. Since then, dinadalaw namin sila sa sementeryo, occasionally. Pag birthday nila or ng isa sa amin ni Rash, pag pasko, new year, valentines and other special occassions.

Malungkot, oo. Who wouldn't feel sad if your exactly looking at your parent's name on tomb? Kanina pa ako binubully ni Rash dahil sa kakasimangot ko pero wala eh, miss ko na sila mama at papa.

"Rash! Tara na?"

"Sandali, sindihan ko lang itong mga kandila."

We were both on leave. Rash and I decided to. We annually took a one long leave on our work and one of the main reason is to visit our parents. 1 week yung leave dahil uuwi din kami sa bahay ng lola namin, together with kuya Enzo. We were used to it and habits die hard, either good or bad. But it's far from habit though. It's actually more on like, we were trainned at sa mga nagdaang panahon talagang nakasanayan na namin.

Nagtaxi kami pauwi. And on our way home, Rash is busy with his cellphone.

"Yah! Who you're texting with?"

"I'm not texting."

"Your typing idiot."

"Hay nako. Si Monique."

"Girlfriend?"

"No."

Then we both fell into silence. Ganyan kami mag-usap ni Rash minsan, walang sense. Hindi naman sa wala talagang sense pero tipong wala, wala sa tono na may pake.

Hindi naman kasi ako nangingi-alam sa buhay at buhay pag-ibig ni Rash and viice versa. Kumbaga, buhay niya at buhay ko and we're free to choose. But it doesn't mean na wala akong pake entirely kay Rash, meron naman. After all he's my little brother.

It took quite some time before we gone home. Naabutan namin si kuya na nagluluto. Inaya niya kaming kumain ng agahan but I declined, si Rash lang ang nagpaaya. Hindi naman ako gutom.

Pumasok ako sa kwarto para magbihis at lumabas agad ulit.

"Io."

Nang makalabas ako ay tinawag ko si Io. Seconds later he appeared, waving his hand at me. These past few days, madalang ko lang makita si Io and it's saddening.

"Wanna go on a walk?"

"Sure, Maj."

"Mabuti naman at di ka na tinatawag ng creator mo."

"Actually, we were always together at night. There are just times when I really need to be fix."

Nagkausap kami right after nangyari ang dalawang beses na pagkawala niya. I can't still fully understand if what is really need to be fixed when in fact Io itself is already perfect. Or baka wala talaga akong alam?

"Can you speak tagalog? Uhm well if you don't mind."

I haven't heard him speaking any different language. I'm just curious.

"Mahal kita."

I stopped walking. Wait, did he just said, 'mahal kita'?

"What?"