The Engineer (Batchelor Series #2)

42

Drakon Da Vinci
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It was the last time I saw Renz. Standing there in my mom’s small kakanin shop, his smirk playing on his lips, acting like he hadn’t left me hanging for weeks. After that day, he disappeared completely, like a ghost vanishing into thin air.

I’d tell myself, good riddance, but deep down, I knew it wasn’t true.

Graduation day came faster than I expected. The crowd was a sea of black and white robes, faces filled with pride, excitement, relief. My name was called, I walked up the stage, shook hands with the dean, smiled for the cameras. But even as the cheers echoed around me, I couldn't help but feel the emptiness gnawing at me.

No sign of Renz. No one standing at the back, waiting for me with that usual cocky grin. He was gone.

By the time I got my diploma, I’d accepted it. Renz wasn’t coming back. No explanations, no apologies. Just silence. A part of me wanted to be angry, to hate him for walking out without a word. Pero, alam ko na kung sino si Renz. He wasn’t the type to stick around when things got complicated.

I tried to move on. But every now and then, his memory would creep in, uninvited.

—

Manuel left not long after Renz did. Isa pa ‘yon. Akala ko, stable na kami as a family. He got a scholarship to study in Spain, with our tita, and suddenly, it was just me and my mom and papa.

I never wanted to hold him back. Gusto kong maabot ni Manuel ang mga pangarap niya, but it felt like I was losing everything all at once. Renz was gone, and now my little brother too. The house felt emptier without his loud music blasting at odd hours of the night, without his endless chatter.

But at least, even in his absence, Manuel would still message me every now and then. Random check-ins, sharing stories about his life in Spain. I was happy for him, but damn if it didn’t make me miss him even more.

Then, out of nowhere, my mom mentioned that she was receiving money. At first, I thought maybe it was just a mistake. Some stranger sending cash to the wrong GCash account. But it kept happening—regular, consistent.

“Pay-pay, may pumasok na naman,” my mom said one evening while we were eating dinner, waving her phone at me with a smile. “Anonymous sender ulit, siguro may mabait na tao lang na gustong tumulong.”

“Di ba parang sketchy, Ma?” I asked, frowning as I thought about it. “What if may strings attached yan?”

But my mom just shrugged, her usual calm self. “Wala naman. Sinisigurado kong iniipon ko yan, para kung may dumating na problema, may emergency fund tayo.”

I didn’t press further. For all we knew, someone out there just really wanted to help. Maybe it was a sign that things were turning around for us. But the thought nagged at me sometimes—who would care that much?

—

Months passed, and I tried to settle into life after college. With Manuel gone and the kakanin business keeping me and mom busy, I didn’t have time to dwell on the past much. But every time I saw my mom’s GCash notification light up with another deposit, I couldn’t help but wonder.

A part of me, the part that refused to let go of certain memories, thought it might’ve been Renz. I never asked. I didn’t want to know if it wasn’t him. He delete all his social media accounts. That scumbag burgis.

It was easier that way.

The absence of people you care about doesn’t get easier. You just learn how to live around it, to keep moving forward. Even if some part of you is still stuck in that old memory, waiting for the day things might go back to how they were.

But life goes on. And so did I.

The air felt different today, heavy but in a way that carried excitement. I stood at the gate of our house, staring at my phone screen—my name, Drakon Da Vinci, displayed as the topnotcher of the licensure exam for doctors. Top one. Hindi ko pa rin ma-process nang mabuti. After everything, this was it. I had made it.

“Drakon!” My mom’s voice broke through my thoughts, and I looked up to see her running towards me, tears already streaming down her face. She enveloped me in a tight hug, the scent of her cooking clinging to her apron. "Pay-pay, top one ka! Grabe!" Her voice cracked, overwhelmed with pride.

I hugged her back, feeling the weight of all the sacrifices my family had made for me. “Ma, nakaya natin,” I whispered, my own voice shaking slightly. She pulled back, her face glowing with joy, and wiped her eyes, still clutching my arm.

"Hindi lang nakaya, anak, na-slayedt pa natin!" she said, grinning ear to ear. "Ang tagal nating pinangarap ito, anak." She gestured for my dad, who was coming out of the house, a wide grin plastered on his face.

“Top one! Hindi ko akalain, Drakon. Akala ko dati pangarap lang ‘yan, ngayon totoo na,” my father said, pulling me into a firm handshake and then a quick embrace. His eyes were misty, but he’d never admit that. He was always the stoic one, but today, even he couldn’t hide his emotions.

"Kuya!" Manuel’s voice chimed in from behind, and I turned just in time for him to crash into me with a hug. Mabuti nga at naisipan nito magbakasyon kung hindi magtatampo na ako.

“Sabi ko na eh, ikaw yung matalino sa ating dalawa,” he teased, his usual grin plastered on his face.

“Alam mo naman, Manuel, ginamit ko lang ‘yung brain cells na tinira ko para sa'yo,” I shot back, laughing as he playfully punched my arm.

“Proud ako sa’yo, Kuya,” he said softly, his grin replaced by something more sincere. “You’re a real inspiration, bro.”

I ruffled his hair. “Manuel, don’t get all mushy on me now.”

The moment felt surreal, as if I was floating between dream and reality. And yet, the joy was tempered by something hollow, an emptiness I couldn’t quite shake off. In the back of my mind, there was still that lingering shadow—Renz.

No shadow of him had crossed my path since our last encounter. I had graduated without seeing him, as if he had completely vanished from my life. The void he left, the tension that never fully unraveled, it gnawed at me sometimes. But I pushed it away, focusing instead on the happiness in front of me.

"By the way," my mom said, smiling as she reached for her phone. "May pumasok na namang money sa GCash ko. Malaki-laki na ang naipon natin mula sa anonymous sender. Whoever they are, they’ve helped us a lot."

I nodded, my heart twisting slightly. We had never figured out who was sending the money all this time. But whoever it was, I owed them, too. Still, for now, I let myself enjoy the moment. After all, this was a day to celebrate.

“Let’s eat,” my mom suggested, pulling me inside. "May espesyal akong niluto. Top one ka, anak! We’ll celebrate like never before!" She grinned, wiping her eyes again before guiding us all into the house.

I smiled, following them inside, but a part of me lingered on the thought of Renz. Wherever he was, I hoped he found his peace, just as I was finding mine.

Proud kaya s'ya sa akin? Naman, mapost yon sa bigating publication eh. For sure makita n'ya yon.

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Sorastillworthy