Mr. Picture Perfect

How to decipher words that you don't understand

On the second semester, I did not stay in my aunt’s house anymore.  A month later, we found out that Aries and his girlfriend Vi-ann eloped and Vi-ann was pregnant.  Aunt Mat was really furious about it that she never wanted to see them again.  They lived in a small room in an apartment of another relative.  On March of 1997, they came home and had their civil wedding planned.  A decision we were not sure at that time why my Aunt Mat decided to embrace them back. 

Days before the wedding, Aries decided to go to our favorite province, Lucban in Quezon to let Vi-ann meet his grandmother on the father side.  My sister Len and I went to the province a day after Aries and Vi-ann arrived there.  It was holy week then.  As we were walking, Aries decided to treat us ice cream, the first time he ever treat us on something, and the last.

After coming back to Manila, a day after their wedding, he was confined in the hospital for the treatment of his eyes.  He was always complaining about the strain in his eyes and he said it was getting blurred.  In his second night in the hospital, six of my cousins including me and two of his friends stayed in the hospital.  We were even warned by the nurses to go home because only two persons were allowed to stay inside the room and it was past the visitor’s time.  We asked them to allow us to stay until midnight and we would all go home.  We were having fun because Romeo brought a guitar and we were singing and laughing to the different songs he played especially the version of Tears from Heaven by Eric Clapton with the lyrics of Ako ay may Lobo. 

Sometime in April, our Aunt told us the real reason why Aries was confined in the hospital.  He had a brain tumor.  We were deeply shocked and saddened by the news.  We couldn’t believe that he had cancer of the brain and on terminal stage.  Another week came, still confined at the hospital, his doctors decided for him to undergo an operation, in his brain.  I saw the result of his CT-Scan; the tumor was a size of a baby fist.  Vi-ann was already five months pregnant.  After a series of talks with the doctor, Aunt Mat and Vi-ann, Aries decided not to have an operation and just go home, take his medicines and be on a regular check-up.

I was asked to stay again with them after he went home from the hospital.  I had to help my Aunt Mat, Aunt Irene, Jan – Aries brother, and Vi-ann to take care of Aries.  Our house in Sampaloc had three families living together.  My other cousin, Lyra and Tops lived in the bottom of the house and on the other side were my other uncle.   When I came home from school, Aries would often ask me how my day was.  He would cheer himself with his practical jokes.  We would still do our favorite past time, eat pancit canton with hot pandesal, watched MTV Asia and play video games. 

“So how is Jun?”

“Remember Grace, our neighbor?”  Aries used to go to our house when he was in high school.

“Yeah, I think I remember her.  2 years behind our batch?

“Yes.  She’s friend with Jun’s girlfriend.  Her name is Tricia.”

“I remember Grace, but I don’t remember Tricia.”

“Well she’ pretty and they look good together.”

“You saw them?”  I nod. “Do you want me to interfere?  I will get in touch with Adrian.”

“Ha ha.  No it’s okay.”

“Well I wish I can do something for you.”

I saw how Aries body changed.  Gained too much weight, lost his right eye sight, couldn’t hear anything I said and became too heavy to carry his self.  Sometimes he would refuse to take his medicines and wouldn’t go to the hospital for the check-up.

On July 8 1997, Vi-ann gave birth to a cute baby boy.  They named him Arvin.  Aries had to wait in the house after Vi-ann was released from the hospital.  How happy he was when he finally saw his baby and carried Arvin into his arms.  Aries was cheerful when Arvin came, he even volunteered to feed the baby and let him sleep.   As Arvin grew, Aries stamina slowed down.   His left eye was getting blurred.  And that time, we really had to shout very loudly for him to hear us.  One night, Arvin was left lying in the sofa while I study and Vi-ann was preparing milk, Aries came out of nowhere and started to sit directly to the baby’s head.  He didn’t see Arvin, but I was too quick to stop him from sitting on his baby and Vi-ann upon seeing what might have happened started crying.  Aries started crying too.  Aunt Mat, Aunt Irene and Jan was awakened by my shouting and because of the incident, they decided to push thru with the operation.