Ayaw na nyang pakinggan ang kahit anong rason mula kay Jessica, ni hindi niya gustong marinig ang boses nito. Everything about her is pissing Yuri off, at kahit siguro ilang beses nya pakinggan muli ang tinig niya, maiinis at maiinis lang siya. Yuri ended their call the moment Jessica became silent, just as much as her brother came inside, she was disturbed from thinking too much.

"Ate walang almusal?" Oo nga pala, hindi pa siya nakakapagluto ng kakainin nila.

"Eto na, hintayin mo na lang ako sa baba. Magluluto na ko." Yuri replied. He may be old enough to take his responsibilities, pero naiintindihan nya na kailangan pa rin bantayan at gabayan ang kapatid.

"Sige ate. Pakitawag na lang ako." At nauna nang makalabas ng kwarto si Yuri.

She managed to look okay in front of her brother, ayaw na niyang mag alala pa ito sa kanya. While she kept herself busy from cooking, her brother didn't notice anything not until he saw Yuri na hindi man lang nagalaw ang pagkain, at the same time, tulalan pa rin. He looked at her repeatedly, paulit ulit rin sa pagkalabit ng braso ni Yuri. Kung hindi pa nagsalita ang kapatid niya, hindi pa siya matatauhan.

Tumingin lang ito saglit at umayos ng upo. Hindi siya makakain, sa dami ng iniisip. "Paki ligpit na lang yan pagtapos mo, aakyat lang ako."

"Okay ka lang ba ate? Ang balisa mo kagabi pa."

"Okay lang. May mga iniisip lang."

Muli siyang nahiga kahit tirik na ang araw na sumisilip sa kanyang bintana. Karamay muli ang mga unang nagpatahan sa malamig nyang gabi, Yuri couldn't bear the pain she is feeling, kung pwede lang tanggalin ang puso ng ilang araw ginawa na niya. Ibabalik na lang kapag okay na ang lahat, kaso hindi, ito yung klase ng sakit na paulit ulit ididiin sa loob niya, na kahit magpaawat pa siya, ito yung sakit na walang pahinga.

Ganito yung klase sakit, na walang lunas, na kahit ipaubaya sa oras ay walang kasiguraduhan kung kailan magwawakas.

She covered her head with a spare pillow, trying to block the sunlight from touching her face. Wala siyang gana sa lahat, at kahit yung patuloy kumakatok sa pinto ng kwarto hindi niya pinagbubuksan. But then, her brother still insisted. He had been alone in this house for months, there's no way he couldn't get himself in. Pumasok siya, at nadatnan ang ate na nakapulupot ng kumot, kahit maliwanag sa loob, ramdam niya ang bigat at dilim.

He seated in front of Yuri. He even laid his body where he can reach her eye level. Her brother warmly smiled, enough for Yuri to let a tear fell down on her cheeks. Hinawi nito ang buhok na nakaharang sa kanyang mukha, pinunasan ang luha, at inakbay ang braso sa kanyang balikat.

"Masyado na bang masakit ate?" Yuri couldn't speak, her brother knows how to touch her soul, that even just by staring, he knows what's wrong.

"Ano bang ginagawa kapag nasasaktan? Diba nagpapagaling? And home is your healing camp right?" Kahit anong sakit pa yan, tama nga naman ang kapatid niya, pamilya pa rin ang puno't dulo ng paglalakbay ng dalaga.

"Miss ka na ulit nila mama, gusto mo ba dumalaw? Iiyak mo sa kanila lahat, nandito naman kami palagi, ang pahinga mo kapag hindi mo na kaya." Hindi makasagot si Yuri, minsan lang ganito ang kapatid niya, and she is thankful for atleast having him around like this.

He was able to make Yuri stand up, and when she did, sinalo siya ng kapatid niya ng isang yakap, yung yakap na matagal na niyang kailangan, yung klase ng yakap na makakapagpaluwag ng bigat sa nararamdaman niya. She stayed in his arms for a while, somehow it was helpful.

It didn't take Yuri that long kaya maaga pa lang nakaalis na sila. Hindi pa rin maiwasan ng dalaga ang hindi mapatulala, at sa kahit anong anggulo niya tignan ang daan, Yuri can't help but to think, sana siya rin... masaya tulad ng iba. Her brother immediately flicked her fingers, causing the young woman to stop from entertaining her lingering thoughts.

"Oh ano ba yon?" She said, however, her brother just gave her his phone. Not knowing what to do.

"Ano gagawin ko rito? May phone din naman ako?" She replied as soon as she got his.

"Hindi mo naman bubuksan yung phone mo, dahil si ate Jess pa rin bubungad sayo, oh ayan. Tawagan mo si mama, sabihin mo pupunta tayo ng ospital." He grinned as he mentioned it sarcastically. 

And so she did, hindi nga niya ginalaw ang sariling telepono. She dialed their parent’s number and surprisingly they answered quickly, the moment Yuri heard her mother's voice she felt relieved, she felt hopeful, it was the sound of her precious home.

At kahit saan siya magpunta, boses ng nanay niya ang bukod tanging pahingang nandyan lagi, hindi nawawala kahit anong mangyari. Yuri was just listening to her voice, she bit her lower lip so that her mother wouldn't hear her silent cries.

"Anak? Napatawag ka, kamusta ang ate mo?" All knowing it was her brother, Yuri didn't answer.

"Pag ako pinaglololoko mo na namang bata ka, sinasabi ko talaga sayo." Her mother haven't changed at all, hindi niya mapigilang matawa kaya narinig na siya agad ng ina.

 "Ma... ako lang to, si Yuri po." At first, her mother didn't believed Yuri, her brother probably prank called her multiple times, para hindi pa rin pagkatiwalaan ang boses nito.

"Ma ako nga po ito! Pinahawak kasi niya yung phone sa akin, ako yung pinatawag dahil nagdadrive. Dadalaw nga po pala kami dyan, kamusta na po si papa?"

"Okay lang naman kami, gusto ka na nga pala niya makita, buti makakadalaw ka."

She was strucked at that thought 'buti makakadalaw ka.' Yuri realized how much she failed her parents this time, wala na nga siyang maipagmamalaki sa kanila, hindi pa niya nadadalaw yung tatay niya. At kahit minsan hindi sila nagreklamo habang tinitiis yung oras na nakukuha nila sa kanya.

The young woman felt bad for acting that way but still recieve kindness in return. How come she couldn't even make her loved one's proud?

"Sorry ma, sorry ngayon na lang po ulit ako makakadalaw." She could not even mention what happened, hindi niya kakayanin na nagaalala na nga sa ama niya, pati siya magiging pabigat pa.

"Okay lang anak, naiintindihan naming marami ka pa rin inaasikaso." Napayuko na lamang si Yuri sa sinabi ng ina. It was hard to swallow what really happened back in France, even herself couldn't accept it. Na matapos ang ilang taong pagstay sa ibang bansa, uuwi pa rin siyang walang napapatunayan.

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