Flickers

Chapter 80

The sky was filled with blooming colors of fireworks resembling that of a gorgeous flower as it flies up to the sky and shed light on the now midnight sky.

Everyone stayed up late even the children have all been running to the street with firecrackers in their hands. The adults would arrange the table that we're filled with new year food as well as the basket of fruits in the shape of a circle since it symbolizes good luck. Teens would rather stay in their rooms holding their phones or would join in the fun.

"Happy new year" Mom announces in the dining room as we welcome the new year, the third year of father's death. "Let's eat now, don't be shy Eric, my children would define be devouring their food and if you're late you'll see no more"

"Ma!" I hissed, she just lifts her brows at me as if daring me to say something and I can only sit on my seat well behaved.

"It's fine Tita, I'm already full just by seeing your creations" he smiled, Eric came to our house after being invited by me.

Of course, I asked for her mother's permission, besides I invited him late in the night so he could still have dinner with his family.

"Then you don't need to eat then if you're full- ouch mom! That hurts!" Jhonrie, my fourth brother who is the strictest of all of my brothers would always send a stinky glare at Eric as if he stole his precious treasure.

"Don't mind him, Eric, he's just awed at your presence" I burst into a short-lived laugh before being glared at by my brother and mouthing traitor.

After that day at Christmas, I worked on being by his side and supporting him at the things that he likes. I knew he could only vent his energy on his passion and hobbies rather than the memories of his lost father.

"This is really good, tita" he was wide-eyed when he first tasted the carbonara that I and my mother cooked.

"I heard that it was your favorite fold so I added it," my mom says and Eric was blushing from the special attention that my mother gave to him.

"T-Thank you so much, tita"

My mother just smiled and urged him to eat more saying he was too skinny. It was like how a mother would lecture her child, telling them to eat more.

We finished eating and Eric and I decided to go out of the streets to have our food already cleared of our bodies. My third and fourth brothers decided to play with the little boys in our street and decided to take the boga that they created three days before the New year.

(AN: The boga, also known as a PVC cannon, is a noisemaker popular with revellers celebrating the New Year in the Philippines)

My mom went to my aunt's house and gathered there to gossip, it was idle and harmless gossip though, and just letting each other know what happened to them in the past months.

"Come here" Eric gently took me by my shoulder and put me on his left side. We were walking on the national road and I immediately thought understand his reason after seeing some children running without care.

"How's the food? I helped mom on cooking carbonara" I say, making small talks at him as we walked off into the street, not knowing where we're heading off to.

"It was really great, the greatest carbonara that I've tasted"

"Tsk, this flowery mouth of yours would truly get you into a high position"

He laughed and at that time I find myself being in peace after a month of having contradictions with my head and heart. The sudden pop-up of his ex-girlfriend, the breakup that broke my heart and his into pieces, and the loss of his father. In a month I've felt my heart hurting so bad I wanted to ask the doctor if it still beats.

But today, my heart is at peace and so as he, or was he truly? In the corner of my eye, I saw him walking with his eyes on the road, pupils glimmering under the shade of the street lights and the smoothed out brows that have been knotted in the past weeks.

I also experienced the mask that I created in front of people when my father died. Always smiling as I tried to remain optimistic about life. Not minding everyone's pity and condolences. Trying to remain the same as if everything that happened was just a wisp of dreams.

I don't want him doing the same to me, just as he asked me to act like myself the day that he finds me smiling at him without it reaching my eyes.

"Eric"

"Yeah?" His eyes lowered down briefly to meet mine before it lifts and he continued his walk.

"Are you truly fine now? Please don't lie to me"

His walk falter when he heard my question and it stopped when he heard my voice breaking at the end.

"I'm fi-"

"Please, don't lie to me" I begged him then watched him sigh. He put his hands and held mine before whispering something to me that made my eyes brighten.

"Come on, I'll tell you on the road"

***
Chapter 73 is up!

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