The Sealed Promise

Epilogue 1

"Hoy! Ano yan!"

"Tumayo ka nga!"

A girl with a jumper who looks like a boy walked towards us.

She helps me to stand and she picks the chess pieces on the floor.

I find her cute because she help me.

She hands me the board but...

"Ouch!" my brother screams.
"Mommy...Mommy!"

Binato niya si Kuya nung rook!

My brother cries out loud and I'm here standing. Shocked from what she did. She has this contented smile on her face while amusingly watched my brother's situation.

"Ayan. Patas na."

"Jusko! Belley anong ginawa mo!?"

"George what happened? Bakit umiiyak yung Kuya mo?"

"Mom...she—"

"Mommy binato niya ako sa laruan ni George. It hurts Mom!"

Daplis lang yung tama. Greg is over reacting. I secretly leered. He acts like a newborn baby. Psh!

"Mom, my forehead hurt so bad. That girl threw a chess—"

"Hoy! Inaaway mo siya," she points me. "Tapos kasalanan ko pa? Gago talaga."

"Belley!"

She cussed? Wow.

"Pasensya ka na Daye. Palaaway talaga itong pamangkin ko. Alam mo na, mana kay Belinda."

"No. It's okay. Away-bata lang naman ito Marian."

"But Mommy!"

"No Greg. You're older here. Dapat hindi ka umiiyak."

Tiningnan ko yung batang babae and she's now looking at me. I felt uncomfortable that's why I excused myself while still holding my chess board.

"Hoy!"

I stop.

"Bakla ka ba?"

"What?!"

"Ang lampa mo kasi," she eyed me from head to toe.

I felt more uncomfortable.

"Kasi isang tulak lang nung gago natumba ka na."

"My brother is not gago, okay? And don't talk to me, we're not friends."

I continue my steps but she's still following me.

"Tangina! Ikaw na nga yung pinagtanggol, ikaw pa yung masungit! Walang duda! Bakla ka nga! Eh bakla! Bakla! Bakla!"

She's so loud!

I find her cute but not now. Psh!

"Hoy!"

I stop again. "Hindi ako bakla."

"Dapat lang talaga! Kasi kung bakla ka? Sayang."

I leered again. She's so loud! She even called me 'bakla'. I'm softer and calm than Greg but I'm not a gay.

"Alam mo? Crush kita."

"What?!"

She starts to step towards me. What is she doing?

"Jowain mo'ko. Call me Lady then I'll call you Babe."

That's was Belley's line when I firstly met her. She's just 10 years old that time while I'm 11. She has this angelic and cheerful smile opposite on her eyes. They bear sadness. I know her mother passed away that time but she can still lift her mood on her own. She's different. And that quality catches me.