A Gangster Love Story

Chapter 57 - The Almost Ending

Ice POV

I was never great at talking, when I was 6, naaksidente ako, car accident. The doctor told my parents na there's a damage to my brain pero no physical harm, konting pagbabago lang sa attitude.

But my parent's didn't expect me to change  too much, it was alarming for them. I often talk or even go outside and play unlike my brother Ace and sister Alodia. I am always at my room, reading books. We went back to the doctor and they asked kung bakit nagkaganito ako, I used to be cheerful and loved playing games especially chess with my father. 

And then the doctor run quick tests and eventually they found out why. Nagkaroon ng permanent damage sa isang part ng brain ko na nagkokontrol sa aking attitude and emotions. I was a kid back then that I don't understand what he was saying. 

Ang alam ko lang, permanente na akong ganito.

Tahimik. Ignorante. Suplado. 

I became anti-social. Nung una, dinala ako ni mommy sa New York para ipagamot. For four months, nagkaroon ako ng psychological therapist. Pero hindi rin nagtagal dahil walang pagbabago sa akin, sumuko din ang parents ko. 

We went back to the Philippines and that was it. 

After a year, napansin ko ang pagiging masayahin ng kapatid kong si Ace. Kakaiba. Until I asked him kung anong meron.

"What is happening?" tanong ko with my usual poker face.

"A girl" he said and beamed.

Kaya pala, may crush ang loko. He always come home late pero parang ang saya niya. After a few days, pinakita niya ang picture nung girl. Panget. not my type. Clumsy-looking. 

Nakadisplay pa yun sa living room namin, pinlit niya si mommy na ilagay yun sa isang maliit na picture frame at ilagay sa table. 

I knew it. It was puppy love. Naiinis ako kasi that girl wasn't a part of our family pero nandun siya sa picture frame ng table namin. I hated her. And I didn't know why but pag nasa living room ako, tinitingnan ko yung girl, and when I asked my brother her name, he said that it was "Ella", so plain. 

I found myself always looking at the girl in the picture. ALWAYS. Pag kagising ko, bago pumasok sa school, pag kauwi from school and bago matulog. I will always look at the picture. Napansin din ni mommy ang ginagawa ko and when she asked me why I was doing such a thing I answered " no specific reason" and then she told me..

"Hindi kaya na in-love at first sight ka? yieee. Ang baby ko may crush na, yung crush pa ng kuya mo ha" 

I snorted. That's ridiculous. 

At mas lumala pa dahil I copied that picture and put it in my own room (where no one would dare to enter because I would throw tantrums, I wanted privacy even when I was a child)

Pag nagdadala si Ace ng picture nung girl, kokopyahin ko at pag kasama si Ace sa picture, after kong ma icopy, gugupitin ko at aalisin ko si Ace. 

I didn't know why. 

After a few months, nagkaroon ng isang matinding problema sa bahay, we found out na may leukemia si Ace, cancer on the blood (dahil nagsusuka siya sa dugo at laging sumasakit ang ulo at tiyan niya so nagpacheck up siya). HE WAS TOO YOUNG. Halos lahat sa bahay depress na depress na parang pinagbagsakan kami ng langit at lupa.

Una ako nagkaproblema sa utak and then Ace. 

Parang binubuhos ang problema sa buhay namin, and me  and my brother are both too young to handle this things. Nag decide si mommy na dalhin si Ace sa Korea para ipagamot. Nung una, ayaw ni Ace because of Ella but eventually pumayag din siya.