Capturing Smiles

01

"Happy birthday, Armor!" I said banging the door open, I saw my brother who immediately got out of bed because of shock. He gave me a bored look after realizing what had happened, I went closer to him to give him the tightest hug.

"Big boy ka na, 'wag muna girlfriend, ha?" Ginulo ko ang buhok niya. He chuckled on what I said as he fixed his hair.

"I can't promise, kita mo naman kapogian ko, baka ako pa ligawan ng girls, Ate!" He bragged. Hinampas ko nang mahina ang braso nito at natawa. He indeed is my brother.

"Birthday mo ngayon kaya sige, hindi kita kokontrahin kahit ang hirap gawin n'on" We both laughed on what I said. I commanded him to wash his face at magmumog na rin dahil ang baho ng hininga niya at muta muta pa siya.

He's Armor, the youngest among us three siblings. Today is his 14th birthday and we're about to celebrate it as a family. Our birthdays were never boring dahil palaging sinisigurado ni Mama na masaya kami sa kaarawan namin. Even after Papa passed away, hindi nag bago 'yon kahit na mayroon na kaming step father na si Tito Dos.

"Ang pogi naman!" I said exaggeratedly as Armor got out of the bathroom, he just gave me a disgusted look before passing by to grab a towel and damp his face.

"Plastic mo, 'te!" He was covering his face while shouting. Hindi ko naman idedeny dahil totoo naman.

"Sulitin mo na kasi ngayon lang 'to, bukas pangit ka na uli sa paningin ko," I shrugged and smiled. He sarcastically laughed kaya inaya ko na lang siya bumaba dahil kakain na kami ng almusal.

Naabutan namin si Ate Amira, our eldest, pouring milk on Armor's cup. Biglang binilisan ni Armor ang pagbaba at hinawakan ang kamay ni Ate.

"I don't wanna have milk na, 'te. I already told you that po," Sabi ni Armor na parang maamong tuta. Ate Amira laughed at sinabing sa kaniya na lang daw 'yon, she was also about to cry dahil binata na raw talaga si Armor.

"Arte mo. Hindi lang naman mga baby ang nag gagatas," Pangongontra ko nang makababa ako, I saw him roll his eyes through my peripheral vision. Ayaw niya na raw ng gatas dahil hindi na naggagatas ang mga kaibigan niya, they're all into coffee na raw kaya gusto niyang siya rin. We allow him basta hindi palagi, minsan gatas pa rin at wala na siyang nagagawa dahil healthy naman 'yon.

"Kantahan muna natin ng happy birthday ang bunso ko na 'yan!" Bungad ni mama na may dalang pancake, a small blue candle was placed on top of it. Pancakes are his favorite.

We started to sing happy birthday na pabilis nang pabilis. Afterwards, he closed his eyes and made a wish before blowing his candle. Inilapag ni Mama ang pancake at nilagyan ng maple syrup. We were happily eating, Tito Dos prepared multiple jokes at halos karamihan doon ay corny, natatawa na lang kami sa kacornyhan nito at dahil tawang tawa siya sa sarili niyang joke.

"May iba ka pa bang plans today, 'nak?" Mama asked Armor.

"Balak po namin lumabas ng friends ko after our celebration po, kung ayos lang?" Armor looked at all of us with pretty eyes. I was internally disgusted on what he was doing while Mama and Ate was in awe at nacucutean kay Armor. Tito Dos was just smiling, as always.

"Of course, 'nak. Saan ba kayo pupunta at sino sino kayo? 'Wag lang magagabihan, ha? 9 ang curfew mo," Mama was continuously nodding. Armor answered that they're about to go to the mall at magaarcade together with his friends na matagal naman nang kilala ni Mama.

May munting handaan sa bahay, we invited our relatives, family friends, mga classmates, at kaibigan ni Armor. Hindi ito magarbo but I can see that my brother's having so much fun. Mayroong mga nagvivideoke, lumalangoy sa pool, at nakikipagparticipate sa parlor games na inihanda ni Mama at Tito Dos for the visitors.

The party started at 12 noon and ended at 5 pm, may ilan pang mga bisita but most of them were our relatives at tumutulong sa pagligpit. On the other hand, Armor already went out with his friends, sinabihan na rin ni Mama ang mga kaibigan niya na mag sleep over na lang sila sa bahay to spend more time together.

It was a tiring day indeed pero sobrang saya.

I was lying down in bed while scrolling through my phone when someone knocked on my door, pinagbuksan ko ito at bumungad si Ate na may dalang dalawang baso na ang laman ay vanilla ice cream, my favorite.

"Nakauwi na ba si Armor, 'te?" I asked when she gave me my cup of ice cream.

She nodded. "Oo, andiyan na kaya hinayaan ko na muna sila sa baba para komportable sila,"

"Hindi ba mabubulabog sila Mama? Nagpapahinga na sila," I took a bite.

"Nope, pumunta sila kanila Lolo at naghatid ng pagkain," She replied. We peacefully ate our ice cream's at nagkwentuhan lang.

"If only Papa was here," I smiled, malungkot na ngiti.

"He is, palagi naman. I still feel his presence," I looked at ate sa sinabi niya 'cause I also do.

"It's been 4 years pero ang hirap pa rin pala, 'te. Parang kailan lang, palagi niya tayong pinapasalubungan nitong ice cream," I finished my ice cream as I felt a tear fell down from my cheek.

Among us three siblings, ako ang pinakamalapit kay Papa. Ako ang pinakafragile sa aming tatlo dahil palagi akong nabubully noong bata ako, pero andoon si Papa para saklolohan ako. He was so strong, he was everything, wala akong masabi sa kaniya. Palagi siyang masaya, pero sa likod pala ng mga ngiting 'yon ay nahihirapan na siya. Hindi niya sinabi sa'min na he was suffering from cancer, ang malala n'on ay severe na ito nang malaman namin. Sobrang nagtampo ako sa kaniya noon, but at the 3rd month of us knowing about his situation, He took our father from us, and we were all devastated.

I sighed and took out my phone, hinanap ang paborito kong picture ni Papa. It was our picture from my 7th birthday, he was caressing my cheek and looking at me with pure sincerity 'cause I was crying that time dahil hindi ko alam na pinaghandaan nila nang ganoon ang birthday ko.

I wish I could still feel your touch, Papa. I wish you can still look at me the way you do at this picture.

Kahit na wala na siya at hinding hindi na babalik pa, nagpapasalamat ako na marami akong litrato niya. Somehow, this pictures are my medicine sa sakit na nararamdaman ko, sa pangungulila ko sa kaniya, dahil karamihan dito ay kuha ko sa kaniya.