The Tragedy

Chapter 4

Duke Kit

I'm Duke Kit Lopez, a 4th year student of SDU from Ruby. I had 3 other siblings, and I'm the second child in the family and also the brother of Adelaide Joice, and Akia Zoe whom I barely seen in our home.

Our big bro was the director of dad's company, kuya James...he was a caring and loving kuya na meron kami. Kasi ever since na may problema kami he was there with us...even nung time na kailangan na kailangan namin talaga siya. But there's some flaws within the family also, dahil at some point...yung little one nang pamilya became distant on us for some reason...even mom and dad doesn't know they're worried for her ever since...so do we. As mom said di niya daw alam kung saan siya nagkulang dahil alam niya namang nabigay niya lahat sa amin bilang ina at pamilya sa aming magkakapatid. But mom sometimes thinks her youngest is growing and that she is exploring things she wants that maybe someday her child will come to her and talk it out.

Mom is a kind of mother that was gentle and soft hearted...kasi kung ako tatanungin niyo...Akia really got moms personality...yung tipong tahimik lang gagawin yung pinapagawa, yung literal na gentle sa lahat nang bagay.

Kaya ngayon nagtataka ako after kong makita ang bunsong kapatid ko na ngumingiti at tumatawa sa piling nang iba at hindi saming pamilya niya. Alam kong may rason kung bakit ganun siya ngayon and that's what I want to know...kung ano yung rason kasi di ko kayang makita na sa iba nagiging masaya ang kapatid ko kesa sa pamilya niyang nandito na kayang intindihin ang kung anong problema ang meron siya lately.

"Kuya..." tawag sakin ni Ade... "Hmmm...ano yun?" tanong ko rito. "Uhm...alam kong nag-alala at curious ka din kay Aki..." panimula na sabi niya...

We're both at home chilling sa salas kung saan lagi kaming nagbobonding magpamilya kung weekends at walang pasok...especially kung walang trabaho sina kuya James, at mom and dad... dito kami lagi masayang naglalaro nang kung ano ano...remembering it made me think it was already been months since the last time na nagkasaya kaming buong pamilya. Tho yes magkakasama naman kami sa bahay at all times pero hindi lang talaga namin ma tugma yung alis at balik ni Akia sa bahay. Dun mo talaga ma rerealize na iniiwasan niya kami. Itinaas ko ang aking ulo para magkapantay kami ngunit ito'y tumingin sa harap upang iwasan ito.

"I felt so confused and sad at the same time seeing her again...pero ang kaibahan eh nasamalayo pa...yes kapatid nga natin..bunso natin pero parang biglang umiba yung ihip nang hangin at si Aki ang dinala at ito'y lumayo satin..." dagdag nito at napaisip ako sa sinabi. "Hmm...parang yung mga sinasabi nila dati na 'close yet so far' yung ang lapit nga sayo pero parang ang layo din...I know there has a big reason for that why it become like this...alam kong alam nina kuya James yun..." sabi ko sa kaniya... "Yeahhh alam naman nating di mapakali yang si kuya James sa pag-aalala when it comes sa atin...especially kay Aki na matahimik at di masyadong nagsasalita kahit noon pa.." sabi niya at humarap sa akin... "Pero kuya alam mo nung nakita ko siyang masaya at tumatawa sa mga kaibigan niya ay napapanatag ako na...at least we know that she was fine and okay..." sabi niya habang nakangiti. "Haha yeahhh that somehow take one thorn in my heart nang makita siyang nakangiti kahit malayo..." sagot ko sa kaniya.

"And kuya ito pa nga pala hahaha nakaklimutan ko eh..." tawang sabi nito nang may naalala. Napangiti lang ako sa inasta ni Ade ngayon. She's in pain also, so do I. "Alam mo bang sa SDU din nag-aaral si Akia kaya gusto mong lumipat last year?" biglang tanong nito sa akin. "No...it was mom told me to enroll in SDU for our 3rd year in high school...that's what I only knew. And the thing that we really didn't know she was in SDU all along...made me confirmed na iniiwasan talaga tayo ni Aki for such a long time." Sagot ko sa kaniya na siyang ikina taas nang kilay nito. "You know kuya naisip ko din yan...yung Akia na nakita natin kanina is way different than before...we knew her as quiet and lil jolly kind of kid..and knowing how she bonded sa barkada niya that was not a year bond that was way more farther...and I got the thought that what if Akia met them same year as we did with our barkadas?..." dagdag na tanong ni Ade sakin... "That made me think also...tanong natin kay mom mamaya..." sagot ko sa kaniya.