5 Being Poor

Hindi mapakali si Zera sa kanyang tayo dahil hanggang ngayon ay hindi niya pa rin ma-contact ang kanyang kakambal. Wala rin ito sa kwartong tinutuluyan o kahit sa garden na madlas nitong puntahan. Pasado ala una na pero hindi niya pa rin nakikita ni anino ni John.

"John, nasaan ka ba kasi?" Naiiyak na tanong ni Zera habang nakatitig sa kanyang cellphone hinihinling na sana'y tumawag ang kapatid o kaga kahit tumawag manlang.

Lumipas ang maghapon na hindi nakikita ni Zera ang kapatid. Labis-labis ang kanyang pag-aalala dahil baka hindi ito kumain sa oras at nakainom ng gamot.

"Bal?" Tawag ni John sa babaeng nakatalikod. sa kanya.

"Jo-john?" humihikbing sagot ni Zera. "Anong ginagawa mo rito? Alam mo bang kaninang umaga pa ko naghahanap sa'yo?!"

"Zera calm down first."

"Paano ako kakalma ha? Buong maghapon kitang hindi nakita at hindi ka rin ma-reach! Mamatay na ako sa pag-aalala sayo, John naman, ikaw na lang meron ako eh. Hindi ko kakayanin na nawala ka rin."

Niyakap nang mahigpit ni John ang nakakatandang kapatid. "Sssh. I'm sorry Bal. Nag eextract kasi ako ng mga herbs kanina. Naiwan ko sa dorm ang phone ko. I'm really sorry. Hindi na ko mawawala ng hindi mo alam."

"Dont tell me wala ka na namang load kaya di ka manlang nakapag-text? Sabi ko naman sayo 'di ba? Mawalan na ko ng load wag lang ikaw. Paano kung may nangyari sa'yong masama?"

"Sayang kasi yun Zera. Imbes na ipang-load ko, iipunin ko na lang. Hindi biro ang price ng mga gamot ko and I know you work hard every cent you gave me. Ayokong mapunta lang yun sa mga bagay na hindi naman gano'n ka-important. Im really sorry for making you this worried, Bal."

"Walang sayang basta I can monitor you, John."

Hindi masabi ni John ang totoong dahilan ng pagkawala niya sa buong maghapon. Mabuti na lamang at nalaman niya ang secret passage palabas at pabalik ng dorm nang walang nakakapansin. He can't let her twin sister know his part-time job as she work really hard everyday to give him everything he could be comfortable of.

This morning he received a messaged saying he was qualified to do the job. He was only assigned on the counter and could lend a hand to the other employee as he were had his heart failure.

He had struggled to find a job that would considered his sickness. Although he wouldn't want to make her twin sister workhard and forget herself but Zera just already did.

He blame himself for having a heart failure as they are really poor. Zera was in debt in years because of his continuously medications and check-up yet he didn't do anything to lighten up his twin sister's burden.

His boss was a heart failure survivor, luckily he was the one who received the email he passed to have rhe job. He also monitored him as if he was his twin sister that was also the reason why he forgot to make a phone call to report to Zera.