Chapter 2

Mukha agad ni Kurt ang nakita ko and he looked so confused. Then I realized, boses niya ang narinig ko while I was dreaming.

"Okay ka lang?" tanong niya at tumango lang ako.

We were still on the plane at di ako sigurado kung gaano ako katagal nakatulog sa flight. First time naming sumakay ng eroplano, honestly. It was just as comfortable as sitting on a bus. Medyo nangangalay nga lang mga paa ko at feeling ko rin parang nabibingi ako ng very slight. I was sitting on the window seat while Kurt was on my right. Medyo bangag pa ang pakiramdam ko kasi napuyat ako kagabi kaka-Netflix. I was binge-watching the last season of Shadowhunters.

"Kung magkakaroon ka ng superpower, what would it be and why?" out of the blue niyang tanong sa'kin habang hawak-hawak ang favorite niyang comic book.

I instantly gave him a strange look, like a can-you-please-stop-acting-like-a-weirdo-coz-it-annoys-me-look.

"Can you just answer the question?" he insisted. Just to share, Kurt's the best in annoying people and he's very persistent.

I took a breath para pagbigyan siya and said, "Siguro gusto ko 'yung power of flight. Gusto ko lumipad and go to places around the world anytime. You know, free travels," I smirked.

"That's a bit selfish," kontra niya.

"Why? 'Yun nga gusto ko, di ba? You shouldn't have asked me."

"I mean, a superpower that can save the world . . .?" Like I said, he's persistent.

I rolled my eyes because I knew I'd never get out of it. "I want the power to control people's emotions," I finally said, "to stop hatred among each other and to promote brotherly love and world peace. Okay na?" sabi ko sarcastically.

"Wow, pang-Miss Universe ang sagot, ah," tuwang-tuwa siya while clapping his hands silently. "Ako naman, gusto ko magkaroon ng superpower na healing," he said. "'Yung kaya kong pagalingin lahat ng tao sa lahat ng uri ng sakit. I could've saved the world from COVID. I could've saved Mom and Dad."

Now that struck me. Biglang nawala inis ko sa kanya dahil sa sinabi niya. He had no idea how those words impacted me. And he's right. If only he could heal other people, sana hindi kami ulila ngayon. Sana buo pa rin pamilya namin and we wouldn't have to move places. Damn you, COVID-19.

I shifted my body closer to him and rested my head on his shoulder habang bumalik siya sa pagbabasa ng comics. He'd got a ton in his collections. Paborito niya pareho ang Marvel at DC. 'Yun nga lang, di niya kayang dalhin lahat ng comics niya dahil sa sobrang dami so he started to sell them online bago kami umalis ng Manila. 'Yung mga bagong volumes lang na di pa niya nababasa ang nadala niya.

By the way, Kurt's my twin brother. Technically, kuya ko siya kasi mas nauna siya sa'kin lumabas. We're fraternal twins kaya medyo magkaiba rin ang hitsura naming dalawa. Madami ang nagsasabing nagmana si Kurt sa Dad namin, while I was the spitting image of Mom. Mas matangkad siya sa'kin, like he's 5'8". He had a flat-muscled body and his hair was slightly scruffy and dark.

Naalala ko 'yung kwento ng parents namin. Sabi nila, nung bagong-anak pa lang kami, Kurt was bigger and more reddish. Growing up, mas healthy siya habang sakitin naman ako. Kaya since we were little, he'd always been looking after me 'pag wala sa bahay sina Mom and Dad. May mga times nga lang na nakakairita siya. Makulit at mapang-asar, ganun. Minsan pina-prank niya 'ko habang naka-video.

But despite that, minsan iniisip ko na sana kagaya ko siya. He's strong, independent, and responsible. He also seemed completely moved on from our parents' death. I even wanted to ask him kung paano niya nagagawa 'yun --- how to be okay again. It's only been six months since they died.

Year 2020 was the greatest turning point of our lives. Di namin inasahan na mahahawaan kami ng virus. I mean, sino namang tao ang may gusto nun? Ever since, both our parents were super health conscious and unimaginably cautious kahit wala pang COVID breakout noon. During the lockdown, we strictly followed the home quarantine rules. But still, the pandemic caught us.

Unang na-diagnose sina Mom and Dad and they were brought to the hospital immediately. Kurt and I were also tested and quarantined. Kurt turned out asymptomatic until he was cleared. Pero ako ang pinakaswerte sa'min, I never got the virus. Then after three weeks ng pagkaka-ospital ng parents namin, dun na sila binawian ng buhay.

We didn't even have a proper funeral because of the new health protocol. We didn't get a chance to say goodbye. Their remains were cremated and the urns were shipped to our grandfather's place in Puerto Estrella.

And that's where we're going this time. Doon na kami titira moving forward and God only knows what our future holds.

Like our parents, Puerto Estrella was also our birth place. Nung nag-five years old kami ni Kurt, lumipat kami sa Manila with our parents at never na kaming bumalik until this day. I was reluctant to leave. Of course, there's a part of me na nalulungkot kasi iiwan ko na ang lugar na nakagisnan ko. I'd miss the city's concrete jungle and the busy streets. I'd miss Charlie, ang alagang husky ng kapitbahay namin na laging bumibisita sa bahay tuwing hapon para manghingi ng goodies. I'd miss all the places na napuntahan namin nina Mom and Dad when we hang out as family.

But we didn't have a choice. No one's going to take care of us if we chose to stay in Manila kaya it was better to move. Tinapos lang namin ni Kurt ang mga modules to pass tenth grade at sa Puerto Estrella na kami magko-continue ng pag-aaral. Pops, our grandfather, said they had a very prominent university there.

The flight lasted for an hour and thirty minutes. It was past five o'clock in the afternoon when we landed the Puerto Estrella Airport at mula sa window seat ay napansin kong medyo madilim na sa labas. It was also drizzling so I decided to put on my brown leather jacket habang inayos ko rin ang naka-pony tail kong buhok.

"Shall we?" excited na yaya ni Kurt.

Nagsimula na ring magsitayuan ang ibang mga pasahero para kunin ang mga carry-on luggages nila mula sa overhead bin. We did the same thing and got our backpacks. Sumunod ako kay Kurt palabas and we went straight to the baggage reclaim area pagkatapos naming lakbayin ang jet bridge. Kanya-kanya kaming hila ng mga maleta namin, mine was a black hard-sided luggage and his was a maroon suitcase.

"I see him!" he shouted in excitement while waving his hand up high pagkadating namin sa arrivals area.

I scanned the sea of people when we were approaching at halos humiwalay na ang liig ko sa kakahanap sa lolo namin. But I couldn't see him.

Kurt gave me his annoying smile and said, "Joke lang. Gullible mo."

Dahil sa inis, hinampas ko agad ng malakas ang kamay ko sa balikat niya. He jerked.

"Aray ko! Mapanakit ka," he blurted out and I just smirked. Anyway, may pagka-gullible nga talaga ako kaya lagi niya 'ko naloloko at napa-prank. Pero nakakaganti din naman ako sa kanya in my own ways.

"There he is," sabi niya ulit. I tried not to trust him again but I still followed his gaze. And this time, he was telling the truth at nakita ko ang lolo namin sa di kalayuan wearing a grey polo shirt with black pants. He was walking towards us habang abot-tenga ang ngiti niya.

When we met, Kurt let go of his suitcase and wrapped his arms around Pops.

"How's your first flight, mga apo?" He had crow's feet from the corners of his eyes. Nasa early sixty's na siya, but looked extremely younger than his age. He'd got short grey hair, small dark brown eyes expressing full of kindness and a grey beard and mustache circling his mouth. He liked to wear casual clothes, like jeans and shirts, which added to his youthful appearance.

"It turned out just fine, Pops," Kurt shared. "Medyo kinabahan ako nung una pero nag-enjoy naman ako afterwards."

"Mabuti naman kung ganun. Katherine, are you okay?" baling niya sa'kin sabay yakap at halik sa noo ko.

I hugged him back tightly and said, "Yes, Pops. Natulog lang po ako sa flight."

Lagi niya kaming dinadalaw sa Manila kahit noong buhay pa mga parents namin, madalas sa birthday namin ni Kurt. Nakasama namin si Pops last Christmas at New Year's Eve nung binisita niya kami to celebrate with the two of us. Those were the first Christmas and New Year na di namin kasama sina Mom and Dad. And definitely this year, magbi-birthday kami ni Kurt na wala sila. Again, for the first time --- and it's our seventeenth birthday.

"Very well then, let's go. Malamang gutom na kayo," he said right because I was truly starving. "Let's stop by for dinner first bago tayo dumiretso sa bahay."