2 Memento Mori

IT WAS a gloomy Saturday afternoon— rainy season is approaching in Manila. He was hanging out with his friends at a milkshake café and they are talking about supernatural kinds of stuff like gods, angels, and demons and he's just listening to them. He doesn't care if they are real or not, it's not like he will encounter one. The only thing he cares about is how funny that all of his friends are fully grown up but still conversing about non-sense angels and Gods.

He glanced at the window and found the clouds getting darker and heavier. 'It will rain soon', Kairo Silvestre thought, and just like that tiny drops of water started pouring down at the window and people began running around to look for some shade to keep themselves dry.

"Kairo." he glanced at the person who called him, it was Jasper his childhood friend and best friend.

"What?" he asked as he grabs his vanilla milkshake and took a sip. He can feel the cold drink giving chills to his body and so is the cold air coming from the a/c that is filling the place.

"Do you believe in them?" it was Charli who asked him this time.

"Believe what?"

Jasper cuffed and answered him. "You're spacing out again. We were talking about heavenly beings like angels."

They were all looking at Kairo—no they are staring closely at him. Waiting for him to answer the question as if their life depends on it.

He shrugged his shoulders.

"Yeah, right." Indeed, it is evident in his face that he is spacing out.

"No. Even if I believe in them, nothing will change. I'm still in a miserable place." They all groaned in disbelief as he honestly answered them. They have forgotten that he is the only one in their group who doesn't believe in such things— not anymore.

"C'mon bro! loosen up a bit." David, who is sitting beside him tapped his shoulder. "Everything happens for a reason." He added.

Kairo mocked his friend and lazily answered. "Yeah, whatever."

On the contrary, some part of himself is intrigued if these heavenly creatures are real and if they are, aren't they supposed to help the ones in need or answer everyone's prayer? But why is he suffering from unlimited bad luck?

It was that time when he recalls his family's endless misfortunes three years ago. He was left behind by his parents when they were caught into a plane crash leaving him and his little brother alone. Without the appropriate knowledge in handling a business, their hotel went bankrupt.

In a blink of an eye, their lives turned upside down. They went from living into a huge mansion to a condo unit until the only shelter that he can afford from his savings is a small studio type apartment from a three-story building that includes a living room with a small sofa bed, second-hand television, and a tiny kitchen in Pasay.

The only thing he is grateful for is that at a young age his little brother already understands the catastrophe that happened to their family. So is the fact that he graduated in college on time.

He searched for a job and got hired as a manager in a fast-food chain. After two years of misfortunes, he thought that it is already over and accepted the fact that their life in a fairytale has ended. Not until last month when his brother passed away because of leukemia then he got fired from his job because of his been MIA for almost a month.

"Hello? Earth to Kairo." Charli waved his hands in front of Kairo's face.

"Yes? I'm sorry."

"If you're thinking of your little brother again. Stop it okay. For sure he doesn't want you to worry anymore." 'He's right'.

"I'm sure that wherever he is, he's already delighted to be there with your parents," Jasper added.

Kairo scanned and looked at his friends one by one who's now attentively observing him on how he will respond to their words. He's thankful that he has these kinds of friends who support and helped him recover after the tragic event in his life.

He faked a smile, giving them the assurance that he's done mourning and being miserable in his life. "I am so lucky to have you as my friends."

"Stop being so cheesy, bro." David placed his arms around Kairo's shoulder. "You're making us blush."

Their laughter filled Kairo's ears. 'I wonder what they will feel when I'm gone I will surely miss their laughs', he thought to himself. After two hours of talking and teasing each other, the rain stops pouring so they decided to move out of the café and head home before it began to rain hard again.

Jasper offered him a ride since he does not have a car but he refused and gave Jasper a man hug instead.

"Thank you for everything." He whispered which gives Jasper a bad feeling that something might happen.

They bid their goodbyes. When Kairo couldn't see his friend's car anymore, he started walking in the opposite direction they take. Now that he's all alone again there is no reason for him to 'fake' a smile or laugh.

Every time he's with them he always wore a mask that will conceal his true emotions--- solitude and despair. 'It's funny how a beautiful fake smile can deceive everyone'. Even though his friends kept on reminding and telling him to go forward and move on, he can't.

Kairo knows that life is unfair but he did not know that life can be this cruel to one person. When his brother died, a part of him was also taken to his grave. That's when he slowly lost interest in everything, even the thought of how 'important' his life is. It is like his whole world turned into a dull black and white abstract painting. He stops his tracks when he caught a young lad running towards his direction. The boy wore a dirty oversized white shirt but his smile almost reached his ear. The little boy placed his tiny hands in front of Kairo and without hesitating, he reached for his pocket and handed him a one-hundred-peso bill.

"Thank you 'po'." The little boy thanked him and before he could even say your welcome the young lad run back to his family proudly showing them the money he gave. 'How lucky'.

After fifteen minutes, he reached his destination Silvestre Tower it was once their hotel but his relative who manages it on his behalf sold it because of gambling addiction that leads to bankruptcy. He was greeted at the front desk but he ignored them and headed to the elevator. He pressed the button to the rooftop and just stare at his reflection. Dark under eyes, messy hair, baggy clothes with a black polo wrapped around his waist, and a pair of dirty white vans. 'I look like a mess.'

The door opens and the cold breeze of air touched his skin. Kairo got out from the elevator and walk straight to the edge of the rooftop. He stops and stares at the wide view of the city beneath him. One by one he can see the city lights filled the place.

'I will surely miss this place and the cold breeze of air. The yelp of my neighbors every morning. My friend's laughter every time they do something mischievous. I miss my family. I will miss my old self. Should I need to leave? But I am tired. I am tired of everything.'

He looked down, in just one single step his miserable life will end. One step all of his doubts will disappear. One-step and— Kairo's thoughts were disrupted by a loud thud. He looked behind and saw a white-haired girl laying on the floor. Kairo was stunned when he saw the girl's face. It is the first time he saw such an exceptional beauty. Without any hesitation, he ran to her and check her pulse if she's still alive.

What happened to her and where she comes from? He thought. He heard the girl grunt in paint, thankfully she is alive. She slowly opens her eyes and was mesmerized when he saw her gray eyes. When their eyes met, he felt that there is something he couldn't explain that pierced through his soul. Something 'mystic'.

"Where am I?" the girl asked while stuttering. She is having a hard time speaking

'Her voice is so angelic.'

"You were on the rooftop of a hotel." He guided her to sit. His hands were shaking; it is his first time seeing a beautiful woman like her. "How'd you got here? What happened to you?"

"I don't know."

"Do you have any family I can contact or someone?" he asked.

The confusion was written in her face. "I don't know."

His brow furrowed by the way she answers. It looks like the girl can't remember anything. 'Amnesia?' "What is your name then?"

"Seraphina." She answered in a low tone of voice.

"Surname?"

The girl shakes her head indicating that she cannot remember her surname too. 'What should I do?'

Without asking more questions, Kairo brought Seraphina to the front desk and asked them about the girl. He noticed that Seraphina is wearing a long white maxi dress that reaches her ankles, so he removes the polo around his waist and wrapped it on Seraphina's shoulders. Unfortunately, there is no room reservation or condo unit that is named after Seraphina. Assuming that somebody will look for her. Kairo instructed the front desk to look after Seraphina and left the hotel.