Mio

*Nathan's POV*

"Ate---"

"NATHANIEL! SAAN MO NA NAMAN DINALA YUNG KOTSE KO HA???"

I immediately pulled the phone away from my ear.

"Ate, ang aga aga nasigaw ka."

"Yun na nga. Ang aga aga pinapasigaw mo na ko!"

"Why do you need the car?" Tanong ko. "Akala ko ba sa bahay ka lang muna?"

"That's just on weekends!" Sabi niya. "May presentation ako ngayon!"

"Magpahatid ka sa boyfriend mo."

"Anong boyfriend ka dyan?? May trabaho rin yun!"

"Edi mag taxi ka."

"Argh!" I heard her screamed. "Siguraduhin mong hindi mo na yan gagamitin bukas ha!"

"What would I use then?"

"Hindi mo ba nakita yung isa pang kotse sa garahe??" She asked. "Sa'yo yun."

"Sa'kin?"

"Yes! Papa bought you the same model you had before."

"Okay."

"Nasaan ka ba? Ang aga pa kaya."

"I'm busy." Sagot ko. "Mamaya ka na tumawag."

"Aba--"

I hang up.

I stared at the house in front of me.

Yes, it's still early pero nandito na ko.

Hindi ko kasi makalimutan yung panaginip ko.

I didn't know that because of her, I'll dream about Nicole.

"Nicolee? Nicolee???"

Saan na naman kaya siya nagpunta?

"Cole!" Nakita ko rin siya. "Kanina pa kita hinahanap. Kung saan saan ka na naman nagpupunta."

I took both of her hands and check. Mabilis kasi siya magkaroon ng sugat.

"Kuya, I'm okay." Sabi niya.

"Wag mo nang gagawin ulit yun ha?" I said. "Alalang alala kami sa'yo."

"Sorry." She pouted. "Hindi ko napansin yung oras. I was carried away sa pag-uusap namin ni Ate."

Ate?

I looked behind her and saw a girl.

"Naabala ka ba niya?"

"Nako hindi." Ngumiti siya. "Ang bait niya nga e."

Mabait?

No one ever described her that way before.

"Ano na naman kayang kwinento mo, Nicole?" I looked at my sister. "Madaldal ka pa naman."

"Hala. Quiet kaya ako."

"Aalis na kami ha. Kanina pa kasi siya hinahanap nila Mama." Sabi ko. "Ano nga palang pangalan mo?"

"Aletheia Courtney Zamora." She said. "Theia nalang."

Aletheia?

Ate mentioned the same name before.

"James Nathaniel Go. You can call me Nate."

We shook hands.

"Uh ehem.. Kuya?"

Napabitaw naman kami parehas at natawa.

"May pa Nate--"

Tinakpan ko agad yung bibig niya. Baka kung ano pa masabi ng kapatid ko.

I'm sure she'll tease me about it later.

"Aalis na kami, Theia."

Nicole looked at her. "Pwede ba kong pumunta dito para bisitahin ka ulit, Ate?"

"Oo naman. Nandito ako palagi."

"Yehey!!!" She clapped. "Bye, Ate."

"Bye." Theia stood up and hugged her.

Ang lapit niya sa mga bata.

"Thank you, Ate Theia."

"See you around." I smiled at her and pushed Nicole's wheelchair.

She was still smiling pagdating namin sa room niya.

"Are you that happy?"

"Of course." Sagot niya. "It's not everyday I get to meet someone."

Nalungkot ako bigla. She's been in the hospital ever since we found out about her cancer..

I carried her back to her bed.

"Mabait ba siya?" I asked habang inaayos ko yung kumot niya.

"Uh-huh." Tumango tango siya. "Bagay kayo, Kuya."

"Bagay agad? Kakakilala lang namin kanina."

"Kakakilala daw eh kung makangiti ka sa kanya parang nanalo ka ng loto."

I couldn't help but laugh at her.

Anong klase bang ngiti yung nanalo sa loto?

"You should thank me, Kuya." She winked at me. "Nireto na kita kanina."

"Dapat na ba ko mag-alala?" I teased her. "Baka kung ano anong sinabi mo."

"Siniraan talaga kita sa kanya."

"Siniraan pala ha."

Kiniliti ko nga.

"HAHAHAHAHA--Kuya, enough na."

"Ang bata bata mo pa, nagrereto ka na?"

"It's not about the age, Kuya." She said. "I just wanted to see you happy before I leave."

"Masaya naman ako."

Tinaasan niya ko ng kilay.

"Bakit hindi ba?"

"Sa lahat ng masaya, ikaw lang yung mukhang malungkot, Kuya."

"Halata ba?"

She nodded. "I won't feel bad kung iiwan ko si Ate kasi may tao na namang nagpapasaya sa kanya pero paano ka?"

I hugged her.

"You don't have to do anything, Cole." Sabi ko. "Gumaling ka lang, sobra sobra na yun para sa'kin."

"Kuya, alam nating lahat na hindi ko na kaya." Sagot niya. "If it's one of the choices, of course I would do anything to stay."

I was already crying.

"Ano ba yan, kalalaki mong tao naiyak ka."

Napabitaw tuloy ako sa kanya. "At sinong nagsabi na bawal umiyak ang mga lalaki?"

"Ako."

She held her pinky finger towards me.

"You have to promise that before I leave, I'll see you smile again, Kuya."

Ngumiti naman ako.

"You know that's not what I meant, right?"

"Cole--"

"Please?"

"Promise."

I woke up crying because of that dream.

I miss her.

Lumabas na ko bago pa magbago yung isip ko and rang their doorbell.

***

"Is she okay now?"

Hindi siya sumagot so I looked at her from the rearview mirror.

She signaled me to keep quiet tapos lumapit siya ng konti sa upuan ni Theia.

I heard her giggled.

Tinignan ko din siya saglit. She's sleeping.

"Nakatulog na kakapanggap." Sabi niya. "She's fine, Nathan. Hindi mo ba natanggap yung text ko?"

"Hindi ko lang siguro nakita."

I was too distracted.

Ang dami kasing nangyayari.

"May sakit parin ba siya?"

"Parin?"

"I.. I heard from Ate that she's sick before." Sagot ko. "I'm just curious kung okay na ba siya."

I slipped.

"Ah.." She was looking out the window. "Nope. She's all cured."

Totoo ngang naoperahan na siya.

"I actually wanted to ask you something.."

And I don't know if I can.

"Fire away."

"Yung mi---"

Theia suddenly moved beside me and yawned. Nagkatitigan kami saglit tapos umiwas siya.

"Sorry.."

I tried to stop myself from laughing pero ang lakas na nung tawa sa likod.

"Charm!"

"HAHA-sorry!"

"Pagpasensyahan mo na siya ha." Sabi niya. "Ganyan talaga yan."

"It's fine."

"Anong binubulong mo dyan?"

"Wala."

"Malalaman ko rin yan mamaya." She said. "Ano ulit yung tanong mo, Nathan?"

"Nothing." Sagot ko. "It's not that important."

"Okay."

I was about to ask her what Mio meant.

I know the meaning pero yun rin kaya yun?

"Kuya, nag pinky promise ka ha." Sabi niya. "You can't break it."

"I know, Cole." Sagot ko. "Matulog ka na muna."

She yawned. "Medyo inaantok na nga ako."

"Sleep."

I kissed her forehead and closed the lights para makatulog siya agad.

"Kuya?"

"Hm?"

"Alam ko na yung tawagan niyo kapag naging kayo ni Ate Theia."

"Huh?"

Tawagan?

"Itulog mo na yan, Cole."

"Eeh." Umupo siya bigla. "You need to hear this, Kuya."

"Pag-gising mo nalang."

"Hindi ako matutulog sige ka."

"At tinatakot mo na ko ngayon?" I asked her. "Paano kapag ikaw sinumbong ko kanila Mama?"

She frowned at me. "KJ."

I sighed. "Fine. Pagkatapos, matutulog ka na?"

Tumango tango naman siya.

"Game."

"Mio."

"Ano yun?"

"Spanish word yun, Kuya!"

"Spanish?"

"Oo."

"Sino nagturo nun sa'yo?"

"Si Ms. Bridget."

"Spanish??"

English teacher niya yun diba?

"Oo nga."

"Papakausap ko nga yun kay Mama."

"Wag! I asked her to teach me something new."

"But you're too young for that." I pointed out.

"I told you Kuya, it's not about the age." Sabi niya. "Tsaka malay mo hindi na ko umabot sa edad na dapat ko matutunan yung Spanish."

"Cole--"

"Hep."  She held up her hands to stop me. "Hindi yun yung point."

"Mio?"

"Diba ang cute?"

"Anong ibig sabihin nun?"

"My own." Ngumiti siya. "Because she's going to be your own happiness, Kuya."

******