Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Perfectly straight out of a movie.

Little stomping noises echo inside my bathroom coming from my bedroom. The tiny stomping noises are choired by small giggling and ooh-ing. As we hear it, Ma lets go of me to welcome my brother. So she squats down and opens her arms while he enters the room, shouting, “Ate! Ate!”

He accepts Ma’s welcome by playfully nudging into Ma and grabbing her neck for support as he giggles. She picks him up and asks him a question “What do you think?” and taps his nose, “Ate looks good, right dear?”

The little guy looks at me with his toothy smile and raises both of his arms. “Yes! Very very!”

“Ma, I’m about to graduate from elementary school. I still have a few months to enjoy before I step into the world of high school.” I stand up and grab her shoulders as I direct my vision on the mirror, smiling at our picture-perfect reflection. “I’m still your baby girl,” I raffle MJ’s hair, “He’s your baby boy, and Kuya? He’s your first baby. We’re all still your babies.” I assure my emotional parent.

“Let’s go? You know you hate being late, Ma.” I tap her as I walk out of my bathroom.

As quickly as possible, we all make our way out of the house, and into the car which Ma is driving. Miguel is sitting at the front passenger’s seat while I and Mj are at the back. He’s sitting at the back of the driver’s seat while I seat at the back of Miguel. Usually, we, the three kids seat here, while the parents are in front however, Pa is not around. Pa would have been the one to drive while Ma would have taken Miguel’s seat right now.

Ma maneuvers the car smoothly out of the driveway to the front of our gate where the Guardhouse is. She rolls her window down like a protagonist in a movie and respectfully tells Manong Joseph to open the gates. “Good Morning, Manong. We’re going out, kindly open the gates. Thank you!” She smiles at him softly.

Manong Joseph obeys her and goes open the gate at the front. As Ma drives the car through the gate, she peaks through her rolled window and waves at Manong Joseph who is waving at us. “Bye, Manong. Thank you!”

I and my siblings have our attention at the back window where we completely see Manong Joseph with his trustworthy aura. “Drive safely, Ma’am!” his face frowns and he stops waving then it quickly turns into a fatherly smile, a smile that screams proudness and warmth as he waves his whole arm at us, “Eh! Congratulations, Hillary!”

I roll down the window at my side and peak through it with a genuine and accomplished smile, “Thank you, Manong!”

Manong Joseph is our House Keeper. He is not that old to be considered a senior or weak. He is actually in his mid-50s. We have had him ever since Ma and Pa only have Miguel and Me. We grew up with the good man. He was our playmate when we were kids, and our referee since me and my brother would always throw toys at each other and box each other on the beds or even in the living room near the stairs that's why we did need someone to look after us. Well, we didn’t get along pretty well way back those days.

Manong Joseph is pretty sweet and fatherly to us, especially to me. Considering that I am the only girl, he is also overly protective—well, he is since Pa is not always around. Pa somewhat entrusted us to him whenever he rides the ship, back to work and Manong Joseph fulfills that request with all his heart. He’s part of the family, the Blue family.

We arrive safely in front of my school. “I’ll park the car first, you can go inside.” Ma drives the car away and the three of us walk inside the school. As we enter, a lot of my batchmates are wearing the same uniform we are about to wear for the last time. Girls are wearing plaided yellow and green skirts, and a white blouse. While the boys are wearing gray slacks and white polo shirts. But what completes the look is that everyone has a smile on their faces, everyone is excited, everyone is happy to finally take on the next chapter of their lives. So am I.

Out of nowhere, a small hand wraps itself on my right hand. “Ate! Let’s go!” MJ pulls me to Miguel who is patiently waiting a few feet away from us.

I force a smile towards Miguel who is looking at us, “Oh! Sorry!”

MJ continues to hold my hand despite reuniting with Miguel. We quietly walk to the school ground where the seats are laid accordingly and where the huge stage is shining. The stage has two big red ribbons dangling on each side. A huge projector and white screen are at the right where I know our names and faces would be flashing as the ceremony starts. There are chairs in the middle of the stage. Those kinds of wooden chairs with red cushions on the backrest and actual seats, which look like they are taken straight out of a palace. I can also view a huge table with stacks of small boxes and stacks of certificates to be handed out later.

Someone sighs beside me, “I remember last year when I was the one to graduate.”

I turn my head at Miguel, “And?”

He keeps his head high, staring at the stage but he crosses his arms over his chest as he responds, “And you didn’t come to watch me.”

My eyes form into a circle, “Miguel! You didn’t want me to watch!”

He chuckles and runs his hand on his nape, “Oh yeah!”

His chuckle turns into laughter. “You’re too loud, you’d just take the spotlight from me, I remember now.”

I playfully slap his arm and chuckle. “Shut up, Miguel.”

He mocks me and laughs as he walks away from us and we follow on cue.

“I’ll be sitting here. You guys and Ma are designated to seat there,” I point at the few chairs at the other side of the aisle. There are two sides, one is where the graduands seat and the other is where the family seats. My brothers leave me alone where the students seat while they make their way to the other side. Before I seat down, I automatically look behind to search for someone special.

“There she is,” I smile and wave to catch her attention in full strength that my upper body sways side to side as well.

She notices and waves back while smiling. This is the only time I get to appreciate how Ma is dressed for the occasion. She is wearing black slacks that freely flow. Her top is a maroon v cut blouse with silver linings that fits her perfectly. It’s not that tight and not that loose on her, it even has pagoda sleeves as a style. She walks with her 2 inches black sandals as she meets the wind that makes her hair smoothly fly behind her. I can say she’s like a protagonist CEO on her way to savage the business boards, perfectly straight out of the movie.

“Dear parents and students, the ceremony is about to start in 3 minutes. Thank you.” The sudden announcement makes me shrug my shoulders and beam at Ma who is still flashing me her smile before I turn around focusing my attention on the stage and seat down.

“Hey,” someone taps me. I turn my head just to see my ever since childhood best friend Xystal.

“Xystal!” I immediately embrace her and she does the same, making both of us laugh.

“I have an idea!” she quickly lets go of the hug. “Let’s go on a vacation?” her eyes are shimmering right now.

I snicker for a bit, “The ‘GamerZ’?”

“Definitely, the squad! I’ll tex— Oh!” two guys jump out of nowhere like cockroaches that suddenly fly. Both of them laugh hysterically at our reaction.

“Abe! Rust!” I and Xystal say in unison while we glare at them.

“You guys didn’t say we have a meeting,” Abe talks as he elbows Rust to get support.

“Actually,” Rust points at Abe, “He just got the idea to scare you two when he saw you hugging and talking.” He shrugs.

“Anyway, what were you talking about?” He asks.

“Oh, just some game,” Xystal answers.

“Oh! Minecraft!” Abe excitedly answers.

“Don’t shout.” Rust snap at him. “You’re too loud.”

I laugh at their interaction then answer Rust's question, “Xystal had the idea of going on a vacation before junior high school starts. We do have the whole March to ourselves before we start preparing for high school.”

Xystal proudly crosses her arms and nods, “The GamerZ is coming.”

Abe asks “When?” and just actually extending the word.

“Where?” Rust follows.

“I’ll ask Mama if we can go to Cavite, and maybe three days after this?” Xystal suggests.

Abe grabs Xystal’s hand and shakes it. “Don’t you know it is an honor to go on a vacation with—!”

“The ceremony is about to start, please take your seats. Thank you.”

We all laugh in unison when Abe is cut off by the announcer. He drops Xystal’s hand and walks away without saying a thing again. We laugh a bit before we nod at each other and I push them off to take their seats as the ceremony is about to start. We’re graduating!

And just like that, we’re done with elementary school with just two seconds to celebrate on stage. After 6 years, we only get to enjoy seconds on the stage. However, we make the best of it after the awarding.

Everyone is snapping photos and photos and photos. Me, Ma, Kuya, and Mj take a couple of photos. There is a photo session where Ma is trying to carry me while I scream from laughter at how she says “You’re skinny but too heavy!” in pain. Miguel decided that he’d like a photo with me where he gives me a piggyback ride, where we stick our tongues out while we cross our eyes. Ma takes the shot then pushes Mj to join us when Miguel is wobbling already that I almost kick Mj when he comes in the frame. Miguel quickly stables himself as we laugh the wind out of us at Mj’s home alone shocked face.

“Ah, my kids.”

“Pa!”