Chapter 3

Chapter 3: We should do a lot of crazy and thrilling things.

From all of the most unexpected things to ever happen, this is the best one yet. “Pa! I really didn’t expect you to be here!” I say as I wipe my mouth after eating lunch with the family.

He smiles at me and gives me the signature wink he often gives when he's impressed at himself as well. “I told you, I wouldn’t miss it.”

Ma loops her arm around Pa's, “I am surprised as well.” She looks up at Pa and you can see it in her eyes, “You didn’t mention anything, you said you’d come back two days after your daughter’s graduation.”

He chuckles and gives Ma a forehead kiss, “Ma, would you call it a surprise if you knew?”

My family’s laughter fills the whole dining area. Miguel looks at Ma and nods, “Ma, Pa has a point.”

Ma defends herself as she takes her arms off Pa. “I mean, he could have at least told his wife. I wish I could have cooked something special.”

Pa takes her hand and caresses it, “Ma, as long as you cook the food, it’s already special.” He winks as a closing remark to his compliment for Ma.

I jokingly let out a breath, “Enough, enough.”

My parents laugh at my reaction before they get up and tell us that we all should clean up now, “Come on kids, duties duties.” Ma sings the word duties.

We all lift ourselves and pick up our plates to put in the sink. Pa, transfers the remaining food into smaller containers to put in the fridge. Those small containers are Ma's second-price possession coming after her pans and pots. Miguel takes care of the table, he puts away the used placemats inside the drawers and he picks up a cloth, wets it with running water then wipes it on the table as he catches the bits of grains from the table. Mj on the other hand sets off to the living room as he sees Manong Joseph coming inside from the main door. Probably back from his house a few blocks away from ours since he only gets to stay with us when Pa is not around and when Pa is here, he can leave whenever he wants as long as he informs my parents and comes back whenever to do a bit of work, mostly just look after the house when we leave and look after us when the parents leave. Lastly, Ma and I do the dishes. She scrubs and I dry, then we both put it back in their respective places.

One thing to know about the Blue residence is that we all work together. At the age of 10, we start to help with chores. Actually, Pa told us to help Ma. It all started with my brother Miguel, since he is a year older than me, he was first told to help Ma. But then I was left behind, whenever they do the chores, I remain inside my room or with Manong Joseph in the living room just watching cartoons. I got bored of it that one day as Ma and Miguel were doing laundry, I stayed with them and watched what they were doing. After that, when they were about to do the laundry the next week I asked Ma if I can help too. Ever since then, we have gained the habit of helping with the household chores, that’s why despite having a huge property, we don’t need any other people than Manong Joseph to help us maintain the house, we can keep it clean.

The day goes by smoothly. We give Ma and Pa time for themselves as we—the kids decided to just have a movie afternoon in my brothers’ room. While Miguel sets up the DVD player and the T.V, I and Mj gather up the blankets and pillow on the floor, right at the foot side of their beds. Since both of their beds have footboards, I decided to make a fort. I pull a single couch and slide it in the aisle of their beds just the perfect placement so that I can put over the blanket that the single couch and the two boards are the pillars. Mj also put inside a dozen of pillows and two warm blankets to snuggle in and share. He gets inside the fort first and quickly puts a pillow between his legs and arms as he curls into a ball while making cute noises.

I surprise myself, “Oh!”

Miguel snaps his head in our direction, “What, what happened?”

Just like in the movies where a character gets a lit-up bulb above their head and voices out what they're thinking. That's me shouting, “Snacks!”

“Hillary!”

Miguel now turns his whole body to me. He has his hands on his hips while still holding the remote. “Will you not scream like that? I thought MJ punched you.”

“Kuya, will Mj punch me? This kid would never hit his beloved sister.” I open my arms to signal Mj to come to me, he quickly hugs me. Putting his arms on my neck as I support his back.

“I’ll hit kuya,” he whispers to my ears.

I laugh out loud and I can see my brother’s face waiting for me to tell him what Mj just said. “Well, he said, he loves me so much that he would rather punch you than me.” I stick my tongue out.

“Ahh, so that’s how this relationship would work,” he jumps at us, tickling Mj out of my arms. I try to stop him by pushing him away with my feet but the guy can resist and he grabs my feet and all of a sudden my loud pleading laughter fills the room.

“Kuy – a stop! S – top! Ghaaaaad!”

Mj quickly gets off me and takes Miguel’s hand off my feet. The poor kid didn’t expect but then Miguel grabs him and starts assaulting him with tickles on his side. The kid is ticklish, he starts squirming. His hands and feet are all over the place that he almost kicks me. Mj starts to slap Miguel on the face but that doesn’t stop him from tickling the poor kid. As I regain my breath I quickly take a pillow that slipped out of the fort and start to hit Miguel to make him stop.

Miguel shouts, “Hillary!”

“At – e, h – elp!”

I hit and hit and hit Miguel while we all laugh, we’re having fun. These are the moments I am most grateful for in having two brothers. I get to be involved in all these crazy fun stuffs, and maybe when we get older, a lot more fun stuffs. Actually, these two made me love doing stunts that normally girls couldn’t do or are afraid to do. That’s why I wish when Mj is a teenager, we should do a lot of crazy and thrilling things, be more active. Maybe learn how to race, box, play soccer, swordsmanship, and as long as they are cool that would be perfect.

“Okay, okay, okay! I surrender!” Miguel stops resisting and now catching his breath. He lets go of Mj that is now a starfish on the floor next to him. We’re all panting that despite having the AC on, we’re all sweating like we just ran a marathon.

Two knocks on the door, altogether we lookup. I turn my gaze at Miguel just to see the boy looking at me. He sends me a message through his eyes, saying that I should get the door. I roll my eyes at him, throws the pillow at him, and make my way to the door.

He whines, “Oh!”

I stick my tongue out, “Bleh!”

I open the door just to see Manong Joseph with two trays filled with bowls of chips, dips, chocolates, and cups of soda and water. I fully open the door, I also hear my brother standing from the floor and running towards us.

I gently grab one tray, “Manong, you didn’t have to, I was about to get the snacks.”

Miguel does the same, grabbing the other tray from Manong.

“But I heard the three of you laughing and having fun. Eh, uh, I decided to get the snacks for you kids.” He smiles at us sweetly and I smile back before turning and putting the tray in front of the fort. Mj seems to have put the pillows we destroyed back inside the fort.

I look back at the door as I feel Miguel coming back with the tray and Manong, about to close the door, “Manong!”

“Uh- yes, anak?”

“Join us, let’s watch some movies. We have enough food here and space for one more person.”

“Yes, here Manong Joseph!” Mj taps an empty seat beside him.

Miguel puts down the tray and looks back at Manong Joseph with a huge smile, “Get in, Manong.”

Manong Joseph happily closes the door. The three of us face each other, with questioning looks. He closed the door and left, he didn’t come in. Mj grabs a pillow and hugs it while looking a bit disappointed from what just happened. Seems like Manong didn’t want to join us.

Miguel just read my mind, “Seems like Manong didn’t want to join.”

I sigh, “Maybe he thinks we’re too loud?”

Kuya answers, “You’re the loud one.” He "hmp" at me and gets inside the fort and I do the same.

The three of us snuggle in. I am in the middle, Mj is on my right, still hugging the pillow, Miguel is on my left, holding the remotes still setting up the DVD. After a while, Miguel starts the movie then the door opens. Like a scripted movie, we all direct our attention at the door to see Manong Joseph in his pajamas?

He peaks through the small gap and shyly asks, “Uh, am I still invited?”

We all laugh at him and Kuya answers, “Yes, Manong…" he watches Manong Joseph who fully opens the door, revealing that he is indeed in his pajamas. "But why are you in your pajamas?”

Manong Joseph closes the door and sits beside Mj. He tugs the hem of his shirt and answers Miguel, “Eh, you three are in your pajamas it’s a uniform.”

I giggle at his thought, “Is that why you left?”

He flashes a reassuring smile, “Yes. But eh, I checked the gates and other entrances in the house before I changed.”

Mj loops his arm around Manong, “Thank you!”