Perfect Pieces

"Gumising ka na, anak." Naalimpungatan ako nang mapansin kong may mahinang tumatapik sa aking pisngi. When I opened my eyes, I immediately closed it again because the brightness of the sun was hurting my eyes. I gave my eyes time to adjust before completely opening them. "5 minutes pa, papa," I told my dad and covered myself again with the comforter. I thought I got away with it, but I immediately screamed when my dad pulled my feet, and I was inches away from falling from the bed. "Papa!" I heard him laugh. "Good morning, my love." he kissed my forehead. "Come down for breakfast, your mama's cooking today," he said before getting out of my room. I sighed before groaning bago ako tumayo and tucked my bed. I showered, brushed my teeth, did my hair, wore decent clothes kasi wala namang pasok, before getting down sa dining area. "Ohmygod... kuya?!" I squealed when I saw my three older brothers on the living room glaring at each other. Sina mama at papa naman ay hindi ko makita sa sala at siguro ay nasa kusina. Ever since they became 18, they moved out of the house, but I refused to do so because... I don't want to leave my parents behind. I'm clingy... probably got it from my dad. "Baby!" "Shh!" I pouted at kuya Apollo, who's two years older than me, when he hushed me. "Don't shush her!" asik naman ni kuya Kyler who's 4 years older than me at binatukan ang kakambal niyang si kuya Archer. "Hit me one more and I'll throw you outside of this house, Kyler." walang emosyong sabi ni kuya Archer sa kakambal niya habang nagbabasa ng libro. "Kuya naman..." kuya Kyler pouted at nakibasa sa binabasa ni kuya Archer sa libro. "Tiklop ka pala, kuya." kuya Apollo smirked. "Batukan kaya kita?" pinakita ni kuya Kyler ang kamao niya and Apollo immediately backed away from him, looking like a puppy. "I said stop, before I throw you two outside." kuya Archer glared at them kaya maski ang kakambal niya ay napaatras. I sighed at tumabi kay kuya Archer at ipinatong 'yung ulo ko sa balikat niya. Inakbayan niya naman ako and slowly caressed my hair. I won't deny that I miss them. Noon, araw araw kami nagkikita because we go home here. Ngayon, nakikita pa rin naman pero paminsan minsan nalang because they had work to do and kuya Archer is in law school at si kuya Apollo naman is in his second year in med school na. "Unfair, pag si Lani, ang bait bait. Pag sa amin, mukhang dragon!" kuya Kyler said at tinanguan naman ni kuya Apollo. "What if I'll make your nose burn until you can't feel it anymore?" kuya Archer said. "Ah, arguing very early in the morning." we saw mom got out from the kitchen. Even though she's already in her 50's, ang bata pa rin niya tignan. Also, my dad. When I was still a kid, I remember other single parents eyeing my parents. "Kumain na kayong apat ha? Nagluto ako ng gulay." "Ohmygosh!" "Oh no..." "Iw, mama." "I'm out of here." That's what we all said when we heard the word 'gulay'. Ayaw na ayaw namin sa gulay which we probably got from our dad. If we eat nga sa samgyup, we don't eat the gulay. Gosh, we look like our dad, we got our personality from dad, we are like... dad's little minions... except that we are not yellow. "Hep! Ang hindi kakain ng gulay ay... walang allowance!" she threatened us. "Good try, love. They have work now." my dad appeared on her side at inakbayan siya which made my mom pissed. Lahat naman kami ay may trabaho na. When we're born, our grandfather on our mom's side, gifted us this condo unit tower at 'yung kita dun ay sa account namin napupunta. "Tahimik ako kasi baka mawalan ako ng allowance. Wala na akong pera," kuya Kyler whispered behind us. "You have billions on your account, dumbass." kuya Apollo also whispered. "Walang nagtanong," pabalang na sagot nung isa. This is my fam on an everyday basis kung nandito kaming lahat. We may argue over stupid things pero halos kalokohan lang rin at nagbabati kaagad. I watched over my mom and my dad who was laughing by themselves dun malapit sa kusina and I was... mesmerized. I want a love like that. Their love never failed even after years of marriage. My mom and my dad were once firefighters back in Seattle, but they quit the job and came back home in the Philippines after my mom miscarried my supposed to be twin. My mother wanted my dad to keep the job because he was chief at that time and my mom was the battalion chief, but my dad insisted that he should quit the job because he didn't want my mom to worry that much kasi ganoon raw siya kapag nasa trabaho si mama, nag aalala. Now, si kuya Kyler na ang sumunod sa yapak nila and is also in Seattle but he took his off because of the holidays and mom wanted us complete. "There's a party this weekend..." kuya Apollo started. "Frat?" papa asked immediately na tinanguan naman ni kuya. He already knew the party, huh? "I don't have a date... I don't want one, but we're obliged to bring one. Can I bring Lani instead? Ayoko ng iba," sabi niya habang kumakain nung gulay dahil sinasamaan na siya ng tingin ni mama. "Take care of her," sabay na sabi nina papa, mama, at nung kambal kaya ay nagka tinginan kami ni kuya Apollo. "I will kill you if something happens my sister, Apollo." kuya Archer said, narrowing his eyes at kuya Apollo. "Kuya, you know I would take care of her." kuya Apollo rolled his eyes. "And... she's my sister too." "No rolling of eyes on the table," my mom sweetly smiled na ikinatawa naman ni papa pero hindi namin alam bakit kaya natahimik na rin kami. Pagka tapos naming kumain ay umakyat ako sa kwarto ko pero nagulat ako nung sumunod ang tatlo sa loob at umupo sa kama ko at humiga higa pa si kuya Apollo sa kama ko at nanggugulo sa kama kaya ay muntik ko na siyang mabato ng ballpen. "Let's go out!" aya ni kuya Kyler kaya nagningning kaagad ang mata ko. "Where?" I asked him, excitedly. "Race to the mall," he smirked. And not a minute later, nagtakbuhan na kami pababa at nagpaalam kina mama na lalabas kami apat. Sumakay na si kuya Archer at si kuya Apollo sa mga sports car nila at kami naman ni kuya Kyler sa motorbike namin that dad gave us on our birthdays. It was the 22017 MTT 420RR ang pinagkaiba lang ay kulay itim ang sa akin at kulay gray kay kuya. Halos sabay lang kaming apat na lumabas sa gate. 'Yung mga kapitbahay naming nasa labas ay napapatabi dahil sa amin kahit nasanay na sila. Tawa pa ako ng tawa kasi nauunahan ko na si kuya Kyler. "You have to do better than that!" I shouted at him nung nakarating na kami sa highway. "Yeah?!" I heard him laugh. Napailing nalang ako at nag drive nalang papuntang mall at nag park sa tabi ni kuya Archer at kuya Apollo na nakahilig na sa labas ng kanilang mga sasakyan. "You lost," I laughed at kuya Kyler. "You only won because I let you." he laughed at inakbayan ako papasok sa mall. I pouted before putting my arm on his back at humawak sa damit niya kasi hindi ako komportable kapag naglalakad ako tapos walang hinahawak na braso o likod ng mga kasama ko. "Let's buy shoes. Wala na akong sapatos," rinig kong sabi ni kuya Apollo sa aking tabi. "Same," sabi ko at napailing kaya pumasok kami sa nike at namili ng sapatos. "Sinong turn manlibre ngayon?" I asked kasi kapag gumagala kaming apat, meron talagang isang nanlilibre. Tapos na ang turn ko kaya sila naman. "It's kuya Archer's turn." we all smirked and looked at kuya Archer na napalunok dun sa tabi. Hindi naman sa wala siyang pera, he actually has a lot pero kuripot lang talaga tong si kuya. He spoils us but hindi sa pera. He usually spoils us with his love in his own ways. "Make his pockets hurt..." pagkanta ni kuya Kyler dun sa kantang nakita namin sa kung anong app 'yun habang nakatingin sa sapatos na may nakalagay sa tag na 12k. "Remind me to buy the most expensive things when it's Kyler's turn." kuya Archer glared at his twin na tumatango tango dun pero nagsusukat na nung sapatos. Sa huli ay halos limampung libo 'yung gastos ni kuya dahil sa sapatos namin. Tuloy while we're walking around the mall, he's gloomy kaya tumabi ako sa kaniya at inangkla ang kamay ko sa braso niya and made a puppy dog eyes. "Anything you want, love?" he asked, smiling gently to me. "Kuya, I want ice cream," I said, and we went inside an ice cream parlor na agad. I ordered cookies and cream because that was my favorite. Pagkatapos kong kumain nun ay umorder nanaman ako nung vanilla with sprinkles because I wanted to eat it. I pouted when they didn't put enough sprinkles kaya ay tumabi nalang ako at tahimik na kinain ang aking ice cream. "What do you want to do after graduating, Lani?" kuya Kyler asked me habang kumakain kami ng lunch dito sa isang resto na malapit sa mall. I shrugged. "Enter the academy." natahimik sila sa aking sinabi. Ever since I was a kid, my mom and dad would always bring me to Seattle, to their old firehouse sa station nila noon na iba na ang namamahala ngayon. I met their colleagues and their kids, and it was like... paradise. Helping people in need. Kaya noon paman, alam ko nang paglaki ko, I'll become a firefighter in Seattle. "It's okay. We'll support you no matter what you want to become." kuya Apollo smiled and ruffled my hair. Pagka uwi namin sa bahay, hinatid nalang nila ako loob at umalis sila kaagad because the three said they had things to do. Papasok na sana ako sa kusina but I heard mellow music coming from inside the dining area and I saw my mom and dad. They were... dancing. In the middle of our dining area... they were dancing. The lights were dim but there were scented candles that were lit inside. It smells like... all the earth's sweetness and is full of love. They were looking at each other with full of love. My mom and dad were dancing like there was no tomorrow. It was... intimate. God, I wanted a love like that. My parents were best friends ever since they were kids and eventually lead to... marriage. Oh, what I'll do to have a love like this. I smiled by myself nalang and did not disturb the two of them at umakyat nalang sa aking kwarto. Kinabukasan, when it was time for me para maghanda for the party that kuya Apollo told me, malamang naghanda na ako. I showered and then blow dried my hair and curled it afterwards. Honestly, I was scared. Hindi ko alam kung anong pinapasok nitong mga kapatid ko at gustong gusto ang itong frat. I was scared because politics were involved. Politicians are there... I really remember how our parents told us to not mess with them especially this one particular surname... Lavigne. Lavigne. La-veen-yay to be pronounced. The family is known to be... dirty. Dirty to work with. Their minds are... incredible. I won't lie, their minds are incredible because of how the way they think but... they use it for their... business which make them... evil. Even tho I haven't seen their off springs, the children that were the same as my age or older, I heard they're not as evil as their parents or something but still... I had to be careful. I sighed before putting on the dress that kuya Apollo sent to the house earlier. It was a black Valdrin Sahiti evening dress. It was the dress that only has a spaghetti strap at may pa v sa bandang dibdib until my stomach so my cleavage were exposed tapos may slit rin ito na hanggang hips so I felt like I was naked this time. Why the hell do they even have a dress code. May nakasulat dun sa invitation na evening dress that has a touch of red or black. I just applied make up and wore my hoop earrings at bumaba na kasi narinig ko na ang sasakyan ni kuya sa labas. "You look stunning," kuya said while he was helping me with the dress. "Thanks, but I do think kuya Kyler's going to kill you after seeing what you made me wear." I rolled my eyes and he laughed bago pumunta sa driver's seat. "Are you nervous?" he asked me because I was silent the whole ride. "Yes," pag amin ko. Heck, I was trembling, and my knees were shaking as well as my hands. "Don't be," he coolly said. "Just don't leave my side, okay? And please... don't get drunk and don't accept drinks offered from any of the people there unless you saw that it came from a sealed bottle. God knows what they put on the drink." paalala niya at tumango ako. "Everyone from the frat will be there. From old members up to new. Politicians, models, actresses... fake people. You know what I mean," he eyed me before looking at the road again. At mas lalo lang akong kinabahan dahil sa kaniyang sinabi. When we arrived at the venue, it was a very big building. Music was blasting so loud that my ears hurt. Hinawakan ni kuya 'yung bewang ko to help me because I was shaking while we were walking. Flashes of camera and the media were outside. I even had to cover my eyes because the flashes were hurting my eyes hanggang sa makapasok kami. When we went inside, people were turning to on our direction... well kay kuya. Probably because he was the vice president of the frat. "Don't show your fear. They're feeding from it." kuya whispered on my ear so I blew a breath and erased all the emotions on my face. "Santiago," may tumawag sa apelyido namin kaya we both turned back, and we saw a senator. A Lavigne senator. My breathing hitched and kuya had to caress my back in slow circles so I could calm down. "Senator," kuya greeted in return. "Luan... Keziah." That's when I noticed that there were people behind him. 'Yung girl, she has a dirty blonde hair at ang ganda pa. Luan... the guy kuya called. He was tall. Taller than... the senator. From where I was standing, I can smell his scent. He looked like perfection. And his mesmerizing crystal blue eyes. But good lords, he looked like danger at the same time. He was throwing glances like he would kill somebody right there and then. The look that you wanted not to cross ever. "And who is this beautiful lady here?" the senator turned to me. "Lani, senator. Leilani Azalea Spring Santiago," I slightly smiled. Not because I was shy but because I feared him. Gosh, ang haba ng pangalan ko. "Oh!" his mouth formed an 'o'. Nagulat pa ako when he reached for me and went in for a hug and also tapped my back. Okay... what. "Sister?" he asked kuya. "Yes senator," sagot naman nitong isa and senator hummed in return. "Luan, introduce yourself to the lady," saad ni senator dun sa Luan. Luan, nice name. Luan means moon in Portuguese. "Luan Izar... Lavigne." he shook my hand. Lavigne. I swallowed the lump on my throat.