Yanna

six

                I HEADED HOME RIGHT AWAY AFTER CLASS WHEN I remembered its Thursday. I dropped my bags beside the door, “I’m home!” I yelled when the house was a little quiet, and I remembered the backyard where Papa laid out a table, with pillows and umbrella and such. I opened the back door and smiled when I saw Papa having tea with Jane.

                She’s my cousin but she’s 9 years older than me, I walked to them, Papa saw me and I gestured him to stay quiet and he knew what I was planning and he kept his mouth shut. I stepped more closely and I heard they were talking about Pete, his fiancé.

                “I swear, he’s wearing denture teeth but he doesn’t tell me, maybe he thinks it’s a turn off. One day I saw a Paste of Polident in his bathroom and-” she stopped, realizing someone was standing behind her. She was halfway to turning her head and I instantly yelled, “JANE!”

                “Aah!” She clasped her heart and I giggled. Papa even barked a laugh, this never gets old. I do this every time she visits, but this is the first time she visited us again, last time was a year and a half ago and I realized, I missed her.

                She yelled playfully, “I hate you!” and she tried to throw a pillow at me but I dodged it, “I miss you too!” I laughed really hard but regretted it soon as everything went blurry, I realized this headache won’t fade anytime now, better take a pill later.

“Jane, I missed you, will you play with me?” and she took the hint, “Of course, I missed playing with you” and she smiled.

                Papa sighed, “You girls go on ahead, I’ll clean” and we both nodded and went inside. We went to my room where the piano is. It’s bigger than the others, my room I mean. I picked this one intentionally when we first moved in here, so that the piano could stay here in my room, but I stopped playing since…

                “Yanny! Why is it covered with dust?” Jane asked me while she swiped the black and white keys. I smiled apologetically at her. “What should we play?” I asked her, it’s been awhile since I played the piano. “How about the one we composed together, remember?” she asked when she saw the confused face I just did. “You don’t remember? Well, it goes like this…”

                She played the piano, and then the song hit me with familiarity. “Oh, the one with an ending like this” she stopped and I played, the ending part and she smiled. “Yeah, like that”

    *    *     *

                My Papa and I stood in the patio and waved at her as she was about to slide into her car, her figure small from the distance. Her last words echoed into my head as I saw her vehicle slowly disappearing from our view.

                ‘Don’t Stress, okay?’ Funny and ironic, ‘cause she’s the one hyperventilating when she saw a paste of Polident.

                “Pops, when’s the wedding?” I asked, still waving stupidly even though she can’t see me anymore, then I realized, Papa went inside already. So I went inside too, the smell of Chicken Adobo (an Asian Dish) lingered in my nose as I went to the dining area.

                “I’m starting to like this Chefs-knows-best act you’re pulling Pop” I sat at the table, eyeing the dish. He grinned, evidently pleased by my comment. We ate in silence, but for the first time it was comforting instead of tensed and awkward.

                The next morning came in an instant. I blinked my eyes repeatedly as the rays of sunshine hit me in the face. I yawned and stretched, looked at my watch and it’s still early, I got up but my phone caught my attention.

                Someone changed my cell’s wallpaper, thinking no one but Laine who could do this. I shook my head but a smile appeared in my face as I watch the wallpaper, a cow eating its meal, grass.