Before and After You

Chapter 5: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

She chews on her lips as she watches Eric tighten Charles' shoelaces as they prepare for the sack race. It's the most physical that Charles will be doing after quite some time but reasons that there is nothing to worry about. They had been given the go-signal. Charles is in tip-top shape. All good. Kasama niya naman si Eric. It's going to be fine.

Her attention is momentarily diverted when she feels a tug on her hand and sees Clara. "Yes, ate?" she asks.

"Mom, my back is wet," Clara says.

"Oh! Hang on," Sam replies and pulls out a towel from her bag. She beckons Clara to turn around and she places the towel on her back. "All good, ate."

"Thanks, mom," Clara replies and drags Sam to where the people are. The race is about to begin and Clara is adamant that they watch by the court so she could see everything. Sam did not protest because she wanted to see it all too.

They see Eric crouch to help Charles into the sack and then enters after him, clutching his hand tightly as they wait for the go-signal. Charles whips his head towards Sam and Clara and they give him a thumbs up, to which he answers with a toothy grin and a playful wink.

Sam shakes her head and giggles. He's just like him. Pilyo, she thinks fondly as she watches her mag-ama. Today, it didn't hurt to think of them like that.

The airgun bursts, the cheering intensifies, and Sam holds her breath as she watches the boys hop awkwardly with the sack. They are closing in on the first pair but all of a sudden, Charles loses his balance and stumbles, causing both him and Eric to fall to the floor. Sam almost ran towards them but held back when she saw the little boy pull his father up, egging him to do so faster because we're gonna wose, dad!

Eric stands up and out of nowhere, lifts Charles in one arm, clutches the sack with the other, and hops their way to the finish line. The children began to shriek and the parents laugh at what Eric is doing. Sam hears a mother beside them say, it's not against the rules! She shakes her head and cheers after them.

"Go Charlie! Go Eric!" she screams as they overtake the leading pair. The match turns intense and she wants to close her eyes but before she could, the black and white chequered flag is raised and she sees both pairs stand beyond the finish line. The crowd goes silent in anticipation. The microphone feedbacks across the hall and then the moderator announces: "IT'S A WIN FOR THE CASTILLOS!"

She watches as Charles happily hops his way to the parking lot while carrying a trophy and talking his sister's ear off. Sam and Eric aren't far behind them and they are just as overjoyed to see him and Clara enjoy but didn't have the burst of energy kids have. It is five-thirty in the afternoon and the program finally concluded. She is tired but not too exhausted. She glances at Eric and sees the rivulets

forming on his forehead and the patches of sweat on his shirt.

"May pambihis ka?" she finds herself asking before thinking it through. She almost palms herself as she realises what she just did. But then, her concern is genuine. There's nothing wrong with letting it be known, right? Right?

"Ha?" Eric asks, confused.

Sam gestured at his shirt. "Basang basa ka. Baka ubohin ka," she murmurs, pretty sure that her face is turning red at the way they are burning.

Eric grins. "Concerned ka?" he teases and she scoffs.

"Feeling much?" she retorts.

Eric only grins some more. "Alam mo, Sam, okay lang naman na umamin na concerned ka. Maiintidihan ko naman, promise." He even raises his palm as a gesture.