Almost Maybes

Chapter 9

I helped out Kuya Ely to prepare breakfast. He did most of the preparations, I was just the one who sliced the needed ingredients. Most of the time, I just stared at him while he was demonstrating the cooking. I was a help, little help. We ate in silence together. Mom was out early to meet with her friend.

We dwelled in the living room while Kuya Ely was getting his things ready. I heard him asking himself for the car keys. He must have forgotten where he had last put it.

"Have you forgotten how to talk?" he asked.

He was fixing his black tie; I was checking my phone, expecting Perry's message.

"I saw your car keys last night in your room, on the bedside table."

"It was there? I overlooked it."

He asked. "Are you going to stay in the house the whole day?"

Not looking up from my phone, I said. "Yeah, I think."

"I don't think you're conscious enough to say that. Still worried about Rex?"

I didn't respond.

"You're feeding your mind with thoughts about Asis lately. A month of no communication is bearable than a lifetime of dead air."

Dead air.

I put my phone away. I took a deep breath, let it out, and thought of telling my brother of Rex's situation.

"Kuya, Rex is sick."

"Oh? How did you know that?"

"Perry called me up last night."

"I don't get the picture. Why didn't Rex inform you himself?"

He was checking his phone. I hesitated before telling him this, but he should be informed. I couldn't keep it to myself anymore. I wanted someone to listen to me, I wanted someone to worry about Rex, too. He was struggling right now and keeping it from us won't help him either. I wanted to see him now. He could be feeling hopeless, and thinking of his affliction and his father would just make him depressed. He needed friends to cheer him on.

"He doesn't want me to worry."

"Oh? Then it's just a fever or cold?"

"Rex has leukemia."

I was surprised to sound so normal. My voice didn't crack, tears didn't stream down my face. I don't want to cry in front of my brother. I was strong like him. My heart was hurting. It couldn't contain the emotions I had been feeling since last night.

Kuya Ely stared at me for a moment. "What did you just say?"

"He has leukemia. Rex has leukemia."

"Holy shit," he whispered, keeping the phone in his pocket, unsure of what to say next. He even ran his fingers through his hair. Standing with his hands on his hips, he looked bothered.

"Rex is as stubborn as me. He doesn't want us to worry, so he kept it a secret."

My brother was out of words to say. He seemed astounded with the awful news. Frozen where he stood, he took out his phone again; he was staring at me. He couldn't believe what he'd heard. I guess I was too. Sleep hadn't come into my room last night, and Perry's news had robbed my peace of mind.

"Want me to drop you off at their house?" he offered.

My phone buzzed. Perry's message just came in on time. I read it off.

"Rex's not there."

͡

The whole ride to the hospital was as quick as lightning. My brother kept on talking to himself as if he had forgotten that I was with him in the car. Words like: that goat was insane, he was out of his mind, why keep it from us?