Aries's's POV
*ContinuationOfFlashback...*
Turns out the kid with him was my cousin. His name was Angelo, and since he was older than me, I was supposed to respect and obey him.
"Get me a glass of water." Kuya Angelo said, but I didn't understand him.
I looked at him, full of confusion. "Huh?"
He raised an eyebrow at me. "Get me some water."
I was about to stand up to obey him when suddenly, a book flew straight at his face.
"Ugh!" he shouted, holding his face.
I looked to see where it came from and spotted Aunt Lara nearby.
"Hey! You may be a boss wherever you're from, but not here." She said, pointing at Kuya Angelo. "Behave yourself! Or you'll answer to me."
Kuya glared at her. "Why? It hurts!"
"Speaking in English, huh?! You're in the Philippines! Tagalog!"
"Why did you hit me?"
"Because I like hitting-hitting you! You do not English me! I'm better English person!" Aunt shouted, pointing a finger at Kuya's face.
I didn't understand their conversation at all. The only thing I knew was that Kuya had fallen victim to Aunt's ruthless hand. He was now one of us—the ones who feared her.
"What's going on?" Aunt Gema asked as she approached us.
"Mom! She hit me with this!" Kuya said, running to his mother while holding the book that hit him.
"Lara…" Grandma scolded, who had just arrived with Aunt Gema. "...do you have to treat all your nephews like that?"
"That's an exaggeration. There are still some I haven't hurt." Aunt replied with her hands in her pockets. "...I still have a nephew in the hospital, right? I haven't even seen her yet."
She was referring to Jay-jay. She was still in the hospital. That's probably why Mama hadn't picked me up yet.
"Who's in the hospital?" Aunt Gema asked.
"Well, the sibling of this little monkey right here." She said, pointing at me.
Aunt Gema turned to Grandma, and they talked about something I didn't understand. Kuya was still rubbing his face from the pain, while Aunt Lara casually picked her nose and flicked whatever she found.
I suddenly thought of Jay-jay. I wanted to see her already. I hoped she was getting better.
Aunt Gema and Kuya Angelo were also staying here, but they said it was only temporary because they would be returning home soon. They were just visiting.
While they were here, Kuya always gave me toys. Sometimes, he even went to what they called a mall to buy things for me. He also gave me his old clothes.
"Hey!" Aunt Lara called out to me.
"What?"
"You're ugly." She said, laughing.
I just turned away, resting my elbows on my knees while cupping my chin in my hands. Aunt sat beside me and observed me.
"Hey!" She called again.
"What now?" I answered without looking at her.
"If Angelo asks you to go with them, will you go?"
Would I go? Kuya said he had more toys there. He also had a bicycle I could borrow. He even said he would give me lots of things.
"Yes, as long as we come back right away because Mama might come to pick me up."
Aunt sighed. "What if there's no coming back? Will you still go?"
I shook my head. "That's not possible. Mama will come back for me. She might not find me if I leave."
"Your Mama isn't coming back for you." She said, making me scared. "…Jay-jay was discharged from the hospital a few days ago. Ate Gema paid for their hospital bill."
"Then she'll come get me! Maybe she's just fixing up the house."
"Your mother said she was struggling, so Ate said she'd just take you in."
"That's not true!" I screamed as I started crying. "…You're just lying to me!"
"It's true." She said.
I started hitting her arm, but it didn't seem to affect her at all. She just kept looking at me.
"Making a kid cry. You're too old for that." Kuya suddenly commented in front of us.
Aunt glared at him. "Of course. Want me to make you cry too?"
Suddenly, Aunt ran towards Kuya, making him run away as well. He kept shouting for help, yelling, "Help! SOS!"
I didn't believe her. She always made me cry, so I knew she was just teasing me. I decided to look for Grandma to ask if Jay-jay was really out of the hospital.
I wanted to see her already.
They were in the backyard, where the laundry was hung to dry. Aunt Gema and Grandma were taking down the clothes.
"Lola…" I called, and she turned to look at me for a moment.
Aunt Gema smiled and walked toward me. She bent slightly so we were at eye level.
"How are you? I thought you were playing with Kuya Angelo."
"Aunt Lara is playing with him now."
Suddenly, Grandma stopped what she was doing and looked in the direction I had come from.
"Let me check on him. Angelo might not be breathing anymore." Grandma said before quickly heading towards Kuya.
Aunt turned back to me. "I have something to tell you."
"What is it?"
"You want to go to school, right?"
I nodded eagerly.
"...I'll send you to school." She said with excitement.
My eyes widened at what she said. I couldn't stop myself from smiling. I really wanted that. I would finally be able to study.
"Really?"
"Yes. And you'll study at the same school your Kuya used to go to."
My smile faded. "W-where is that?"
"Near our place."
Does that mean I really have to go with them? Was Aunt Lara telling the truth? Am I really going to live with them because Mama doesn't want me anymore?
"Aunt Lara told me that you're taking me and won't bring me back here. Is that true?"
Her smile slowly disappeared. She lifted me up and sat me on the edge of the table where she had been folding clothes earlier.
"Because Aries... Jay-jay needs to be looked after properly. She's sickly and requires attention." She took a deep breath. "...So you'll come with us for now. Stay with us, and when your sister gets better, we'll bring you back home."
I shook my head. "I don't want to. I want to be with Jay-jay. I'll take care of her."
She smiled at me and held my hand. "You're such a loving Kuya, but do you think Jay-jay would be happy knowing you're not going to school because you're taking care of her?"
I looked down. Jay-jay knew how much I wanted to study. I always told her I would teach her everything I learned from school.
"No."
"So, study first. You'll see each other during vacations."
I didn't know what to say. I really didn't want to be away from Jay-jay. What if Mama had to work? Who would be with er? Who would feed her?
I really didn't want to go.
I was in Kuya Angelo's room when I overheard Grandma and Aunt Gema talking. They were talking about me, so I couldn't help but listen.
"The child doesn't have a birth certificate." Aunt said.
"How can that be? Jeana said his full name is Aries Fernandez." Grandma replied.
"Only Jay-jay is registered."
"Why is that? Then how will Aries enroll in school?"
"Maybe we'll have to do a late registration."
I didn't understand what a birth certificate or registration was. But whatever it was, why didn't I have one? Why did it seem like only Jay-jay had one?
Aunt Gema and the others were about to leave. They said I would go with them, but I really didn't want to.
I knew Mama would come back for me. And I wasn't wrong because I saw her entering Grandma's house gate.
"Mama!" I called out joyfully.
I ran to greet and hug her.
"Mama! You're here to pick me up? We're going home?" I asked, but she just looked at me.
"Where's Aunt Gema?"
I let go of my hug and pointed at the house. She walked towards it as if she didn't even see me. I followed behind her.
I saw Aunt Lara standing by the door with her hands in her pockets. She was glaring at Mama.
"Gema." Mama said to her.
"Inside." Aunt replied indifferently.
Mama went in to look for her. I was about to follow, but Aunt held my head to stop me.
"Stay here. That's adult talk."
I removed her hand from my head. "I told you Mama would pick me up. We're going home."
She didn't say anything, but there was something in her eyes. I didn't know what it was, but it felt like she didn't believe what I said.
Not long after, we heard shouting inside the house. Everyone in the house turned to look. I recognized Mama's voice, followed by another of my aunts.
"Why don't you just let Gema adopt your child! It's not like you're a useful mother anyway!"
"Jenny! Stay out of this!" Grandma's voice.
"Why? Do you think you know better than me? That's my child! I know what's best for him!"
"Lower your voices, the children might hear you." Aunt Gema.
The shouting stopped briefly until Mama suddenly came out. She was furious and heading straight for me.
She knelt down to my level. I saw a tear fall from one of her eyes. She quickly wiped it away.
"Aries... listen to me." She said, holding my face. "...you will stay with your Aunt Gema for now. She will send you to school. She will feed you. She will give you toys and clothes..." She took a deep breath. "...You will stay with them for now."
I shook my head. "No. I want to be with Jay-jay."
"It's not possible yet. I promise I will come back for you. I will take you back."
I couldn't stop myself from crying. "No! You said that before. But you never came back to take me home!"
"Because I had to take care of Jay-jay."
"You only love her! Maybe you're giving me away because you don't want me! You don't love me!"
"Aries! That's not true. You're too young to understand."
"No! You're lying! You're giving me away!"
She was about to hug me, but I quickly stepped back and hid behind Aunt Lara. She didn't want me, so she was giving me to Aunt Gema.
Jay-jay was the only one who mattered to her now.
Everything was packed. We were just waiting for Kuya Angelo, and then we would leave. I would be living with them now.
"Hey! Monkey!" Aunt Lara called, but I didn't look at her. I just stared at the ground. I wouldn't see Mama and Jay-jay anymore.
"Why do you look so sad? You should be happy!"
I lifted my gaze to her. "Why?"
"Because you'll finally be out of my sight!" she said and laughed.
Well, that's good. After all, she was mean to children. She hurt all of us. Even my other cousins who visited here, she picked fights with them.
"Aries." Aunt Gema called as she approached. "...Are you okay? We're about to leave."
I shook my head. "I didn't get to say goodbye to Jay-jay. She might look for me."
"You'll see each other during the vacation."
"Alright." That was all I could say.
Kuya Angelo came out of the house carrying his bag. He looked at me for a moment before facing Aunt Gema.
"Let's go?"
Aunt Gema nodded at him and bid farewell to Grandma. They kept telling me that I would be happy there, but that wasn't how I felt.
We got into the car, and as it started moving, I felt unprepared. Kuya Angelo was beside me, glancing at me now and then.
"Everything will be okay." He said, ruffling my hair.
What Aunt Gema—or rather, what Mom—said was true. They fixed my birth certificate so she could legally adopt me. They even added the name Michael to match Kuya's.
Ever since I moved in with them, my life had been good. I had my own room, and it even had its own bathroom. I had plenty of clothes, toys, and books.
Every vacation, I went back to Grandma's house and visited Jay-jay at their new home. It wasn't far from our old house.
Bringing my bike, which Kuya Angelo had passed down to me, I went to see Jay-jay. I immediately spotted her on the street, barefoot again.
"Aries!" She called, waving at me.
She could now say my name completely. It made me happy, but at the same time, it also made me sad.
"...he's my cousin." She told his playmates. "...I'll go with him for now."
Cousin.
I didn't know why that was how he saw me. I knew she was only three years old when I left, but I never thought she would forget so quickly who I really was to her.
I forced myself to push that thought away. I smiled briefly and looked at her seriously.
"You're not wearing slippers again! Where is it?" I asked, annoyed.
She looked at me in confusion. "What? Did you just speak English?"
"Your slippers! Where are they?!"
She scratched her head. "They threw it on the roof."
I raised an eyebrow at her. "They? Or you?"
She gave me an innocent grin. "Both."
I scratched my head roughly before signaling her to get on the bike. As we rode, she even waved at her playmates.
All her playmates were boys. I wasn't surprised that she acted like one. Aside from that, she also got into fights with them.
As we rode, the wind blew against us, making her hair fly. I accidentally looked at the back of her neck and saw a strange purplish mark. There was also one behind her ear. And on some parts of her arm.
I stopped the bike, which confused her.
"What? Why did we stop?" She asked.
"What happened to this?" I asked, holding her arm.
"Aahhh... it hurts!" She yelled and pulled her arm away. "It's nothing! Don't mind it."
"Where did you get that?"
She shook his head and avoided looking at me. I had a bad feeling. The last time we met, I noticed scratches and wounds on her.
I knew she didn't just get those from fighting.
"Does your stepfather hurt you?" I asked without hesitation.
She suddenly got off the bike, turning her back to me.
"I'm going home. Let's just play tomorrow." She said before running away.
I wanted to follow her, but her stepfather might get angry with me. Her mother had remarried.
Her mother.
I didn't know if I should still consider her my mother. All I remembered were painful memories whenever I tried to call her that.
I decided to go back to Grandma's house instead. Jay-jay was the only reason I came here.
As I pedaled faster, I noticed a car matching my pace. I moved to the side of the road to let it pass, but it stayed beside me.
I stopped, and so did it. Annoyed, I looked at the car. Not long after, its window rolled down. A man wearing shades smiled at me.
"Are you Aries?" He asked.
I didn't answer. I looked at him carefully, and for some unknown reason, my heart started to race. I turned away and pedaled faster. I turned into a narrow alley to make sure he couldn't follow me.
I stopped before exiting the alley and reaching the main road. I looked behind me. I was out of breath from what I did.
There was something strange about that man.
I couldn't get him out of my head. Worse, I kept seeing him outside my school. Just like now, while I was waiting for Kuya to pick me up.
His car wasn't far away. The window was open, and cigarette smoke drifted out as he took a drag.
"Aries!" Kuya called as he ran towards me. "...Sorry I'm late. Let's go."
I quickly followed him, occasionally glancing at the car, but it didn't move.
Who was he? Why did he keep following me?