Outdoorsy

My brother Czyryll is such a spoiled brat. It must be our 12-year age gap plus the fact that he is the only kid at home that made him one. He always gets what he wants since he knows he is the baby in the family. Well, he may not be a real baby in all sense of the word (he is already 11; much bigger and much heavier than my mom and I) but we treat him like one.

Guilty! We are to blame for how he is acting.

Anyway, one lazy Sunday morning, he went inside my room and headed towards my bed. He asked me to move so he, too, could sleep on my soft clean sheets. I was not really in the mood to cuddle and bond with him that moment since I was still so sleepy that I turned my back on him. Then, he tagged me from behind so I turned to face him.

My little bro was sheepishly smiling that I knew right away that he was up to something. So asked him what he wanted. In reply he just said, “Wala lang gud te. Namiss lang tika. One week gud ka wala. Langga-langga lang gud ta”. However, I was not so convinced with what he said. “Sure ka? Basi naa kay kinahanglan sa ako. Sige nah. Sulti dayon. Basi mabungol na ko unya di na jud hinuon nako madungog unsa imung gusto. Bahala ka’. He was still hesitant. “Sige, matulog sa ko ug balik. Mataha lang ko kung musulti na ka”, I told him. “Ayyy, ate pod oi! Sige na gud”. Silence. Then he finally said. “Te, dili na lang ko papalit cell phone with camera. Paliti na lang kog guitar. Kana na lang imung graduation gift sa ako”.

I was right after all. He was not inside my room because he missed me. He was there because he wanted something from me.

“Gitara?! Heller? Kabalo ba diay ka magtugtog? ”, I asked. Ever willing to air out his side, he said “Dili. Kaya gani ko papalit para naa koy praktisan”.

“Wait lang ha. Pwede isipon sa nako? Besides, wala baya jud ko nagsulti palitan tikag cell phone”, I said. “Te, mas barato man ang gitara. Afford na jud nah nimu oi. Pleasssssssseeeee”, he pleaded with eyes almost close to tears.

I knew he was not really going to cry. He is an actor after all … an actor who has mastered his craft through years of constant practice. I knew he was pretending yet he was starting to break my heart. So I asked him, “Unya, kung palitan tika, unsa man akong makuha? Alangan naman pang gift lang ang gitara. Mahal kaya gihapon nah”. He was not able to answer for a while. “Sige te, magbinut-an ko. Maghugas kog plato. Magstudy ko sa akong lesson. Tanan grades nako buhaton nako line of 8. Magtuo ko kay mama, papa ug sa imu. Sige na te. Pleasssssssseeeee lang jud. Paliti ko bah’, he finally said.

Enjoying how frail he looked while he was pleading, I went on with the conservation. After all, moments like that do not usually happen. He does not usually plead. He just demands and show that bratty attitude should his whims not be given.

I said, “Mahal man jud nah oi. Dili ko ka-afford”. He must have figured it all out since he said “Tunga na lang gd mo ni Kuya ______”, referring to my beau, “kani na lang inyong gift sa ako”.

Brilliant! He really got it all figured out.

So, I finally gave in. “Ok. Storyahon nako si kuya”. He went closer to me, gave me a kiss on my cheek and real tight hug. Then he said, “Thank kaayo te. Happy kaayo ko”.

It has been months since Czyryll and I had the conversation. Although he would be graduating soon, I have not looked for the guitar he was asking for but I intend to keep my promise… I am buying him one.

Since the time we had that talk, he exerted effort to keep his word. True enough, he strive to wash the dishes, obey my parents and me, study his lessons and maintain grades not lower than 80 (which is unlikely by the way because he is such a brat).

With all that he did just so he can have his guitar, I could not dare to break his heart. I intend to keep my word the way that Czyryll has kept his. Should I disappoint him, I am certain he would never believe any word I say…he would never endeavor to keep his promise as well.

I am not perfect for him to emulate. I just want him to believe in me.

Through the very simple gesture of buying him that guitar, I know he would trust me…my words.

For a trust that was lost is hard to regain; I would not want that to happen to my brother and me.