Prolouge

                                    

                                          
"1,2,3 smile!"
"Hansel! ano ba 'yan para kang baliw, ayusin mo nga!" suway ni tita kay Hans na kanina pa nagrereklamo dahil gusto na niyang umuwi.
"Isa pa! Smile!" saad ni tita at sinetup ang Camera bago lumapit sa amin. 
Si Tita, Ako, si Hans, at si Tito, we all posed for our High School Graduation.
"Sa wakas! Gutom na gutom na ako, alam kong si Grasya din, tara na!" bago pa makaangal sila Tita ay hinila na ako ni Hans patungo sa sasakyan. 
Kanina pa kasi kami kumukuha ng litrato, lalo na si Hans na hearthrob kuno, ang daming nagpapapic sa kanyang mga babae.
"Ano ba 'tong mga 'to." reklamo niya nang makasakay kami sa loob, ang dami kasing nakasabit sa kanya, gulat na gulat pa nga siya dahil di niya alam na siya ang Valedictorian ng batch namin, di ko alam kong anong ginagawa niya buhay niya, alam ko namang sinabi ko sa kanya 'yon at sinabi rin ng adviser naming mag prepare siya ng speech, di ko talaga maintindihan ang lalaking 'to, matalino siya, pero kahit 'yon, di niya rin alam. Tsk, tsk, tsk.
Dumiretso kami sa bahay at doon kami nag celebrate, kami kami lang din kasama ang mga katulong, hindi kasi mahilig sa magarbong okasyon sila tita kahit may sinasabi sa buhay, they're fond of simplicity. 
Di mo rin makikita sa itsura ni Hans ang pagiging mayaman, he doesn't care what he looks like, he wear worn out shoes, and old clothes, that doesn't bother him.
"Sa wakas pagkain!" masayang saad niya pagkaupo niya sa hapag, tinawanan pa siya ni 'Nay Linda. 
"Ikaw talagang bata ka." umiiling na saad ni Tito pero di na niya ito pinansin at nagsimula ng lantakan ang mga pagkain.
Hans, hindi ko alam kung introvert ba siya o ano, he's a jolly person sa mga ka-close niya lang, but he looks serious most of the time, he loves spending time at home kesa sa labas, he preferes reading books, drawing, playing video games, and most of all watching creepy facts and other related topics, sobrang fond niya sa mystery, sa solar system, sa mga unusual things like UFO's, Aliens, ghost and other.
There's one time when he bribed me with money in exchange that i'll help him dig in our backyard, hindi ko alam kung saan niya narinig na may nakahukay daw doon, normal people would freak out pero siya, he even dig to see if its true. Tito got angry, and let Hans put back all the dirt's alone.
I find him really peculiar, he's not even scared when watching horror movies, he will not budge even a little, he can eat in front of the TV playing a cannibal movie. Everything just seems normal to him.
——
"1,2,3 smile!" 
It's our college graduation, and as usual, we took photos, it's our tradition, to take a photo every special occasions. I love taking photos, because I love treasuring memories with the people I love.
"Okaaaay, tama na 'yooon." here comes the reklamador. Hans is always Hans.
"Isa pa." I told him.
"Grasya, gutom na ako, kayo nalang" reklamo niya.
"Eh, sige na, last na, ano namang silbi kung di tayo kompleto diba, madali lang 'to." pagpupumilit ko, pumayag naman siya.
We took one last photo before proceeding home. Na-delay pa kami dahil humabol sila Krystal at Nikkolai, ang kaibigan niyang magpinsan na may lahing Korean.
Pagdating namin sa bahay ay agad siyang nagtungo sa kusina at nauna nang kumain kaya napagalitan nanaman. Naiiling nalang ako habang pinapanood sila.
———
Remembering all those memories right now makes me happy, despite of the bad memories I had before them.
I was born into a very poor family, baon na baon kami sa utang, swerte nalang kung makakain kami ng tatlong beses sa isang araw.
Until one night, my dad went home carrying a plastic, I was happy because I thought it's food, pero nung ilabas niya ang laman, I was disappointed and also confused, he looked at my mom, and my mom smiled at him sadly, it's like they're communicating through their eyes.
Nagtataka ako, as a child, di ko alam ang nagyayari, my dad brought a lot of tape, a match, and a liquid with a red color. 
I watched them both as they closed all the door and windows, they put tape in all edges,  not a single hole can be seen, and then may dad poured the liquid to the entire room, tinakpan ko pa ang ilong ko dahil sa amoy, I felt suffocated.
They both approached me, we hugged each other, they kept telling me they love me, they kept  telling me that our suffering will end very soon, and then, I saw a fire, maliit na apoy pero palaki ito ng palaki, it's devouring us, I was crying.
Little did I know, my parents are committing suicide, with me, little did I know that ending our suffering means ending our lives.
I was lucky enough to survive.
and until now, I am still surviving...
Looking at the man in front of me, sleeping like a dog, I smiled at myself, he is one of the greatest factor why I am trying to survive...
Everyone saw him as simply as he is, but he is peculiar to me, in a good way. 
He is no other than---
Hansel Darious Sobrevilla.
He saved me, and he's still saving me.
—🌻