“Who are you?” the boy asked upon waking up. Feeling tired and weak, he tried his best to rise from the bed. He was wearing Paulo’s clothes — a bright yellow shirt paired with a blue shorts. It may have been an odd match, yet he carried it well. He had no trace at all of being soaked in the rain overnight. His aura was very pleasant despite the remarkable worriment on his face.

He and Paulo seemed to be of age. Though Paulo stands a little taller than him, the boy is much better-looking than Paulo. “’Nay, the boy! He’s awake!” Paulo, eyes fixed to the boy, shouted to his mother in excitement. Linda, who was busy preparing their meal in the kitchen, immediately left her chores and rushed to the bed where the boy is seated. “I’m Paulo, and this is my nanay, Linda,” Paulo introduced, extending his hand for a shake.

“Nanay?” the boy loudly wondered and shook Paulo’s hand.

“Yes, nanay. She’s my mother. And you are?” Paulo asked excitedly.

“Oh, Paulo, don’t stress him. He’s tired, I suppose.” Linda interjected, throwing a beaming smile to the boy.

“Pleased to meet you, ma’am,” the boy bowed before her. Linda and Paulo looked at each other and smiled. She felt odd with the courtesy the boy had shown. It was peculiar, they thought. “Why?” the boy asked, curious about what he had done that made them smile. He let his eyes wander over the two and around the house. After a while, he rested his eyes on the man. “Who is he?” he continued.

There was a long pause. A long and awkward pause. Her beaming smile soon faded. “Don’t you recognize him?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?” she asked once again, bending forward so that she was face to face with the boy. And then he nodded. She straightened up, her eyes were dull, and her brow creased with curiosity.

“’Nay? Is there something wrong?” Paulo asked, concerned and clueless of what her mother might have been thinking. He then turned his gaze to the boy who was now standing next to him, pallid-looking and silent.

Quirah, I regret to say this but I have to… Someday, I hope, you will understand why. This is the brightest idea left for me to do. I pray that when you learn about this, you would not renounce and despise me. Forgive me. I’m doing this for you. I’m sorry s—

“Ah!” the boy exclaimed. He was sweating all over his face and his eyes were wet. A while ago he was feeling euphoric for no reason. But then, in a snap of a finger, his vision turned gray and cloudy. He was filled with a scene so confounded for him that he was not sure if that was his own memory.

He felt restless.

“Are you okay?” Linda and Paulo rushed to the bedside and probed him. “Here, drink this,” Linda, flustered, passed a glass of water, which the boy took and drunk hurriedly. “Are you okay?” she repeated “you fainted a while ago. We were just talking and then you fainted. You frightened me.”

The boy looked up at her, clandestinely probing her voice. But no. It was not the same voice. His face was white and grim. He tightly shut his eyes for a second and with his brow creasing, he deliberately opened his eyes.

“You must be starving. What’s your name again?” she asked. “Come over here at the table and have some soup.” The boy gave her a feeble smile and fumbled for an answer “I am Quirah,” uncertain, the boy articulated. The word Quirahhas been dabbling in his head ever since he fainted. Might as well use it as his name, he thought. “Sorry for what happened.”

“Oh, you’ve got a unique name there, huh?” she said in her attempt to lighten up the atmosphere. “Never you mind. To the table now,” she called to Quirah and Paulo.

“But how about that man?” he pointed to the body still lying unconsciously on the bed.

It quivered. After a while, a low keening cry came from deep within its throat. His body recoiled with horror. And then, it rolled to the side of the bed and sat up. He put his feet on the floor and leaned his head forward, while he gasped to catch his breath. His skin was damp, his nerves shattered, and his muscles tightly coiled. Around him, the house was deathly quiet, sensing his every move.

Everybody was staring at him. Clustered in a corner, Linda secured the boys near her. The memories flashed back to her. He hadn’t changed much. Thinner, maybe a little haggard and tamer than before, but, she believes, he’s still the same old Larry she met 13 years ago.

He looked very tired and weak. But despite everything, he maintains some sort of appeal, which is, inexplicable as it may seem, relative to both Paulo and Quirah. He slowly looked up and watched the people around him. His face was contorted with confusion and wondering. He smiled and his gloomy eyes soon brightened after seeing Linda.

His smile was a comfort to Paulo and Quirah, they were trusting. But to Linda, it was far-fetched, it was as if air left her lungs. She gave a stern look and took several paces towards the man. “So, you’re still alive, aren’t you? Why are you here?” she asked tonelessly, keeping her composure.

He stood up. Linda felt a sudden urge of hugging him tightly. Her dead heart beat again after a long time. She missed him, so much that she wanted to kiss and touch him. But she restrained herself. He had betrayed her. He had pricked her dream of a happy ending fairytale and brought her rudely to reality. Most of all, he abandoned her with another mouth to feed — Paulo, their son, the fruit of their supposed-to-be-never-ending-love, which turned out to be a one night stand.

She stood firm, gathered up all her courage, put on a brave face and looked at him straight in the eyes, “What are you doing in this island? What are you up to now?” she asked, her face passionless as an icicle beneath the sunshine.

At last, she couldn’t contain her emotions, it was too much, and burst out her grieving, “How dare you show your thick face here?” she uttered. “Don’t you have any shame left for coming back?”

“Wait–”

“No.” she interfered. “I’ve done my waiting. 13 years, Larry, 13 years!”

Paulo gasped. The sound of the name echoed around the house. It was painful, a painful sound that pierce through Paulo and Linda’s skin. Curiously, it hit Quirah as well for no reason. Paulo knew to whom that name belongs — it was his father. Is he really my father? he wondered in astonishment. It was their first meeting and he don’t know what to feel. Should he be happy now that he’s back? Or should he be angry for abandoning them? Should he shout for joy? Or should he bellow in fury for dumping them? He stood beside his mother, grabbed her arm, and wrapped it around him.

“I trusted you, Larry,” she begun to sob. “I trusted you with all my heart but what have you done? What did I do to you to deserve this?”

“Let me explain–”

“Explain?” she wiped the tears with the back of her hand. “And what lies are you going to tell me now, Larry? You assured me that you’ll come back and marry me. I was a fool to believe in you, to trust you. I have waited patiently for like ages without hearing any word from you! And now you expect me to listen to you?” she wept, harder than ever. “I have loved you and I have given everything I could give to you, everything until nothing’s left for me,” she said, whining. “I thought it’s you that I have waited for so long.” her voice trailed off.

“You got this all wrong–” the man threw in for the third time.

“Yes!” she yelled. “I really got this all wrong. I was so stupid for defending you to everyone who keeps saying that you’re just as good as every other man! I thought you were different.”

Paulo was speechless with shock. He couldn’t believe what’s been served before his eyes instead of the delicious meal waiting in the table. It was beyond comprehension. If only it was a math problem, no matter how many x’s and y’s are there, he could solve it with ease. If only it was a matter of physics and chemistry, it would only take him seconds to decode it. But that was not the case, it was intricate. It was the first time he ever saw his mother broke down like this. Somehow, it affected him. The connection was so strong that he felt his energy draining.

“I’m not Larry!” the man hollered.

…

Linda’s brown eyes abruptly widened and her mouth fell open at his audacity. Paulo, who was still speechless in shock, wandered his gaze from the man to his mother.

The atmosphere turned eerie and awkward. Quirah was starting to look pallid again, but he managed to remain calm after taking a deep breath.

“Get out,” she muttered under her breath, pretending to hear nothing.

“I’m not Larry!” the man repeated. “I’m Terry, Larry’s twin.” his skin was flustered as he spat out the words that seemed poisonous to her.

Silence…

A long shot of silence filled the house. Terry? Larry’s twin? But Larry has never mentioned he was a twin. Was Larry never true to me? At this thought, she completely broke down in tears, silently.

Terry immediately rushed to her side as he thought she was fainting. But she snapped in frenzy. Paulo’s eyes were now swimming in tears, seeing her mother in this state was torturing him.

“Take your filthy hands off her!” he spat out. “Get out!”

He stepped back looking perturbed and innocent. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to embroil into your life. But, as to what I have learned from you,” he looked at Linda who is now gradually returning to focus, “we are on the same boat. I’m also in search of Larry for the longest time. I believe, he’s in danger.”

“So, you think you’ve succeeded in deceiving us?” Linda grumbled, controlling her emotions.

“I have proofs, but I can’t show everything now.” he rummaged in his pockets, pulling out a billfold drenched in mud. “Here, look at this,” he said, handing a creased wallet-sized photograph of his family. In the photo, Larry and Terry stood side by side with their parents. Terry holds a basketball to his left hand and Larry wraps his right arm around his mother: a picture of a happy family.

Linda took it, and at once, she was convinced that they really are twins. She was taller than Terry, but she was shorter than Larry. She was sobbing while looking at the photograph, she couldn’t help it. All the while she thought that she was betrayed, dumped, and forgotten. I was selfish for accusing you. I should have looked for you instead of waiting. How could I be so stupid for relinquishing you for years. I should have been happier by now. She gazed at Terry. Recalling her memory of Larry. They are very similar – their eyes, their charming smiles — of course, they’re identical twins. She remembered his tan face where her palm landed for countless times. But still, he have loved her.

After a long while, she hugged him tightly. Just as she needed. Tears begun to fall down her cheeks and her eyes are getting sore. Somehow, he had ease her burden, and he knew he’s getting closer to finding Larry, he’s long lost twin.

He patted Linda’s back and smiled to Paulo. “Nanay, must be crazy,” he whispered to Quirah who is standing beside him, gaze fixed to Terry.

Terry caught Quirah staring at him and winked his left eye back to him. Quirah’s eye widened in surprise, a jet of sparkling dust and a strange vision flashed to him: a happy face winking repeatedly at him.

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