Time to say goodbye*

"Baby patay na si Ken..."

I heard my younger sister say to her boyfriend over the phone.

I was lying in my bed, woken up just in time to hear the bad news. I feigned sleep while I listened to her recount the story.

I listened and I felt my heart.  Nothing.  Then I understood my defense mechanism.  Blocking the painful thoughts.

"OK sige go back to sleep.  I will eat then clean the bathroom."

She put down the phone and I took a peek.  She lay there on her stomach with an iPod on her left hand.  I decided to check the time on my cellphone.  She saw me awake and sat down on my bed.

"Patay na si Ken."  I sat up and gave her a hug.  She told me what happened.

I laid back in my bed and I felt a single tear roll down my left cheek.