Agatha and Adela were very different despite being siblings. Adela is two years older than Agatha and they attended the same schools together except when they were in college. Adela took up Psychology in Ateneo de Manila University while juggling her volleyball and modelling career. The siblings lived together in their paternal aunt Mercedes' humble home while they were in college and eventually separated ways right after their graduation.
Agatha hated her older sister secretly. Ever since they were kids, Adela always had the better version of things. She always had their mother's attention and care. Relatives and family friends always asked about her. Maybe it's because society deemed Adela more beautiful with her height, skinny figure, porcelain skin, and bold almond eyes. Agatha is slightly shorter than her sister. While she shared similar characteristics with her sister, Agatha had thicker eyebrows, bigger ears, and an abnormal posture brought about by hours of practicing on her musical instruments.
Adela always made it to the top of her class from kindergarten to college despite having to juggle her extracurricular activities. Agatha was academically unstable, but sparkled the most during her college years when she majored in music - the only thing she is passionate about. Their mother, Clarissa Castillo, would always be at her events while Agatha had to play her pieces without anyone from the family watching. Their father, Arturo Tan Castillo, was always busy at the convenience store, so he was not always there to watch his daughters' events. He only watched recorded videos of them performing, praised them for being such wonderful daughters, and gave both of them equal rewards like dresses, books, jewelry, or beauty products. Although their father was a busy man, he was the one who believed in Agatha the most. He never judged his daughters' career path as he believed that his daughters were free to choose whatever they loved, contrary to his wife who always had a say towards their daughters' activities.
When their father got seriously ill, Adela and Agatha were the daughters they should be. Despite not being able to go home every now and then due to Agatha's studies and Adela's career back then, they still sent their parents financial assistance. Adela doubled her projects as a TV host, a model, and a volleyball player of a famous gasoline company. Agatha taught music for homeschooled kids and played as a guitarist for live bands at various restaurants. Their mother refused their financial help at first, but both of them insisted. It was the least they could do. They weren't physically there to caress their dying father.
When their father died, the sisters drifted away from each other. Agatha acted colder and colder to her family without explaining why and eventually decided to live alone in Quezon City shortly after establishing her music career. She only returns to Cebu during her father's death anniversary and takes it as a vacation leave for a week. Adela made her efforts to comfort her sister, but it seems like Agatha closed her doors for anyone else to enter.
---
The sisters ride the same flight to Cebu a night before their father's death anniversary. Agatha drinks a can of cola and places it on the tabletop in front of her.
"You did a really great job with There's Nothing Like Tomorrow," Adela compliments her musical work for a movie.
Agatha smiles a little bit, "Thanks."
"A lot of my friends have watched the movie. I watched the movie, too. And the instrumentals were very much fitting for every scene. You are indeed a musical genius," Adela continues.
"Yeah. It was quite a long work to do," Agatha admits. She takes another sip of her cola and observes the drops trickling on the can's body. She takes the tissue on the tabletop and wipes the can clean.
"Gate, how's life lately? You haven't been posting on social media that much anymore. You only post about promotions and work," Adela calls her sister by her nickname.
"I told you. Same old, same old. Nothing much is happening. I teach both kids and adults in different venues...UP, NGOs, homeschooling. My life has always been about music and I'm actually glad it became my line of work. How about you? Aren't you going to pursue your dream in sports psychology?"
"Gate, you know that it's hard to establish a career in psychology here other than becoming part of the human resources industry. Nobody pays attention to mental health in this country. And in my years of being a volleyball player and a multimedia artist, I still deal with people. Plus, I've been doing some volunteer work as a mental health advocate. That way, I'm still using my degree."
"Alright. It's your call. The important thing is...you're happy with what you're doing."
Agatha and Adela fall silent for a while. Adela hates how her sister could just question her choices easily when she thinks it was her hard work that saved the family after their father's death. Agatha was still a fresh graduate at that time, and Adela's income made their convenience store business thrive in Cebu. Adela is selfless. She always chooses the people she loves even when she gets nothing in return, which is why she is patient towards her hot-tempered younger sister.
"You're not seeing anyone as of the moment?" Agatha asks her.
Adela smiles and shakes her head, "Not a chance. I'm too busy."
"Busy is always the excuse of a celebrity when facing the showbiz reporters. You've really learned well from your profession," Agatha comments.
"I'm telling you the truth. I have no time for it although there are some people who are showing their interest to me. We still need to buy a house in Cebu so that Mama can rest well during the summer. It's really hot in our building-"
"We're going to build her a house, but we won't be living there. It's not going to be practical, Del."
"I thought we already talked about this. You even agreed."
"Does she really need the house? Did we ask her?"
Adela sighs. She thinks to herself: She has a point. We haven't talked to Mama about our plan. No, it was my plan all along. I dragged her into this.
Before Adela could answer her younger sister, a fellow passenger taps her shoulder. A teenage girl in a yellow hoodie politely asks to take a photo with the popular volleyball player and artist. Agatha attempts to cover her face with her phone, so as not to disturb the teenage girl's celebrity encounter.
---
It is 10:30 PM when they arrive at the Mactan Cebu International Airport. They walk together towards the Arrivals area where they see their mother and their maternal cousin, Marco. Adela runs to them and hugs their mother first. Marco hugs Agatha.
"It's so nice to see my daughters again," Clarissa says, caressing Adela's face while looking at Agatha.
"We missed you a lot, Ma," Adela smiles.
"Shall we get going now?" Marco asks as he motions to pick up his cousins' luggage.
Adela holds her mother's hand as they walk towards the airport's exit. Agatha stays silent and listens to both of them talk about Adela's recent public appearances and endorsements. Upon approaching their family car at the parking lot, Marco rushes to the car doors to open them. Agatha goes to the back of the car to help Marco put the luggage in.
"How are you?" Agatha initiates a conversation with Marco.
Marco places Adela's luggage first and answers, "I'm doing good, Ate. No need to worry about me."
"Are we too heavy on you? Do you ever find it difficult with Mama sometimes?" Agatha lowers down her voice.
Marco places Agatha's luggage next and says, "It's fine, Ate. Auntie is not a bother at all. Plus, she lets me go home to Dumaguete at least two or three days in a month so that I can spend time with Mama and my siblings. But sometimes, I choose not to go home to Dumaguete so that I can keep an eye on Auntie. I think she is really lonely most of the time. And she barely hangs out with her friends."
Agatha and Marco close the back door of the car shut. They both take the front seats.
"Are we going straight home or would you guys want to stop by a drive-thru like the usual?" Marco asks.
"You really want some chicken in the middle of the night everytime we come home, Marco. You know the drill already," Adela says.
"I'll be the one to pay this time," Marco offers.
"You can't do that. You're breaking tradition. It's always me and Gate who pays for the bucket!" Adela says.
"Let him be, Atsi. Marco is a lot more responsible already. He's pretty good at saving money," Mrs. Castillo says.
"Wow, that's surprising! Let's wait 'til Marco gets a girlfriend. Good luck to your savings, dude," Adela teases.
"Oh, dear. Marco always gets rejected by the girls in his university," Mrs. Castillo says.
"Ah, right. It will take him ages to get a girlfriend because he is too shy around girls! He only opens up to us," Adela adds.
"Okay. No bucket of chicken, then!" Marco jokingly says.
They burst into laughter, except for Agatha who is busy admiring the sight of Cebu as they cross over the Marcelo Fernan bridge. Her solitude is cut out when her mother finally asks her how she is. Agatha looks behind her shoulder and tells her mother that she is okay.
"Have you been enjoying your job lately?" Mrs. Castillo asks her.
"Jobs, Ma. I've got plenty of jobs aside from being an instructor at Diliman. I'll be joining the orchestra once I get home. We've got rehearsals for an upcoming show," Agatha replies.
"What kind of show is it?"
"A musical, Ma. You'll know once I post about it on social media, okay?"
"Okay. I was thinking I could go visit you and Adela one day. I want to see what your life is like lately. If you don't mind," Mrs. Castillo says.
"That would be great, Ma! Since when did you think about this?" Adela says enthusiastically.
"Ever since I thought Marco is already responsible enough to be left behind for the convenience store. Plus, I miss my girls a lot," Mrs. Castillo says.
Adela embraces her mother tight. Agatha looks back at her reflection on the side mirror. They finally reach the drive-thru of a popular fast food chain. Marco rolls down the windows.