Gabriel's pov
Growing up, Miguel was always the golden boy of our family. He was everything my parents ever wanted in a son: disciplined, intelligent, and destined to follow in father's footsteps as a lawyer. Dad , never hid how proud he was of him. It wasn't just because my brother excelled academically, or that he was epitome of gentleman. It was because Miguel was the perfect reflection of our dad himself- a man who valued ambition, respectability, and success above all else.
And then there was me. Gabriel. The second son. The rebel. The one who couldn't sit still in classroom , who hated rules , who risked his life on motorbike , and who dreamed of becoming an artist.
To father , art was a hobby at best and a distraction at worst , certainly not a career. Mother loved me in her quiet way, but even she couldn't hide the worry in her eyes everytime tatay muttered, "He'll never amount to anything."
Today was supposed to be a day of celebration . Kuya's graduation. He was about to take his first steps toward becoming the kind of man our parents always wished for. As usual, my role was to stay in background and let the family bask in Miguel's achievements. Tatay was running late, caught up at work, but he had promised to meet us at the school.
So there I was, standing with my mother outside the gates of university, watching the steady streams of families arriving to celebrate their graduates. Nanay clutched her purse nervously, glancing at her phone for updates from my father. I was leaning againts a lamppost , trying to ignore the growing unease in my chest.
The air felt heavy, thought I couldn't tell if it was the heat or something else entirely. I stared at the two passing cars, each one bringing the new excitement to other families while I felt a strange knot tightening in my stomach. I glanced at Nanay. She was still focused on her phone , her lips pursed in a thin line. "He'll be there," she said, almost to herself , though I wasn't sure if she was trying to reassure me or herself.
Then it happened.
Out of nowhere, a car swerved into the street. Too fast. Too reckless.
The crash was defeading. Screeching tires. Shattered glass. Metal crumpling like paper. Gasps and screams erupted around me, but all I could do was stare. My breath caught in my throat as I watched the wreckage unfold just a few meters away.
And then I saw it .
The car. The one I had seen a thousand times before. It was Tatay's.
I froze. My legs refused to move , my mouth refused to speak. The world around me seemed to slow down, like I was watching it from underwater.
"Gabriel? " Nanay's voice broke through the fog. She turned towards me, her brows knitted in confusion. "What's wrong? Did you see something?"
I wanted to answer. I wanted to tell her. But I couldn't. My chest tightened, and all I could do was point. She turned to follow my gaze , but before she could take in the scene , her phone buzzed in her hand. She quickly answered it , her voice strained with worry.
Hello?"
There was a pause. A long , terrible pause.
I watched as her face changed. Her eyes widened, her free hand clutching at her chest as though trying to steady her breathing. The phone slipped from her grasp, falling to the pavement with a dull thud.
"Nanay?" My voice came out as a whisper.
Miguel's voice broke through the tension. He had just walked out of the auditorium, his smile fading as he noticed Nanay trembling. He rushed over to steady her, his cap and gown forgotten. "Mom? What's going on?"
She didn't answer. She didn't need to.
Kuya bent down, pickup up the phone. His face went pale when he heard the voice on the other end. I didn't need to hear the words to know what they were saying. I already knew.
Tatay was gone.
And I was only one who had seen it happen.