Catalyst

Everyone goes about their normal duties just like every other day, my older brother leaves first for an early lecture, followed by mom and dad.


Little brother and I are still being lazy, we're seeing a movie together, I look up the time nd see I'll be late, we pause the movie, I promise him we'll complete it later in the evening, we are dressed up and prepared to go out. 

We take a cab, we can't stop laughing, the cab man is literally blowing up our ears with his idea of a silky delicious voice. My little brother wants to work on his phone so he alights before me going with my bag... I yell his name, he turns around and laughs at me threatening to take my bag, I know he wants me to beg, so I do and he gives me his signature dimpled smile and I know he'll be the death of me, I smile back and in that moment we tell each other we love each other without having to utter a word. 

I arrive at school, I'm still trying to figure out what to do with my files, I forgot to pick something up at home, I contemplate calling my little brother to help me, but I decide against it, it'll pass for today, I go online on WhatsApp and message him, he replies back immediately, his phone goes off. 

Around 4pm I'm wondering where he is, I'm at home and he's not yet back, dad is home, mom comes back exhausted, big brother is home, I'm now worried because he'll be scolded by the time he arrives.

I don't eat, I wait for him to come back so I can eat with him, my mom gets a phone call and is worried and I’m scared, my brother is in the hospital? Something tells me tonight everything will change, Mom and Dad go to the hospital and I use that opportunity to complete the movie we were seeing earlier, I fall asleep. 

Around 1am my parents are back, I see my uncles, aunties, mom's friends, dad's friends and I know I've lost him. I wait for them to say it and my dad breaks the news, I let few tears drop, I don't believe it but I don't tell anyone. I survived the night, I hopefully wait for him to come back, days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, I finally come to terms with it. I miss my best friend, it's one year already.