KUYA JACK

by Anne Kathreen Barrion

I remember the first time I saw you. It was a cloudy day. You are sitting in your wheelchair, waiting for the mass to finish. While you place your small thin can in your palm, I capture the tears behind that beautiful smile you had. It was very obvious but people tend to ignore. As the sun goes down, the rain started to fall but you stay where you are. Nowhere to go. No one to go with. Nothing to do. 

The size of the cathedral made even smaller. And when the people are all gone, I witnessed the real tears rolling down your chubby cheeks from your small eyes. I didn’t know back then why my eyes were suddenly brought out tiny droplets of hot liquid, one thing I know was it was not raindrops, it was surely tears. 

I remember the time when we used to go to the mall. You picked the ugliest scarf I have ever seen and put it on your head. I burst out laughing when you said you never needed to hide your neck with the scarf but your head needed to hide. You are so brave to joke about yourself.  

Remember the photo of you that I took? It went viral! It was you wearing the wig of Ariel of Disney princesses. You said you should start wearing wigs because the scarves don’t suit you anymore. And then you sneak in to Mommy’s room and get her old dresses. You always ask me to get my camera and take a photo of you.  You knew I have an album of you. I uploaded it on Facebook. I know you want your pictures to go viral. 

I also remember when you start to cry but I really don’t know why. I didn’t know what to do. You started vomiting, you said your head aches a lot like it was hammered. It was like sh*t! What should I do? And then there are many thoughts that enter my mind. Like, “oh my God, am an only child and then I brought you home and welcomed you as my brother but I will lost you just like that?!” but thanks God, I was just over acting. You are still alive and it was like nothing happened. 

You know how I was frustrated about being a famous photographer. I graduated as a Communication Arts Student major in Photography.  I captured everything I thought was nice. And then upload it in different websites. I also joined every single competition just to be famous. You know me very well! But I ended up just a photographer, not famous. So I stop. 

I started capturing everything that makes me happy. And when I browse my album, you know what I saw? It was you. It was all you. You know what happened on the album that I uploaded? There are many comments, saying they want to help you. They are amazed on how enthusiast you are despite of your big head! And also am i. I was very happy that they want to help you and that you face your life with positivity. 

Because of you, I became famous. I went viral. Not as a photographer but as a brother to you. And that makes me so so much thankful to you. Not because you made me viral on social media. But because I realized that it was not being famous that I want, it was become a brother.  

But it was not long ago when you left me. I just left home to go on my work. Then Mommy called saying you are at a hospital suffering again from severe head ache. Of course I jumped in my car and rush to you.  

I saw you lying down the bed. Your lips turned to purple. Your hands as cold as ice. My mind is coming out! It just so sudden. How could you leave me like that? How could you not even say goodbye to your brother? Can somebody hit me so I just woke up in this cursing dream?? 

I captured everything we had. I even gave you a name. Harry, you mean a lot to me. You turned me into a matured person. You taught me how to calm when I hated myself by not winning the contest. 

I found you when you are only seven, but after seven years you left me. You even said you want celebrate your birthday when I celebrate my birthday. I’m turning one and thirty and it was just so sad to see you in a frame. But one thing I know for sure, that you are with me celebrating my thirty first birthday and celebrating your fourteenth years of age. Happy birthday to us! 

Then this day came. When I opened my Facebook account, there are lots of lots of people who were inspired by us. And then I found these pages on Facebook of people who are helping those who has Hydrocephalus just like you. And there’s a coal inside my heart that gradually turns into fire. And it urges me to personally meet them. 

This is all for you Harry. We have helped a lot of patients with their treatment. I treated them all as my siblings. We go around the Philippines just to help every hydrocephalus patient. We are volunteers, and at the same time I’m working with my photo studio that I build after working in different company. So the money I get, I gave half of it to the patients and half for my business. They all lived with happiness just like you.  

If only I found you sooner, maybe you will be with me longer. Now, that I travel and captured every moment in my life, i became a famous photographer. I owe it all to you. It is like I’m a celebrity that everywhere I go people will recognize me and call me “Kuya Jack, the cure for your hydrocephalus”.