Pamamaalam (Part II)

Napansin namin na sa tuwing umiiyak si Cyrus, bigla na lang siyang parang nanggagalaiti at nagiging kulay blue. Kailangan siyang pakalmahin kapag umiiyak, para makapag-proceed. Sabi ni Daddy, paiyakin lang ng paiyakin hanggang lumakas ang baga. Eventually, that worked... nung mag-2 or 3 months na yata siya nun, hindi na siya nagiging color blue 'pag umiiyak... at naging singlakas na siyang umiyak ng Kuya Marky niya.

Cyrus loved milk so much. Nauubos niya ang isang malaking bote ng walang kahirap-hirap. At maya't maya 'yun. Siguro sa isang araw, average niya 10 bote. Malalaki 'yun lahat. Kaya lumobo siya ng lumobo. Eventually, a month just before he died, halos singlaki na niya ang Kuya Marky niya.

Cyrus started making talking sounds early, just like his Kuya Marky. 2 months din siya when he said his first word, "dede." (Marky's was "karga!"). Nung 3 months siya, nasasabi na niya ang "opo." Mas madaldal siya sa Kuya Marky niya. His favorite words were "aku" and "blahblahblah." (Marky went through the "aku" phase, but he never got through the "blahblahblah" phase) Often, he would also make sounds as if he were singing. May tono kasi. And then, 'pag pinakilala mo siya sa ibang tao, he would seemingly make "kuwento." I will never forget the last time I brought him out to talk to an old man. Nagkuwento siya with feelings, parang umiiyak pero walang tears. Tapos maya-maya, happy na ulit, then he motioned for me to take him somewhere else. That was just days before he died.

Cyrus was always observing. Gaya nung napansin ko nung bagong panganak siya, whenever he's in a new environment, whenever he woke up, and whenever he's about to sleep, magmamasid muna siya sa paligid. Basta kahit anong gawin niya, mag-o-observe muna siya. His eyes are deep and dark, maybe they make good observer's eyes. Whenever I sing, he'd observe. Whatever his Kuya Marky does, he'd observe. Whenever I talk to him, he'd observe. And whenever I'd put him to sleep, he'd observe first, until he finally falls asleep....

A month before he passed away, kusa na siyang nakakadapa. Gumagawa na rin siya ng effort to push himself forward. Earlier than Marky ito... si Kuya Marky niya kasi, parang tamad mag-effort na kumilos, tapos nagulat na lang kami nakakagapang at nakakatayo na pala. Si Cyrus, kitang-kita mo ang development. Kitang-kita mo 'yung milestones niya na step-by-step. Nakakatakot lang, kasi kapag nakadapa si Cyrus, bigla na lang niyang binabagsak ulo niya. Kaya, nauuntog siya.

Cyrus was always laughing and smiling. He would laugh to his Kuya's antics. He would laugh when Daddy tickles him. ('Pag si Marky kinikiliti, naaasar at umiiyak) He would laugh to anybody. But most of all, Cyrus loved kisses, especially when it's from me. I'm not saying this dahil nagyayabang ako; I'm saying this because this is what I have observed. He would smile and look so spoiled tuwing binibigay ko sa kanya 'yung special kisses ko for my sons sa kanyang cheeks. Kapag nauntog siya, hilot lang ng konti, tapos 'pag kiniss ko na, OK na, hindi na siya iiyak.....