“Sunny, what happened to your hand?”
Angel looks closely at the screen, squinting her eyes to get a better look at the band-aid, awkwardly placed on Sunny’s fist.
Sunny looks at her hand and replies, “Oh, this? It’s nothing, I promise you!”
“Is there something going on there?” Angel asks, sensing that something was not right.
Sean comes closer to the laptop and squints his eyes and replies, “TELL ME THE NAME, THE PLACE, AND THE TIME! I’LL BE THERE—”
Sunny laughs and takes off her band-aid. “See, look! No wound!” She replies, putting the band-aid back.
“I told you guys. There's nothing to worry about.”
Angel laughs and asks, “So, why do you have these bandages? I haven’t heard of this fashion trend before… and I’m usually on top of those things…”
“No, no, no,” Sunny replied, shaking her head furiously.
“It’s just that it reminds me of my sister.”
The three are left confused, how in the world could a sticky band-aid remind her of her sister?
Sunny begins to tell a story to the three, mentioning every detail, fresh from her memory.
“I usually get wounds a lot due to my clumsiness.”
“Sunny, do not forget to treat your wounds!” Her sister, Raine, rushed to her with a first-aid kit in one hand and a bag of cotton on the other.
“You know I’m not always here to treat them for you,” she said sternly as she carefully treats Sunny’s wound with cotton, soaked with the classic old Betadine, still smelling like the medicine cabinet.
“Well, you’re here now!” She said, sticking out her tongue.
“Hay, ikaw talaga.”
Raine sighed in defeat at her sister’s teases, finishing the treatment by putting a cute cartoon bandaid on her knee. There was an affection in her eyes Sunny has yet to understand. Her sister ruffled her hair lightly before getting up on her feet, hauling Sunny up after her. “What would I ever do without you?” she sighed, her tone laced with a bit of laughter.
“You have many other people to help,” Sunny replied. They are seated side by side on the steps overlooking their small neighborhood. “I think you’ll be a great doctor!”
“I guess I’ve had my fair share of play-doctor with you, don’t you think?”
“My wounds aren’t fake nga, ate!”
“Ate Raine wants to spend the rest of her life helping other people,” Sunny continues to share. “She’s always had a caring nature for me and even Ma when it’s supposed to be the other way around.”
“The world is lucky to have her,” Angel says. All they know of Raine are the short moments she would drop by the bus with a snack for Sunny, or a small gift from the book fairs and trade expos from when Sunny was still in grade school. Sunny’s heart will always have a special place for Raine, and she plans to be by her side at every moment as Raine chases her dreams, with a white coat around her shoulders and a stethoscope around her neck.
“She’s been by my side since I was still learning how to stand,” Sunny says, “And everytime I would fall, she would catch me just at the right moment— like some kind of superpower. I think the gods gave her a bigger heart than the rest of us.
“Mom said that they named ate Raine because of how she was such an abundant blessing from above— and it’s true!”
Sean, Angel, and Enrique’s screens turn still, each one appearing frozen and giving Sunny their undivided attention. Sunny almost thinks her connection went bad.
“She is a blessing to each and every one who knows her, and I hope, someday, I would be just like her: someone who radiates positivity to this gloomy world.”
“Well, you already do so with your name alone, Sunny,” Sean butts in, laughing lightly at himself.
“But, well, who knew that this day would come? The day that will test me and my optimism,” Sunny replies, with an ever-so annoyed expression.
It became a habit for Raine to call Sunny in between her shifts at work, when she is sure Sunny has already been dismissed from class. Today, Raine called a little later than usual, after Sunny had already arrived home. Her face lit up as the caller ID revealed Raine’s picture and immediately picked up.
“Hello, my sunshine!” Raine greeted from the other end, her voice still filled with life despite the exhausting shift. She was grateful to have Sunny close— her first year of highschool was reaching its end, and Raine was so excited for the two of them to keep growing alongside one another.
“Ate Raine!” Sunny replied enthusiastically, bouncing onto the couch, then yelped as her head hit the wall.
“Ano na naman yan?” Raine said exasperatedly. “Nakaabot ka na ng grade seven, mag-ingat ka dyan!”
“It’s fine! My brain cells are the biggest casualties.”
“Sunny, can you sing for me?” Raine asked. “Pampagana naman para sa next shift.”
“Ha? All of a sudden?”
“I’m tired, Sunny...” Raine plead playfully, pouting although Sunny couldn’t see her on the other end. Her coworker laughs from the other end of the room, and Raine shoots her a look.
“Sige na nga!” Sunny doesn’t need much convincing to sing for Raine, and Raine is surprised at how she complies despite the way she’s growing older. Won’t she be embarrassed by now?
“You are my sunshine— my only sunshine.”
“You make me happy when skies are grey…”
The two continued to sing the song in their most obnoxious voices, ringing in each other’s ears.
“You never know, dear—”
“—How much I love you.”
“Please don't take my sunshine away.”
Raine sighs in exhaustion and replies, “Kitakits mamaya okay?”
“Can’t wait to have you back home, Drainy Rainy!”
“Hay, I wanna lie down on my bed right now, in all honesty.”
“Oh, trust me, you won’t be able to rest while I’m around to annoy you!”
“Nako, note to self: Hide all the sugar patch kids.”
“HEY, ANG DAYA MO-”
“Wait, I have to go! Talk to you later Sunny!”
Raine dropped the call from her line, and returned back to the chaos of her graveyard shift in the hospital. Sunny looked back at her phone in irritation, seeing how abrupt their call ended.
“How typical of her!”
Sunny sighed and plopped on the sofa. She swiftly grabbed the remote, turns on the tv, and switched the channel to the news,
“BREAKING NEWS! The government has declared a one-week suspension of classes and non-essential to contain the spread of the nCov-19, or better known as the novel coronavirus.”
Sunny jumped in excitement and relief. It was a miracle to break free from all the stress of academic workload piled upon her.
“OMG! I HAVE TO TELL ALL MY FRIENDS!”
She tapped and typed away on her phone, telling her friends all about the suspension, talking to them about their plans of another hangout at the mall. She heard the door knob rattle lightly.
“I’m home! Where’s— SUNNY!”
Sunny, like the excited person she is, jumped towards Raine’s direction. Raine, with her quick reflexes, caught her at the exact moment.
“Well, you’re still quick as ever!”
“Trust me, I have tons of practice when I have you as my sister.”
Raine put her down on the sofa and lightly ruffled her hair.
“You’re still the same old, silly Sunny!”
Their mother, engrossed with the Candy Crush game on her phone, walked in the room, without taking a glance up.
“Sunny anak, can you go see who’s at the door and— RAINE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”
Her mom immediately put her phone down on the table and raised her glasses up to her head, giving the two a look of shame.
Raine immediately let go of Sunny, putting her hands up. “Oh, shoot! I forgot! How did I forget!” She replied, slapping her forehead.
Sunny, without a single clue, asked, “What’s going on?”
“Go and stay in your room, Sunny! Raine, I already prepared your room. Make sure to separate your personal belongings and clothes, okay?”
Their mother, switching from an absent-minded self to the ever-so hands-on and attentive mom mode, quickly grabbed her surgical gloves and takes the alcohol bottle, spraying it all over Raine’s belongings.
“Yes, I know, ma. I’m an RMT, remember? I know the drill!”
(Note: Registered Medical Technologist— they are the first line in defense when it comes to scenarios, such as the coronavirus pandemic, since their job is to figure out the background and assess the virus and at the same time test patients for coronavirus in their respective laboratories.)
“But, wait! Raine—”
Her mother slapped her hand away before Sunny could even lay her finger on Raine’s arm. “Sunny! Don’t touch your sister!” She exclaimed.
“But she just got home!”
“Aren’t you aware of the safety protocol from the coronavirus?
“Well, it’s just another virus!”
Sunny’s mother sighs, “Sunny, Ate is a frontliner. Since she is exposed on a daily basis, we should follow the safety protocol in order for us to be safe from the virus, especially the six feet rule.”
“What is the six feet rule?”
Raine and their mother looked at each other, not knowing what to tell Sunny.
“You have to distance yourself from Ate for a while, anak.”
Raine took advantage of the moment and made her way to the bathroom to disinfect and clean herself up, before confining herself to the four walls of her bedroom which was right across Sunny’s.
“When will I ever get to hang out with Rainy?”
Her mother replied with an apologetic expression on her face,“As long as she continues to go to work and expose herself to the coronavirus, we can’t go near her nor touch her.”
“Ever since the pandemic started, things have seemed to get harder and harder. Some moments were tolerable. Some moments were challenging. But moments when I watch through my bedroom window as Drainy Rainy comes home from her sucky frontline duty makes things difficult for me. I just want to run to her and give her a big hug, hoping that a simple hug would maybe take her mind away from her worries, you know?”
The three continue to listen to Sunny’s story, now with a face of pity and of sadness for the way Sunny talks about her sister.
“We don’t talk to each other as we used to. Mom would always reprimand us if we tried. I would sometimes sneak out when everyone in the house is asleep and go to my sister’s bedroom door and sit there.”
In contrast to her usual self, Sunny’s expression now turns bleak and blank with no hint of joy nor warmth.
“It’s not the same as hanging out with her, but it’s still better than being alone in my room.”
“Sunny, are you still up?”
Raine’s voice echoed from the opposite side of her bedroom door.
Sunny looked up in surprise and responded, “yeah, I’m here.”
The two leaned on each side of the bedroom door.
“So how are you feeling? Is there something you want to tell me?” Sunny asked with a hint of concern and worry in her voice.
“Are you a therapist now?” Raine replied, laughing at her sister’s unusual affection towards her.
“You do know even if I am young, I am wise for my own age.”
Raine’s light chuckle could still be heard from the opposite side of the door, making Sunny laugh lightly, too.
“Well… you know that I have been working at the frontlines and just doing what I love… but I don’t know… I feel like I’m not doing enough.”
Sunny leaned her head on the door and listened to her sister.
“There are so many people out there who need my help, but I can’t seem to help everyone. I have so many mixed feelings. I can’t just rest here while the people suffer, but I’m so tired. I don’t—”
“You know, you don’t always have to be a hero for everyone.”
Raine paused after hearing what Sunny said.
“Even heroes need their rest. Rest if you must but don’t quit. The fact that you came when other people needed your help the most already says a lot.”
She felt like she and Sunny were miles apart, but her words definitely hit home.
“No matter what you do, you will always be a hero for me and mom.”
“This is why we agreed to have this bandage on our fists. It’s the cheesiest thing ever, but it’s a reminder that things will get better soon. Whether it’s a good day or a bad day, we’re always here for each other to patch each other up, even if we don’t have any actual wounds.”
Enrique, Sean, and Angel lay still in the same spot and position as they were before, still engrossed in Sunny’s story.
“Oh, and by the way, this wound is real though!”
Sunny removes the band aid on her face, revealing a small scratch on her left cheek. She laughs after looking at herself through her screen.
“I accidentally scratched myself the other day! I should have listened to Rainy when she told me that I should cut my nails regularly..”
“Yeah, remember those times when we had to cut Sunny’s nails before their monthly inspections?”
All four of them begin laughing like there was no tomorrow with all their faces turning as red as a tomato.
“Well, what can I say? My fingernail cutting skills are spot-on! Sunny never had an STC thanks to me!” Sean exclaims with pride.
Angel quickly retorts, defending her side. “Excuse you! I was the one who fixed her nails because you and Enrique completely ruined it!”
“Hey, all you did was to file them down! Don’t give yourself too much credit! Enrique and I did the hard work—”
Sunny quickly butts in to lessen the heat between the two.
“BUT HEY, AT LEAST I LEARNED TO CUT MY NAILS! I think that is the important part of our conversation: I got to learn how to take care of myself during this quarantine. I should really stop relying on Rainy all the time.”
“Aw, Sunny is growing up to be a big girl! She is not our Little Sunny anymore, boo hoo,” Sean says in a mocking manner.
“She really is, though,” Angel adds, smiling at her fondness for Sunny; they’re beginning to see her in a new light. She’ll always be the group’s sunshine, but she was her own person with her own struggles. The band-aid on her cheek carries a weight despite its innocent guise.
“How’s Raine doing now?” asks Enrique. They all know the frontlines in the Philippines are cruel to its workers; he worries at the thought that Raine’s efforts and passion are taken advantage of, especially with the measly pay and draining shifts. The air in the lab would be completely different to that in his own home.
“I don’t know… .” Sunny trails off, looking behind her to make sure nobody was in earshot. “She hasn’t gone home in a couple of days, but she’s been ordering lots of food and sending it to the house.”
“Doesn’t she stay in the lab a lot?” Sean asks.
“Yeah,” Sunny replies, “but she told me it’s something different this time. Her coworkers are going to ask the government for another ECQ—”
“Another one?!” Sean exclaims.
“Yes… Apparently, we need to contain the virus. And Ate Raine’s tired. She said they need a time-out.”
“What will they do?” Angel asks.
“They’re going to do a time-out plea,” Sunny replies. “Raine said she has to be a part of it. She says she wants to help doctors around the Philippines just as much as the patients.”
“I admire her a lot…” Enrique states. “Not just anyone could be like her. ”
“I love her a lot for that!” Sunny exclaims, perking up at the thought of having someone like Raine to love.
“BREAKING NEWS! Reports are coming in live of President Rodrigo Duterte, announcing another modified enhanced community quarantine to be implemented on the coming week.”
Sunny’s face immediately lit up after hearing the static-like news broadcast.
“Reports say that this course of action was taken in response to the pleas of the Alliance of Health Workers on a staged rally.”
Sunny took a breath of relief, thinking about her sister being part of the same rally being talked about on the TV. She heard three knocks on their main door.
“Sunny?”
Sunny looked towards the door, smelling the strong scent of disinfecting alcohol and sweat, and seeing that familiar warm smile.
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