There are times in someone's life when something has to happen before you will finally feel the love of someone you that for so long you just didn't feel from him. Well, it happened to me. My name is Jenny and this is my story.

We're a typical family, the Lacsamanas. My father Paul is an attorney working for a famous firm. My mother Leahandra is a talk show host in the leading television station in the country. My big brother Carl is a college student majoring in Aeronautical Engineering. As part time, he works as a piano teacher in Lyrics. As for me, I'm a fourth year student in a very known school here in the Metro.

To my family, business comes first. They don't concern themselves with anything that concerns family. Until that incident.

As I remember it well, Kuya Jason and I we're cleaning the roof of my house. We went down to the kitchen for a water break and telling each other jokes and stuff. The stuffs we usually do when we're together at my house.

Though we're rich, we don't have help in the house. We just do what we can to keep the house in order. Anyway, I'm the only one who uses it in the daytime. All of them usually go home at eight at the earliest, leaving me with the house all by myself.

But as you can see, I don't stay at home alone. Usually, Jason, my best friend, accompanies me there. We usually do our homework there and after that, do what we want with the house. You see Jason has been my friend since we were seven. We're very close that I already call him Kuya Jason. He also treats me like his little sister. Though sometimes when he looks at me I see sadness in his eyes. He's a great brother to me unlike Kuya Carl. I even think that Kuya Carl doesn't know I exist. Well at least there's Kuya Jason. He could fill in the gaps that Kuya Carl never gave.

Anyway, when we were having our water break, we had a little conversation. Bits and pieces of our lives will be discovered in those little conversations we do. We don't even know we still have secrets to share. This was one of those days when one of us unravels someone's secret.

"Guess what, Jen?" Jason said. He really likes guessing games.

"You bought me a new stuff toy?" I answered. I love stuff toys and he knows that. I just have a knack for cuddling things. I usually pester him to buy me one even though there's no occasion.

"I'll buy you one on your birthday," he answered with a smile.

"You usually say that," I replied. "But I usually end up with a stuffed key chain."

He laughed and I followed. Then he said, "that wasn't the thing I wanted you to guess. I'll tell you anyway. I already got my license and dad bought me a car. Do you want to see it?"

"You have a car?" I said. "You never told me you could drive."

"I just wanted to surprise my baby sister," he answered and pinched my chin. "Let's go to my house now. I'll show you."

We stopped doing the roof and headed for his house. There we saw his brand new car parked outside his house. We went for a test drive and he was a good driver. Fast, skillful and at the same time safe. He promised to pick me up everyday for school since he knows my family is always busy even to take me to school. Kuya Carl though, does have time but instead of taking me, he takes his girlfriend, Elorie. Elorie is also from my school and also a fourth year student. But since he's already taking her, I have to walk to school.

Anyway, we went back to Kuya Jason's house for a snack. That was when I found out why he looks at me with sad eyes.

"Kuya Jason," I asked. "I have been going in and out of your house for such a long time now. I have seen every room here except the one at the end of the hall. Why is it always closed."

Kuya Jason was silent for a time looking at the door. Again, I saw those sad eyes of his again.

Finally, he said, "I guess, it is about time to show you. You never kept any secrets from me so I guess I have to tell you mine."

He led me to that room I described. When we went inside, I saw a bedroom of a girl. It was neatly arranged as if someone was still using it. At the side table I saw Kuya Jason's mother holding a year old baby girl. When I looked at Kuya Jason, I saw tears in his eyes.

"This was suppose to be my sister's bedroom." He explained. "She died two years after her birth. I was six that time. Mom never got over her death, so she kept this room as is. It always helps to remember her."

"I didn't know you have a sister," I said. "I'm sorry I brought it up."

"It's okay," Jason replied. "It doesn't hurt that much anymore. You're here. You remind me so much of her, that the day I met you I thought my sister has returned to me. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me, Jen. I'm happy I could call you my little sister."

"And I'm happy I could call you my Kuya," I answered. "You're a great brother. I really appreciate it."

"Same here." Kuya Jason said and added, "I better take you home. It's already five o'clock. You need your bath. I'll come back later and show you a new card game."

"Deal."

He took me home in his car. Now we have no more secrets for the mean time.

When I got out of his car. I was surprised to see Kuya Carl's car parked in the garage. When I got in, I was more surprised that he noticed me.

"Where have you been?" He asked.

"I just went to Kuya Jason's house because he showed me his new car." I explained.

"Have you finished cleaning the roof?"

"No," I answered. "The leaves were so many that we decided to finish it tomorrow."

"And you went to Jason's house to have fun." Carl concluded. "You should have finished with your chores first, Jenny, before you go off playing games with your friend."

"We weren't playing games, Kuya Carl," I answered. "We were just - "

I felt something hit my cheek. I realized as I touched it that it was Kuya Carl hitting me. I still felt the pain when he spoke again.

"How dare you answer back to me," he said. "Go to your room. I don't want to see you for the rest of the day."

"Yes, Kuya," I silently said and went to my room without looking at his eyes.

I was sitting on the bedside when I heard someone climbing the window of my bedroom. When I looked up, I saw Kuya Jason. The window was usually the passageway for both of us if we don't want to use the front door.

I helped him up to my room. When he was inside, he saw the mark of my brother's hand still visible on my cheek.

"That's one hell of a hand, Jen." He said measuring the mark with his own hand. "What was his reason now for hitting you like that?"

"He said that I was answering back to him," I explained and suddenly tears rolled on my cheek.

Kuya Jason looked at me with those caring eyes of his. Then he said, "Jenny, your brother has no right to do that to you. You weren't doing anything wrong. Someday he'll realize that there's more to it in being a brother than just hitting his own sister. He doesn't even take you to school and you allow him to hit you like that. Someday, Jenny, you have to do something. He's still your real brother. I'll be here for you as much as I could but you still need him. Someone has to put that into your brother's head."

I didn't realize that that same someone would be him when the incident happened the next day. It happened so fast that I don't know if I'm telling it right.

Anyway, both my parents were home but needs their rest. They were out of town for business, as usual and needed their rest when they got home.

I was in the living room watching TV when Kuya Carl arrived. He headed straight to his room and a couple of seconds later came out of his room shouting.

"Jenny!" He yelled. "What have you done to my piano pieces!"

"I didn't do anything to your stupid pieces," I answered. "Why are you shouting at me for?"

"You're more stupid than these pieces, Jenny," remarked Kuya Carl. "You took them from my room without even telling me about it."

"I didn't take them from your room," I said while I was rising from the couch. "I didn't even touch them."

"Then tell your friend, Jason, to stay out of my room," he replied.

"Don't you dare blame Kuya Jason for something that he hasn't done," I answered raising my voice.

"How dare you answer back to your older brother?" Kuya Carl demanded.

I didn't know what came over me when I blurted out, "BROTHER? Since when have you been a brother to me? Since when did you care about my welfare and my life? Since when did you notice that you have a little sister in the house, living on the same roof as you? Since when did you take the obligation of becoming my brother?

"You were never a brother to me. You never even know I existed except when you want to blame someone for your own mistakes. You were never there when I needed you the most. You were never there when I needed support from an older brother. You were never there when I needed you for a very important project. You're always busy with your work, with your studies, with your girlfriend to even notice that I'm here waiting to be loved by you. You're always busy loving your friends that you never noticed that you still have a sister waiting for that same love you give to them."

I paused for a while waiting for him to respond. When none came, I continued, "I never felt your love. For sixteen years I've waited for you to give the love that I needed from you. For sixteen years I've waited for your embrace, for your comfort, for your guidance, for your support. Sixteen long years have I waited for you to tell me that you cared for me. Even though Kuya Jason's there for me I still need you by my side to be my brother. Even though he's there to give everything that you would not give I'm still waiting for you to give me those things that for a long time I've waited. I wanted my real brother to give those things Kuya Jason tries so hard to give. But I still need my real brother to give me those things. I still needed my real brother to be there for me, not my best friend. For sixteen years I've waited to be loved by my own brother. I'm still waiting for that love to be given to me by him."

I walked away from Kuya Carl without even letting him say something. I ran towards the garage and took my mountain bike then started pedaling as fast as I could without even knowing where I was going. I didn't even notice Kuya Jason with his co-Varsity player in soccer calling my name as I passed by. I also didn't notice the car that was heading straight towards me until it was too late. I was hit and I blacked out. `

This part of the story was re-told to me by Kuya Jason.

After I blacked out, Kuya Jason came rushing to my aid. He told the driver of the car to head for the hospital immediately. The driver was so confused that all he did was follow Kuya Jason's order. Kuya Jason's friend headed for the house to tell the news to my parents.

He was there guarding me in the hospital when my parents and my brother arrived.

"Mr. and Mrs. Lacsamana. Carl." He greeted. His eyes were red from crying.

"How is she, Jason?" My mother asked with tears streaming from her eyes. If I had seen her myself, I would have cried also. I never thought she and my dad still cared for me.

"The doctor said she'll be fine." Kuya Jason answered. "But she's in a coma."

"When will she regain consciousness?" My father asked.

"The doctors don't know for sure," he said. "Maybe it's best if you talk to them yourselves."

They followed Kuya Jason's suggestion. They hurriedly went to the doctor to ask how I was. All except Kuya Carl. He stayed by my bedside, staring at me. Kuya Jason approached him.

"She'll be fine, Carl," Kuya Jason said. "I know your sister to well. She won't give up without a fight."

"How well do you know my sister?" Kuya Carl asked.

"Well enough to know that she's still waiting for you to love her," he answered. "She has suffered enough, Carl. She needs you, especially now that she's in this kind of state. She needs her brother more than ever. You have blocked her from your life too long. I think it's time to open up and accept her. Don't block her, Carl. She had suffered enough. It's about time to become her brother again."

"It's too late for that now, Jason," Kuya Carl replied.

"It's never too late," Kuya Jason remarked. "She never stopped loving you. It's never too late to start all over again."

Well I guess that struck Kuya Carl's senses. He volunteered to guard me. He didn't even want to be replaced by my parents or Kuya Jason. He read me stories and told what had been happening with his life. He even told me he already broke up with Elorie because she didn't want him to guard me. He even told me jokes. And I could say that he was a new man.

It was Christmas Eve when I gained conscious again. Kuya Carl was there reading to me a Star Wars novel he picked (he found out from Kuya Jason that I love Star Wars very much). When my eyes opened, I was surprised to see my own brother there at my side.

"Kuya Carl?" I said.

"Jenny, you're awake," I heard Kuya Carl say. He put down the book that he was reading and held my hand. He said, "how are you?"

"I'm fine," I answered. "A little hungry though. You guarded me here."

"Yeah," he smiled. "Stupid, huh? For a long time I didn't care about you. I was really stupid not to notice that I still have a sister I can take care of, I can talk to without yelling, I can open up to without even worrying what you would feel. I didn't know how it feels like to become a big brother. I didn't realize that you needed me so much. I didn't realize that for all these years I blocked you out from all the love that you needed from me. I'm so sorry, Jenny. Is it too late to start all over?"

I let tears fall from my eyes when he said those things to me. I hugged him as tight as I could and whispered to his ears, "it is never too late. You don't know how much that means to me."

So I finally got my brother's love. I already know what it feels like to be loved by my real brother. So I guess Kuya Jason was right when he said it was never too late to start all over. It's never too late to love and be loved. I guess that incident was a blessing in disguise. My family is now back together and though my parents still don't go home early, they now have time to talk to us. And Kuya Carl has more time for me now and brings me to school. But Kuya Jason still brings me home.

I guess now I have everything, riches, a best friend, my parents and my brother. What more could I ask for?