When my brother was 16, we, as a family, collectively forgot his birthday. Not for fun, not even as an intentional practical joke. We forgot for real. With a z. Forrealz. (Well that was gay.)

I actually didn’t mean to forget a few days prior, I was looking forward to his middle of the year celebration since it meant cake. And believe me, I liked cake. But on that very eve of his birthday, I forgot whereas I’m usually the one with the big birthday gigs for my loved ones.

So back to that morning. There he was, grinning happily at our “forget his birthday” act. I remember it like it was yesterday, him believing we “forgot” just to mess with him. School was about to end in a few days, so our morning get-to-school, we’re-almost late routine was less hectic than usual. It probably clicked somewhere in his head that we really forgot, and then he got a little sullen but still spunky, saying with a heartrendingly painful dramatic flair (and I quote), “On this day 16 years ago, someone was born.” Queue him gazing at us with puppy eyes. Queue our shocked faces, le gasps and the works. He may be 16 then, but that was already a master troll.

Guilt-ridden, that after school I went and got him the quickest gift I could find: a premade t-shirt with a rock basketball and the words, “Jesus is my rock” and gave that to him along with my picking his cake, because I like cake. He loved it, and wore it until it faded. My brother is now 26. Before we left the Philippines for good, I folded that shirt and tucked it away neatly along with my college books and items. He took it with him when he left for Mapua, and he still wore it until it was shoddy and frayed and looked like it should be burnt, not washed.

Anyway, long story short, I will get him something like that before he leaves for SG so he knows he will be sometimes forgotten, like that day, because he isn’t very memorable. Hahaha. Kidding aside, I will try to make his sole request (a guitar pick that only costs $5) funny by mailing it to our box and keeping it hidden so he can at least open an envelope on Christmas day.

PS: Guys who are tech savvy and are loaded with $$ are hard to buy for. Srsly.