Frances' POV
Sobrang lakas ng music na piniplay nila halos mabingi nako.
FLASHBACK
10 year old me,
First day na hindi na namin kasama si Mommy, sobrang tahimik ng bahay. Sunday but it's raining outside. My parents finally got annulled, ramdam ko nang mangyayari yung since I was 5. Palagi nalang kasi silang nag-aaway lalong lalo na pagdating sakin. They are both busy people. My Dad back then was a teacher while my mom is a flight attendant. So growing up madalas lang nila akong iniiwan sa kapitbahay namin, si Lola Venus.
Sobra kong naging malapit sa kanya. Nakikipaglaro parin sya sakin kahit minsan sumasakit na ang likod nya. Sobrang saya namin nun until my 13th birthday. She died on the same day kaya simula ng araw na yun hindi ko na ulit na enjoy ang birthday ko kasi naaalala ko lang yun. December 31, the last day of the year. Anong kinamatayan nya? Inatake sa puso.
Naaalala ko pa na madalas nyang sabihin sakin nun that she's the mother of Cupid. Well makes sense kasi in Roman mythology Venus is Cupid's mother. But Lola Venus' life story is that her only son Cupid abandoned her when he fell in love with a girl almost the same as the myth. Lola Venus and late husband waited for so long to finally conceived Cupid. She was in her 40s when she had Cupid. Her husband died when Cupid was just 2 years old nang matamaan ito ng ligaw na bala habang nagtatrabaho bilang engineer sa isang construction sight. Inalagaan ni Lola Venus mag-isa while working as a highschool teacher at minahal ng sobra sobra but the moment Cupid reached college he fell head over heels in love with a girl named Martha. She's a prostitute. Lola Venus didn't approve it that's why she tried her best to keep them apart. Cupid got tired of Lola Venus' behavior and decided to just abandon her.
Ang totoong dahilan ng pagkamatay ni Lola Venus is that nalaman nya mismo sa araw na yun that her son is dead. He robbed a bank that day, nagtangkang tumakas at nabaril ng isang police.
EOFB
Lumapit na sakin ang isang usher at tinanggal ang nakaplug sa tenga ko. Nagbatian lang kami just to freshen things up.
"So this is the question, If beauty pageants are there to celebrate beauty and womanhood does that include lesbians?. And why?." Tanong ng host na si Ate Belle.
Oh my. Inhale, exhale. Come on Frances, you can do it. Pero pano kung di nila magustuhan ang sagot ko?. Should I tell them what I believe or just say what they all want to hear?. Haaaayst. Jaydee's ears are plugged so she won't hear my answer right?. Besides, Dad's here. I don't think kakayanin kong sagutin ang tanong ng naaayon sa laman ng puso ko. Bahala na nga.
"I repeat. If beauty pageants are there to celebrate beauty and womanhood does that include lesbians?. And why?."
"I believe NO. I don't think lesbians are included. In fact, lesbians see themselves as different from other women. There is always a gap between those two. Most lesbians don't want to be mothers and that's the problem because a woman's essence is to be a mother. The origin of a child is a mother. A woman shows a man what sharing, caring and loving is all about. But how could it be possible if most of them hates men?. You see, these are functions of womanhood that lesbians don't fall in. So no, I don't think these people celebrates beauty and womanhood. And I thank you." At dahil dun ay nagpalakpakan silang lahat including the judges kung saan one of them is a Pastor. I could see that Dad is proud. But Tita Naomi, I'm not really sure.
Well Jaydee, yeah she's next. I just hope she doesn't mess this up. Nagbatian sila and then Ate Belle asks the same question.
"If beauty pageants are there to celebrate beauty and womanhood does that include lesbians?. And why?."
SILENCE
"I repeat. If beauty pageants are there to celebrate beauty and womanhood does that include lesbians?. And why?."
She sighed deep.
"If there are people who appreciate women in this world more than men does, I believe it would be lesbians. They promote appreciation towards other women's amazing qualities instead of being insecure with them. They promote the type of love that is not caused by the desire of having a child or to boost anyone's ego. Regardless of what they love, these people are still considered women, beautiful women. And a beautiful woman is not a body but a person. Because the essence of being a woman is not to sit still and look pretty or to serve men, the essence of a woman is to teach the world how to truly love. And that love makes this world a better place, that love stops people from murdering each other, that love stops children to lie to their parents and most of all that love stops the growth of a generation that promotes hatred. Thank you."
Nagpalakpakan at naghiyawan nalang ang lahat, and I saw an appreciative smile on that Pastor's face. I felt bad for saying the things that I've said. Kung narinig lang yun ni Jaydee malamang di nya ko mapapatawad.
"And now, the reigning Queen is giving us her final walk." which is Madie. Hindi namin sya kasama sa rehearsals kaya we have no idea what she's gonna do or say.
YOU ARE READING
CUPID ON VACATION (FRANDEESAL)
FanfictionIn Roman mythology, Cupid is the son of Venus, the goddess of love. In Greek mythology, he was known as Eros and was the son of Aphrodite. According to Roman mythology, Cupid fell madly in love with Psyche despite his mother's jealousy over Psyche's...
