RIVER FLOWS

PROLOGUE

"Happy 20th birthday Zeya!" My Dad greeted then stretched out his arms to hand me the bouquet he bought from a known flower shop. He pulled me in a hug and i hugged him back.

"Thanks Dad!" I answered.

Today is 14th of May, my first birthday to celebrate ng wala si Mom.

Dinala ako ni Dad sa isang magarang restaurant malapit sa amin, pagkarating namin ay nakahanda na ang lahat. Someone's playing the violin on the corner at may candle pa all over the table.

He even asked me if i should bring over my friends but i told him na sa susunod ko nalang sila i t-treat kaya it's just me and him.

We just ate peacefully and when our plates were already empty, someone served us the desserts.

"Zeya," Dad said.

"Yes Dad?" I asked while shoving a spoonful of halo halo inside my mouth.

"Remember i told you about your Tita Jane?" He started.

Napatigil ako sa pag subo at tiningnan si Dad "What about her Dad?" I asked seriously, not even trying to show any emotion on my face.

"Angelica needs me, I- thought i should let her stay in our house. But the thing is, she can't stay there without her Mom coming along,"

"Mom just died a year ago, and i don't think she would like the idea Dad," i said seriously.

he slid both his hands over the table to reach mine. "I know, i know Zeya," I can sense the sadness in his tone.

I don't know the whole story, but there's something between Tita Jane and Dad bago pa man sila magkakilala ni Mom noon.

Tita Jane's parents didn't want my Dad for her because he's not rich and thought that he couldn't sustain their needs. Everyone's trying to separate them from each other and for some reason, Tita Jane gave up on my Dad and my Dad couldn't do anything about it.

My Dad went somewhere to freshen up his mind and forget his problems and there he met Mom. My Mom fell inlove with him, so he tried to love her back and it all worked between them. My Dad then married my Mom after years and they got me.

One time, my dad went back to the province to attend to his high school's batch reunion. Of course tita Jane was there kase magkaklase sila nung highschool.

It was a party kaya may inuman and knowing my Dad, he's intolerant with alcohol, so something unexpected happened between the both of them. But my Dad wouldn't surely do the thing when he's in his senses.

Naalala ko pa nung nagalit si Mom kay Dad noon, walang gabi na hindi umiiyak si Mom. I was six back then kaya naalala ko na ang lahat.

Mas lalo nag lala nung nabalitaan nilang buntis si Tita Jane, of course my Mom was so angry for weeks that she couldn't sleep well at night. But i knew how much my Mom and Dad loved each other kaya nagkapatawaran din sila.

Araw araw sinusuyo ni Dad si Mom at araw araw din niyang pinagsisihan ang kanyang pagkakamali.

My Mom knew my Dad wouldn't cheat on her, because my Dad's love for my Mom is beyond measure. What happened between Tita Jane and Dad was all an accident. And probably wasn't all my Dad's fault. They said that once you're the sober, anything bad happened was all permitted by you dahil ikaw ang nasa katinuan.