SHOW ME HOW (Jan Quaro Zodiac)

30 | Meeting The Zodiacs

       Sa gilid ng mga mata ni Felicia ay nakita niya kung papaanong sumilip-silip ang ulo ng pitong taong gulang na si Quaro sa pinto ng kusina. Naka-kapit ito roon sa hamba at kanina pa naka-masid; kanina pa siya ino-obserbahan habang nagmamasa ng dough para sa gagawing tinapay.

At kanina pa rin niya itong hinihintay na lumapit. Nagkunwari siyang hindi ito nakikita dahil nais niyang subukan kung maglalakas loob itong lapitan siya at unang kausapin.

Quaro was always silent—well actually, all of the children who were living in the Zodiac house were oddly quiet—but that was only because these children were products of the war. Sa murang edad na nasaksihan ng mga ito ang karimlan ng mundo. Naranasang mawalan ng totoong pamilya, at makaramdam ng pang-aapi.

And Quaro was the eldest among all the twelve children that were brought into their care. She and her husband had taken them all to stand as their new parents. But, Quaro was the only kid who wasn't calling her 'mother'.

He would always just call her... Felicia. At kahit ang kaniyang asawa ay nahirapan ding makipaglapit dito. Kahit anong sabi nila na sila na ang bagong mga magulang nito'y hindi nito magawang ituring sila ng ganoon. Because he said that he already got a mother. And that his mother was going to come and pick him up.

She could only let out a sigh.

These poor children...

If the world would only turn into a better place, none of these children would experience the tragedy of losing their parents—of losing their home and their family. They didn't deserve to be left alone in this cruel world. They didn't deserve to live their young life in pain and confusion.

Kung wala sila ng kaniyang asawa, walang nakaalalam kung saan napadpad ang mga ito. They could have been left on the streets and die in starvation and cold.

Muli ay napabuntong-hininga na lang siya.

Her husband, Arc Zodiac, was a retired general of the US army. She met him when she was on a cruise twenty years ago; he was just then a striving soldier who was on the ship for a week of vacation. They fell in love instantly and married a few months later.

They were blessed with a son, and they lived a happy life, kahit na madalas na wala ang kaniyang asawa at nasa gitna ng gyera. Eventually, Arc was promoted to a higher rank and was able to come home often.

Their son, Anthony, was ten years old when he was killed in a fatal accident. Ang sinasakyan nitong school bus papuntang eskwela ay nabangga ng ten-wheeler truck na nawalan ng preno. Anthony was one of the six victims who died on the spot.

The death of their son caused her mental breakdown. Hindi naging madali sa kaniya ang tanggapin na nawalan sila ng anak. She had suffered for their loss, but her husband stayed and supported her. Nag-suhestiyon ang doktor niya na makabubuting umuwi muna siya sa pamilya niya; she needed as much support she could get from her family to get through her pain, and she did.