Mon Amour (My Love)

CHAPTER 11

(Short Chapter)

KING

I called off sick although I was not really sick but I wasn't feeling very well. I didn't feel like going to work so I decided to just stay home and give the day to myself.

After taking a shower, I went downstairs in my robe, holding a copy of 'Le Petit Prince' a special edition book of 'The Little Prince' in the French language which I bought in France.

I went to the living room. Papa Rodel was there and I noticed that he had just taken a shower too. He didn't look up so I wasn't sure if he saw me. He's busy reading a newspaper. I wonder why he still does that when he can simply watch the TV or just browse the internet for news. I guess my Papa Rodel really loves to read as this is something that I always see him doing. Anyway, I settled myself in one of the armchairs and crossed my legs and began reading.

It was not very long until I heard him speak.

"Le Petit Prince?" he said, with a rising intonation so I figured it was a question. He even pronounced the 't' at the end of 'petit'. "In French?"

I looked at him and I saw that he's looking at the book in my hand. I closed it and looked at the cover as though I wasn't aware of its title. "Yes, Papa Rodel. Pourquoi? I'm sorry, I mean, why?"

He shook his head but he's still looking at me as though I did something really, really unbelievable. "And you understand it?"

I nodded.

"Wow. Really? You mean, word by word?"

"Oh. No, not really." I said. I wasn't sure if I should laugh or not. I decided to choose the latter. "I still have a lot to learn. Nagkataon lang po na nabasa ko na yung English version nito, a lot of times already, that's why my mind tells me that I understand the words here."

He blinked. "Well. That's impressive."

I smiled. Sobrang rare ng ganitong moments that my Dad would speak to me in this unguarded, yet comfortable way.

"This is also my brain workout." I said as I opened the book again. "Now that there's no one to talk to in French anymore, I fear that I would forget how to use the language, just like what happened when..."

I stopped. I could not continue. I saw that Papa Rodel was looking at me, waiting for me to go on.

I shook my head. I was about to say 'when we lost Ricco. I forget how to speak in Italian because there was no one to talk to in that language anymore. You and Papa Allie stopped speaking in Italian too when he died.' but I did not say it.

"Just-just like what happened to my Tagalog." I said instead.

He nodded. He looked relieved - he was probably expecting the worst but glad that I didn't say it. We don't really discuss Ricco at home and I don't know what would happen if I suddenly commit that mistake.

"So dapat pala, Tagalog ang gamitin namin pag kinakausap ka. Para masanay ka." he said.

I let out a suppressed laugh. "I'd appreciate that, Papa Rodel."

"Sana lang, si Jane and the people you spend most of your time with, eh Tagalog din kung kausapin ka. Minsan nga, masabihan si Marco. Isa rin yun eh. Parang bigla na lang naging imported ang dila."

He laughed. Mon Dieu. I wish it's like this everyday.

"Kung sabagay," he said after a while. "wala namang masama, learning other languages. It's actually a nice thing. You took after your Papa Allie. Siya ang passionate about things like that."