Falling to the Spotlight

Chapter 1

Chapter 1 

Alone 

I always believe that dreams do come true as long as you work hard for it even at a young age with a young mind I never stop thinking of those until my system never forget about it anymore and because of that I dream. 

Pinangako sa sarili ko na kahit anong mangyari mangangarap ako and I will do my best para matupad yun dahil para sa'kin your dream will never come true when you don't work hard for it. 

The words giving up is not in my vocabulary dahil ako yung klase ng babae na hindi na lang basta-basta susuko dahil alam ko kung paano ang umahon pag natutumba ako sa agos ng buhay ko. 

"Where are we going, Mommy?" I ask Mom because she is packing our things at sinabi niyang may pupuntahan kami. I am starting to doubt at a young age I always need to follow my mom. She is the only person I have and when I ask about my father hindi niya naman sasagutin. 

Hindi madali yung buhay namin because I am young and I need to take care of myself already because Mommy is busy working sa isang fast food chain dito sa California at ngayon na nga lang kami nagkaoras na dalawa nagiimpake pa siya sa hindi ko malamang dahilan. 

"Vacation." she simply said at tinanguan ko na lang yun. 

I just follow her looking so excited because she said that it's a vacation at ngayon ko lang mararanasan ang magbakasyon kasama siya that is why I really feel happy because for the first time in my life I will experience being in a vacation with my mom dahil siguro simula ng magkaisip ako hindi pa namin naranasang gawin 'to. 

Ang hindi ko alam hindi naman pala bakasyon ang punta namin because we are in front of a big house with my mother holding my hand tightly while a tears falling in her eyes while loooking at the big house. I am young but I know that something is not right by the way my mother cried like this alam ko na agad. 

I may be young but I have a mature mind because that is what I learn for being alone all the time while my mother is working. 

Simula ng magkaisip ako this is not the first time that I will saw my mother like this dahil ilang beses ko na siyang nakikitang tahimik na umiiyak habang nasa tabi ko at pinapatulog ako. She keep on whispering how hard life is at hindi niya na daw kaya and I deserve the best and it pains me even though hindi ko masyadong maintindihan ang bagay na yun. 

"Benjamin De Vega, can I talk to him?" My mother said to the intercom when someone ask who are we at kung anong kailangan namin and she said the name that is not familiar to me. 

Hindi din nagtagal nakita kong may isang lalaki na lumabas mula sa magandang bahay at halata yung gulat sa mukha niya when he saw my mother and he look at me and I don't know what to react because of how he look at me. 

"Larissa, what are you doing here?" The man ask at mas lalo lang tumindi yung pag-iyak ni Mommy kaya nadadamay na din ako. I am still a child who will cry when her mother is crying. 

"Benjamin, I'm sorry. Hindi ko na kasi talaga kaya. Pinangako ko sa sarili ko na hindi na ako lalapit pa para hindi ako makasira ng pamilya pero ang hirap na talaga." Mommy said almost begging to the man. 

"Is she my daughter?" The man ask and I saw Mommy nod and the man look at me again and I just cried hard dahil naintindihan ko naman kung ano ang ibig sabihin ni Mommy. 

This man in front of me is my father! At bakit kami nandito ni Mommy? Tuwing nagtatanong ako sa kanya tungkol sa Daddy ko she will not answer me until I just stop asking pero bakit kami nandito ngayon? Ayoko dito. Ayoko na siyang makilala he made Mommy cry like this.