Mrs. Araneta

Chapter I: Bunny 🐰

May 1966

"Mommy, one more ribbon please? Yung pink mommy, also yung dress ko mommy, paki ayos please" Imelda just keeps shaking her head as she continue to dolled up her youngest, Irene.

'Anak, pretty ka na. Okay na yan. Punta ka na sa Daddy mo, may meeting pa yun.'

"Eh kasi nga mommy, my Greggy will come diba? Para he'll marry me already!"

'Ikaw talaga, ang kulit mo. Pag narinig ka ng Daddy mo, lagot ka. Kuya Greggy, anak. Not Greggy. Five ka pa lang, bakit naman marry marry na agad ini isip mo, lagot ka sa lola mo, sige ka.'

"If it's not Greggy, ayaw ko na Mommy. Please? Ask mo si Daddy ha. Si Greggy lang gusto ko maging asawa, Mommy".

Irene ran off as soon as her mom finished with her, as excited as any five-year-old about to play outside. Except, she's thrilled not to play, but to see her visiting "Honey Greggy".

Her dad's been elected to the office December of 1965. With the growing economic disparity between his people, the stakes are at all time high. Ferdinand fully acknowledged the contributions of the businesses of those oligarchs but he will not just be sitting down in accepting the terms from the congress as to how they conduct their businesses.

Don Luis Araneta is the president of the Philippines Chambers of Commerce. And for that reason, Ferdinand invited him for a weekly open discourse so they can freely discuss all matters at hand.
Greggy, Don Luis' only son has been on the ground, training and preparing for his takeover should the time comes.

Irene would see Greggy every Saturday during their father's meeting inside the Palace. To her, Greggy is THE ONE.

With the height to boost, the perfect tip of the nose, those lips and the way his eyes would look at her, that's the perfect way to be spending her Saturday. All of her Saturdays.

She's waiting for their car to come just outside of the patio of the front door of the palace, when her dog came running sending her tumbling over to the ground.

She's about to cry when two hands hold her shoulders, vehemently asking her, "Are you okay, ha? Bunny? May masakit?"

That's when she started crying as she cling to his neck for support.

"Honeeey! My dog knocked me down! Honeeey masakit".

Greggy chuckled a bit hearing how Irene calls him honey over and over.

'Ang kulit mo kasi eh. Why were you outside kasi? Ang init dito ka naglalaro. Ang gulo ng buhok mo, bunny.'

"It's not supposed to be! Hinihintay kita eh! I have my pink ribbon for you"

Greggy can see the pink ribbon Irene was telling him not too far away from where they were.
Nako, nagpa ribbon nga. Cute.

'Let's go inside na? Baka magalit mommy mo.'

"Carry mo ako, honey."

'Irene? Diba I told you, I am Kuya Greggy. I'm 18 na and you are what? Five?'

"I will be 6!! Look, like this oh!" Irene proudly shows her tiny fingers to Greggy with 6 of it pointing upwards.

'Oh. Yes, six. But then I'll be 19. Irene, you have to study ha? And play with your Kuya and Ate. I should not be what you're thinking of. Bata bata mo pa ehh.'

"But I will grow up! Just like you. You just have to wait for me. You can't marry someone else. You are Irene's. I told mommy already."

Greggy not knowing what to do, carry Irene inside back to the palace. There he saw her mother walking towards them.