La Douleur Exquise: Imee Marcos

Chapter 112

🍁 Five months later..

Eloise's POV

It's now the 9th of December, we're here at the Likhá Auction House in Makati, for yet another memorable event of my life - my first art exhibit, a solo show.

"Where's the artist? Can we see your magandang pamangkin, Irene?!" I heard a nearby, familiar perky voice, one that resembles, one of Tita Irene's amigas, Ms. Small Laude.

I fixed my synthetic hair and tucked it in my ears as I felt that they were approaching, maging presentable naman ako.

"Ladies, let me introduce you to my niece, Eloise.." Tita Irene warmly uttered as she stood beside me.

"Good afternoon po! It's such a privilege to have you here," I smiled as I offered my hand to Miss Small.

"No need to shake hands, you're too prim and proper naman, pamangkin ka talaga neto ni Irene!" she commends as she offered to hug it out.

"Oh my God, pretty girl! You've really matured, I last saw you when you were like, thirteen, with your neon pants and hippie tops!" Tita Cristina spoke as she approached the group, along with another familiar face, Jaime Ponce de Leon.

I was flabbergasted to see him here. He's renowned to be one of the greatest Filipino art connoisseurs and collectors. I'm fangirling, nagiging star na mga mata ko.

I heard that him and Tita Irene have been great friends for years, and yet, she never introduced us both.

"Oy, Jaime! This young lady is fangirling over you," Tita Dawn uttered as she approached from behind.

"I'm Eloise, Eloise Marcos. It's very nice to meet you sir, oh and you're palm is so soft, what's your lotion?" I said which caused all of them to chuckle.

"Aveeno," sumabay lang siya.

"I'm so sorry- I'm just.. I'm fangirling na nga," I said and smiled as if nakakakita ako ng artista.

"I'm an artista, your Tita Cristina was also an artista, why did you not fawn over us like that?" Tita Dawn teased.

This is just so nakakatuwa, they legit spent their time to see my artworks, eh ikumpara to sa mga Juan Luna pieces na nakasabit sa bahay nila eh, langgam lang 'tong akin.

"You're artworks are really beautiful, Eloise. Could you share a little bit of your humble beginnings with this project?" Ms. Alice additionally uttered.

Isa pa to siya eh, she also has a vast oeuvre of artists hanged in the walls of her residence, and the thought na maybe my works would be there as well, is brain wrecking. She's also a nationally renowned philanthropist, what an inspiration.

"Uhm.. Tita Irene enrolled me in an art class when I was 5, I really loved painting since I was little. I've played around watercolor painting, gouache, but my heart always led me to oil on canvas. My works mostly revolve around the wonders of fauvism and expressionism - but I also do portraits once in a while, like this one. Though, it's not for sale since it's a personal piece, but this is Maginoo, a first to fourth generation Marcos family portrait. I finished this at the age 12," I carefully explained and pointed at the painting in front of us.

"It's very majestic!" Senator Zubiri's wife, Ms. Audrey compliments.

"As I grew up, my time for the arts became limited din, especially because, masyado akong mapangarap at maintriga. I joined and led, almost every high school club that was available, that I lost time for the very thing I piqued an interest on. But when the course of my life changed, when I had to put my education into a halt, I had time to reestablish a connection with painting. This idea sparked when I, along with my mother and my eldest brother was in Switzerland for my chemo treatments, it was then when I realized that there really are LOTS of kids that has to suffer with cancer at a very young age. It really shocked me,"