Roxana De La Cruz

3. Papa and Mama

Their 'papa' did not give them any time to register what was happening as he immediately pulled both children into a tight bear hug. 

"Mga anako ko! (My children!)" He exclaimed as he pulled back and began to kiss them all over. 

When he finally pulled back, Anna did not know how to react to such loving actions thrown at her while the kind stranger kept hugging them. 

Rey had only been five years old when their parents had left them to the care of their older cousins in Manila, the Philippines, while they travelled abroad to find better jobs to support the family. Though young, he had remembered the idea of their parents - of their mama and papa - in Manila and Ilocos. 

How could he not remember their time living under the Evangelista's family home full of wildflowers, calamansi, eggplant, jackfruit and many others? How could the boy not recognise the man standing before him, who chased him under the green roof of his Lolo's house, picked him up, and twirled him around, calling him 'my son' so pleasantly? 

He would respond, and today would be no different, "Papa!" Rey bellowed. 

From the side, Anna watched with wonder at the sight before her. Kuya (brother)Rey reacted much better to their papa than her. It's fine. Anna thought, Anna doesn't know Papa that well yet but she'll soon know him better and she, Papa, Rey, ate Sylvia and ate Tina will all be happy. 

And with the addition of this kind stranger, the little girl had been full of hopes and dreams. 

~ 

The man had been staying with Anna and Rey for a while in their condo in Manila and sometimes in Ilocos for some weekends. He was finally home. While living in the Philippines, he hated the extreme heat, but after a few years of tolerating the wintery days in London, his body sought the warmth of the Philippines again. 

He loved his children but could not stand to see them suffer in a cruel world stuck in poverty in the Philippines like his life had been. Unlike his wife, who was born in a more privileged background, his life had been strenuous work under the relentless heat in the rice fields, tending to the few carabao and plants they owned. 

He looked at his son and daughter playing with the dogs of his father-in-law. 

They shall not suffer like me. They must grow up in a better and loving environment without such hardships, attend good schools and get better jobs. They must do better than me, and I must make that happen. I must. He thought hard.

~

As the weeks passed, Anna had never been as happy as she was now. Her papa was so kind, so sweet, and so loving. He was everything she had hoped Papas would be. 

But one day, Anna, Rey and Papa had been sitting on the sofa when all of a sudden, their papa asked loudly, "Do you both know what winter is?" 

Anna remembered in one of their classes, they had gone through all of the possible seasons on the planet.

"Winter is when it's freezing, and there's snow!" Her kuya explained happily. 

Their papa had laughed along with him and patted his son's head, "Yes, that's true, but it doesn't necessarily mean it will snow if it's winter. Hmm...let's see, are you both not tired of the heat here in this country?" 

"Absolutely!" Her kuya grumbled.

Anna did not know what to think of Papa's question. They say winter is the opposite of summer, and so is the Philippines. The coldest Anna had felt in the Philippines was during those sleepless nights in the condo when the aircon was put on full blast, and her brother had stolen and wrapped the sheets around himself, much to her annoyance, when he just giggled at her fragile attempts at stealing them back.