A Presidential Affair [feat. LNRS]

(Ch 8) What's the Tea?

After half an hour, Drey came back. They had some food from Jollibee and Starbucks. They shared a meal then talked a bit until Luchie remembered about the call.

"Uhm, Addie, nga pala, while you were out, your love called," Luchie said with a cheeky smile, "I didn't know that you remarried. Or perhaps, I forgot that you did noh? Goddamn this brain fuzz. How I wish I'd remember sooner than later. Hay nako."

"Sorry who? Love ko? Ikaw lang naman ang mahal ko, 'ga. Ano ka ba?" Drey said absentmindedly as she cleared up the remnants of their food scraps and rubbish.

"H-ha?" Luchie frowned.

"Ha?" Drey echoed as she looked at the former then laughed, "hakdog! Sino ba kasi 'yung tumawag?" 

"Sira ka talaga, Addie. Akala ko kung ano na 'yung pinagsasabi mo d'yan. Tumawag 'yung anak mo. His name is Arlo?"

"Oh! Yes. Anong sabi?" Drey replied, "by the way, no, I didn't remarry, Lucianne. Not again. Well, I did — secretly. Family lang namin pareho ang nakakaalam and we're not even divorced. Although, hiwalay kami. So, yeah. There's that."

"Ah, eh... the child is asking if uuwi ka ba by 7pm para sabay kayong magdinner then when I told him it was me, he addressed me as VP Ganda and that I should visit him again because he misses me already. U-uhm? Close ba kami ni Arlo? And how old is he? At saka, naging vice president ako? Is it true?"

"Okay, isa-isang tanong lang, mahina kalaban. So yes, si Arlo. His name is Archer Lorenzo, he's four. You've met him only twice but he idolizes you so badly because also yes, naging VP ka talaga. The kid is in awe of you. He loves you a lot and sa nararamdaman ko naman, mahal mo rin 'yung bata," Drey responded whispering the last part into thin air, "as you should."

"Oh okay, so you have a curfew pala ha?" Luchie chuckled.

"Alam mo, Lucianne, sa totoo lang? Meron talaga. Arlo waits. And he times me. He's smart and funny like that. He's a good boy, an amazing kid. I hope that when things are better, you two can bond."

"Oo naman, wala namang problema 'yun! So, Arlo's dad? Where is he? May contact pa ba kayo? I mean, it is an important part of a child's growing up years to have parents that are available to them. Kilala naman n'ya siguro ang daddy n'ya noh?"

"The day na maaksidente ka, alam mo bang at lunch time that was what we talked about? All these. Para tuloy de javu sa akin itong conversation."

"Really? I'm so sorry, I really couldn't recall. But we were together that day? Ano ba kasing nangyari? Why did I even get to an accident? Saan ako galing?"

"Ma, oh my goodness. Mama, you're awake," an excited cry echoed in the room as the youngest Raymundo daughter opened the door and ran towards her mother's bedside, "ma, it's Fiore. I'm sorry ngayon lang po ako. I just finished class. I missed you sobra. I love you, ma."

Luchie hugged her daughter tightly. She couldn't believe her eyes that her bunso is all grown up already.

"I missed you too, my Fiore, anak. How did you get here? Papa fetched you from school? Saan si papa?"

"Ma, I think we need to straighten some facts but let's wait for my ates to be here muna siguro. Or kahit si ate Raffy lang hintayin po siguro natin, hmm-kay?"

Luchie nodded, "okay, anak."

"Fiore, anak, since nandito ka na and on the way na si Raffy, mauuna na muna ako ha? Arlo's waiting for me and I texted yaya Helen I'd be home to have dinner with him. Please let me know whatever happens. Babalik ako agad dito if kailangan n'yo ako. Alright?"

"Yes tita A, thank you po sobra," Fiore said as she gave the older lady a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Always welcome, anak," Drey said as she faced Luchie and kissed her on the forehead, "and you, magpagaling ka ha? Babalik ako. Mga bata muna bahala sa iyo."

"Thank you, Adrianne. Maraming maraming salamat sa lahat," Luchie replied.

"Maliit na bagay," Drey smiled then gathered her things then left the room.

As Drey left, Raffy arrived with a smile of relief on her face. She immediately ran to her mother's side and gave the latter a hug, "ma, welcome back. akala namin pati ikaw mawawala na sa amin. Hindi namin kakayanin nina ate na pati ikaw mawawala."

Luchie hugged Raffy tightly, "anak, hindi ako mawawala sa inyo. I promise. Where's papa? And why do you say na pati ako mawawala? I-is it papa? Hiwalay na ba kami? Mga anak, I am sorry. I have retrograde amnesia and I couldn't remember most things prior to the accident but I can remember things up until 2012 tapos parang everything else is a jumbled blur. Like a chunk of my life is missing. So, hindi ko talaga maalala kung naghiwalay man kami ni papa."

"Mama, papa passed away in 2012. The plane he was in — crashed while flying from Lapu-Lapu City back to Naga. It's been said that it's due to engine failure and pilot error but ma, ako naniniwala akong pakana iyon ng mga taong alam na matuwid ang governance ni papa. It's those dirty politicians who wants their tracks covered. Actually, papa originally has booked a ticket from Cebu to Manila but because he wanted to be with us as soon as possible dahil pare-pareho kaming magkakapatid na may family day sa school, he chartered the Piper Seneca aircraft instead," Raffy sobbed as she held the also sobbing Fiore's hand, "those jerks probably found out and did what they can to sabotage papa's plane. He never got back home to us. It devastated our family for a bit but you were tough and resilient, ma and you still are. Lumaban ka. Inilaban mo kaming magkakapatid. You didn't let papa's passing stop you from being a parent to the four of us kahit kami mismo alam namin na ang lungkot lungkot mo na at ang sakit sakit para sa'yo na mawala si papa. Ma, I'm sorry for once again losing papa. In my experience, based on what your going through right now, trying to recall past memories would be like reopening surgical wounds to repair what's damaged. Panibagong sugat on the same spot but panibagong pagpapagaling."

Luchie's tears were non-stop. Both her daughters, who at that point was, on either side of her held her with utmost compassion and empathy. They soothed their mother. They stayed like that until Luchie fell asleep from exhaustion.

"Ate, tita Addie was here kanina like always. But it seems as if she was a bit uneasy. Or perhaps, malungkot?" Fiore said as she leaned on to her older sister as they sat on the couch in the bedroom overlooking their mother.

"I get it. I mean, if I were her, malulungkot din naman siguro ako na ako 'yung parte ng memory ni mama na hindi niya maalala. She forgot about who she truly was in her life. She sees her as a friend. Lahat ng memories nila, good or bad as a couple, hindi maalala ni mama," Raffy said sadly.

"Do you think maaayos pa sila?"

"If tita A would give it her best and would try to win mama back, then bakit hindi di ba?"