My Father's Mistress

Prologue

"Ouch!" the 8 year old little girl, who slipped on the ground, cried.

"Hahahaha! Lampa! Hahaha!" the kids around her laughed and no dared to help her. She cried and cried and try to call for her mom for help but she's on the other side of the park, standing, talking someone on the phone, giving her her back.

She felt helpless. She's still kneeling on the ground, crying. Until she heard a voice telling her to get up. She opened her eyes and saw a pair of feet wearing a pair of yellow Spartan slippers that looks like it was used for many years. She lifted her chin up and saw the owner of the slippers wearing a hair band and a yellow dress, standing in front of her with an offering hand.

"Uy, bata! Bingi ka ba? Ang sabi ko halika na, tumayo ka na diyan, madumi dyan eh," the girl in front of her, said.

She hesitated at first but still got up from her embarrassing state with the help of the girl in front of her.

"S-salamat," Andrea thanked, still weeping.

"Wala 'yun," the girl said with a smile. "Halika na, tulungan na kita. Punta tayo dun sa upuan, nagalusan ka kase. Tignan mo," the girl pointed on her knees, and that's the time she realized the bruises on her both knees, then suddenly felt pain on that area.

"Oh, naiiyak ka na naman? Halika na nga." The girl helped her to walk to the bench near the corner beside the 10 feet tall tree, enough to give shade the bench.

"Asan ba nanay mo?", the girl asked soon as she finally settle down on the bench. She raised her hand point on the area where she last saw her mom and felt disappointed when she saw her, still talking on the phone, giggling.

"Siya ba ang nanay mo? Ang ganda nya, kaso bakit para atang wala siyang pakialam sa 'yo?" the girl talked still looking on her mom.

"May pakialam ang mommy ko sa'kin!" Andrea snapped at the girl dahilan para magulat at mapalingon ito sa kanya.

"Okey, sabi mo eh." Sabi nito saka tumabi sa kanya.

Yumuko na lang siya at pinakiramdaman ang dalawang tuhod niya na may mga galos. Napapangiwi na lang siya kapag nararamdaman ang pagkirot nito.

"Masakit pa din ba?" she turned her head on the girl beside her , then she nodded. Tumango-tango na lang din ito sa kanya.

"Ako pala si Karina." Pakilala nito sa kanya habang nakangiti, pagkatapos nang ilang Segundo. "Ikaw, anong pangalan mo?"

"Andrea," pakilala nya at ngumiti na din.

"9 years old na ako. Ikaw Andrea, ilang taon ka na?", tanong ulit nito sa kanya.

"8 years old, pero magna-nine na din ako next month."

"Talaga? Ako kasi, kaka-birthday ko lang nung nakaraang buwan."

Magtatanong pa sana siya kung anong handa nito nang marinig nilang may tumawag sa kanya.

"Andrea?" the girls lift their chin up to see Andrea's mother walking towards them. She's wearing a gray pencil-cut skirt just above her knees paired with a plain white fitted sando and blue cottoned blazer.

"Anak, andito ka lang pala. Kanina pa kita hinahanap." Her mother Adrianna expelled a sigh of relief upon seeing her. She knitted her eyebrows together because the last time she checked, her mother was just talking on the phone, laughing at the same time, like it was the most adorable thing in the world.

"Kanina mo pa po ko hinahanap, mommy?" she finally asked, out of confusion.

"O-oo naman," her mother stammered and she's confused even more.

"Halika na nga, umuwi na tay-", her mother paused. "Teka sandali, anong nangyari sa'yo, baby? Ba't ka may mga galus?" her mother asked, worried at her daughter. "May umaway ba sa'yo, baby ha? Masakit ba masyado itong mga galus mo? Okay ka lang ba?, she got off the bench and hugged her mother, habang lumuhod naman ng bahagya ang mama niya para magpantay sila.

"Mommy, okay lang po ako," she smiled to her mother to show that she's okay. "'Wag ka na po mag-worry." She gently pushed her to see her face if she had convinced her mom what she said.

Her mom expelled a sigh first. "Okay baby. I'm just worried about you", her mother kissed her forehead and smiled. "Let's go na? Uwi na tayo. Gamutin natin 'yang sudat mo." her mom stood up and held her hand but before her mother take a step, she talked.

"Wait lang po, mommy! Ipakikilala po kita sa bago ko pong friend." Her mother furrowed her eyebrows then turned her head where Karina is silently sitting.

"Hi," her mom greeted then smile.

"H-hello po." the little girl nervously greeted Andrea's mother with an awkward smile.

"Ah mommy, siya po si Karina. Siya po 'yung tumulong sa'kin tumayo kanina nung nadapa po ako."

Before she can stop her words, she had already said to her mom what had happen to her half an hour ago. Nang tingnan niya ang mukha ng mama niya, nakita niya kung pano namilog ang mata at bumuka ng bahagya ang bibig nito sa pagkabigla.

"Ano?! Nadapa ka?," her mom queried. "Kaya ka ba nasugatan?" her mom kneeled back and cupped her face.

She just nodded. "Sorry po, mommy."

Her mom stared at her for seconds then expelled a heavy breath. "Next time anak ha, be careful." Her mom said. "Nagwo-worry kasi si mommy sa'yo, ha?" she finally smile then nodded again.

Her mother turned her head again on the girl who's still sitting on the bench. "Thank you Karina ha, dahil tinulungan mo kanina ang anak ko."

"Walang anuman po 'yun." the girl finally said after a second of staring at Andrea's mom, then she smiled.

"Oh anak, halika na. Umuwi na tayo at tatawag ang daddy mo mamaya."

Lumiwanag ang mukha ni Andrea sa narinig. "Talaga mommy! Tatawag si Daddy?" she asked while smiling, and when her mom nodded, her smile widened.

"Karina," she called at the girl who is now standing in front of them. "Thank you ulit sa pagtulong mo sa'kin kanina, ha. Medyo di naman na masakit ang mga sugat ko eh, tsaka gagaling 'to agad kasi gagamutin 'to ni mommy mamaya. Thank you ulit!"

"Naku, ilang beses ka na bang nagpasalamat sa'kin. Walang anuman 'yun no." the girl smiled.

"Sana magkita ulit tayo. O 'di kaya, sana maging classmate kita ngayong pasukan."

"Sana nga," Karina agreed.

"Oh, let's go na? Bye Karina," Andrea's mother smilingly bid.

"Babye po."

"Babye, Karina. Teka, friends na tayo, ha?."

"Oo naman," Karina happily agreed.

Nagsimula ng maglakad palayo ang mag-ina habang nakitingin lang si Karina sa kanila. Umalis na din siya sa park at umuwi na pagkatapos ng ilang minuto nang nakangiti. Ang hindi nila alam, hindi lang sila sa grade 3 magiging magkaklase, dahil sila'y magsasama hanggang grumadweyt sila ng high school.