Your Honor

it's not living if it's not with you.

It’s been a year. 

Malumanay na humampas sa katawan ni Theresia ang hanging amihan. Isang taon na ang nakalipas at unti-unti na rin siyang naka-bangon. Minsan nang tumangis ang mga ulap na kaniyang kinasisilungan, daghan ang kaniyang pasasalamat na nawala na ito. Muli na ring bumuka ang liwayway na kaniyang tinatamasang makamit. 

Ngunit may kulang. 

POGO companies are now banned in the Philippines, thanks to some of the senators' work and patience, they made sure that the illegal operations finally came to an end. Pinakulong na din ang mag-amang Duterte pati na rin ang mga kasabwat nito. 

It’s almost as if there's a breeze of fresh air after tolerating the polluted wind, but there’s also a threat lingering, lurking somewhere. Of course, if that happens Risa Hontiveros will face it with no fear. Si Risa pa ba? 

Nakakapagod mahalin ang Pilipinas sa totoo lang, pero kung lahat tayo ay magtutulungan para labanan ang hindi makatarungang paggawa muli tayong aangat. Huwag sana muling magpa-daig at magpalinlang sa mga magagandang larawan, sa halip ay tingnan ang kilos at tunay na motibo ng ating ibo-boto. Kung sana nga ganito lang ito kadali. 

Parati siyang nanaginip. Napapanaginipan niya ang kaniyang singkit na mata na nawawala tuwing siya’y ngumingiti, at ang kaniyang ngiti na sing-tamis ng pulot. Hindi din niya makakalimutan ang malambot na buhok ng dalaga, ang kutis ng kaniyang balat at kung paano ito dumikit sa kaniyang katawan.

Pangungulila.

Hindi siya makapaniwala na nangungulila siya sa isang taong minsan niya ng kinapopootan. Ang babaeng naging dahilan kung bakit nagulantang at nabahala ang mga kapwa niya Pilipino. Ang babaeng nagsinungaling sa korte upang protektahan ang sariling interes. Ang babaeng nag-linlang ng libo-libong Pilipino. Nangungulila siya sa isang babaeng hindi niya mapigilan na mahalin.

“Ma, tara disneyland.” One of senator Risa’s children suggests; waking her up from her daydream. “Doon naman tayo sa Shanghai.”

“Shanghai?” Risa questioned and snickered. “Why Shanghai though?”

“Sige na Maaaa—” cried her daughter, Helena. “We’ve been to other disneylands pero not in Shanghai! Saka, what if makita mo siya Ma? ‘di ba, Sinta?” 

Sinta scoffs, her doubt against that Chinita hasn’t worn off but it lessened nonetheless. After the sacrifice she made, Sinta appreciated it. Nalinis ang pangalan ng kaniyang ina dahil sa kaniya. 

The senador playfully gave her child a snide face, gracefully waving her child’s remarks off. But deep inside, it is true; she wants to meet that particular someone. 

“Okay fine. Disneyland in Shanghai it is.” Risa tells and Helena almost jumps in joy, she shakes her sister and Sinta smiles, albeit against her will.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟 

“Do you think I have forgotten about you?”

Alice sways to the rhythm of the music as she mouths the lyrics to the song of the band The 1975’s “About You. She’s currently doing her paperworks for her family’s business. It’s been a year since she was deported but she still continues to speak in Filipino whenever she gets the chance. Perchance, she did become a Filipino at heart. 

A certain Filipina did catch her heart, that for some reason she can’t shake off from her mind.

Naalala pa kaya niya? 

The former mayor did hear that the senator finally recovers the majority of her memories. As soon as she knew about it she was relieved and undeniably content with hearing that the other was in a good condition. She wants to see her of course, pero alam niyang hindi na sila dapat mag-kita pa; hindi naman talaga dapat maging sila. Datapuwat, mapaglaro ang tadhana.