“Mommy, is Philippines a beautiful country?” Angeline curiously asked.
She’s helping me pack her clothes since tomorrow is our flight going to the Philippines.
“It is, baby…” I truthfully said.
Philippines is beautiful, but not its people.
Figuratively and not literally.
“Is there a beach there, Mommy?”
Dumapa si Angeline sa kaniyang kama at ipinatong ang kaniyang panga sa nakabukas niyang mga palad habang dinudungaw ako sa ilalim na nag-aayos ng kaniyang gamit.
Hindi niya pala ako tinutulungan—chinichika niya lang ako para kunwari ay may naitutulong.
“A lot of beaches, baby…” I answered, which made her eyes glisten with excitement.
“Can we go to at least one beach, po?”
I chuckled when she used the only Tagalog word she knows.
“Let’s see…” I answered safely. “I can’t assure you, but Mommy will try to bring you to some beaches there, okay?”
She nodded understandingly and flashed a very contagious smile.
“I understand, Mommy.” She said as she kissed the top of my nose.
Napangiti ako sa kaniyang ginawa.
I really raised Angeline well through gentle parenting.
She’s always been so polite, sweet, kind, and understanding.
She never causes me a headache, even at her school. She grew up really well, which made me love her more each passing day.
Mabilis lang din akong natapos sa pag-iimpake ng mga damit ni Angeline dahil kaunti lang din ang dinala ko. Bibilhan ko nalang siya sa Pilipinas para hindi hassle.
“Mommy, can we sleep here together?”
I was a bit shocked to see that Angeline is still wide awake. I thought she had already fallen asleep since she’s been so quiet earlier, but it seems like she got tired of talking, which is very unusual.
“Of course!”
Inilagay ko muna sa isang sulok ang kaniyang maliit na luggage kasama na doon ang backpack niya para bukas ay handa na ang lahat.
Napatingin ako sa oras na nasa kaniyang bedside table at nakitang alas dose na rin ng hatinggabi. Alas-sais ang flight namin bukas kaya dapat ay natutulog na ito at baka sumpungin bukas.
Tumabi ako sa kaniya. Malaki ang kaniyang kama kaya naman sobrang luwag para sa namin.
She immediately hugged my body as I lay down beside her.
Napangiti naman ako at mahinang tinatapik-tapik ang kaniyang puwet para makatulog ito.
Ilang minuto rin ang kaniyang pananahimik kaya akala ko ay natutulog na ito. Nagulat nalang ako nang iangat niya ang ulong namamahinga sa aking dibdib.
“Why don’t you get yourself a boyfriend, Mommy?” She randomly asked, which made my lips part.
“What?”
She scrunched her nose.
“Where did you get that idea?” I asked when I recovered.
Damn… That caught me off guard.
How could a five-year-old kid randomly ask her mother about boyfriends?
Is that what their teachers discuss in class? I might transfer her to another school.
