Like what I've said before, life is not always a bed of roses. Life isn't always beautiful. Life isn't always great. Life isn't meant to be perfectly good at all times. Life is full of uncertainties. And we never know what will happen the next second. We don't know exactly what will happen tomorrow, or in the next few days.
Today you get the rose, tomorrow you will be pricked by the thorns.
But thorns are a part of our lives. The struggles and hardships are an inevitable part of life. We all go through it. And we must learn to embrace every thorn that comes our way, because it strengthens us and helps us grow. In every thorn, we become stronger and more resilient.
"You grew up so well, my dear..." said Lola Aurelia.
Marahan kong hinaplos ang kanyang likod habang magkayakap kami. Lola Aurelia wanted to see me. Kaya umuwi kami ng Bicol para sa kanya. Tita Lesandra and Tito Renaldo are here, too. Hindi ko lang naabutan si Sandro dahil may pinuntahan daw.
Nasa bulwagan kaming lahat. Kararating lang namin ni Roilan. We're going to stay here for at least three days. At baka nga ma-extend pa kung hihilingin ni Lola Aurelia.
Nakarinig kami ng tunog ng sasakyang paparating. Not long after, a tall man with a striking resemblance to Tito Renaldo entered the double door. A woman walking next to him has a huge, genuine smile plastered on her face. Magkahawak kamay silang naglalakad patungo sa amin.
I remember that man. Siya iyong nakita ko sa business conference noon. Kaya pala pamilyar dahil nakita ko na siya noon sa mga litrato rito sa mga Siverio. And he's Roilan's brother. And the woman beside him looks familiar too. Hindi ko lang matukoy kung saan ko siya nakita.
"Mga apo ko!" mas naging emosyonal si Lola Aurelia nang makita ang dalawa.
Roilan's arm wraps around my waist. He bent slightly and whispered in my ear, "That's Kuya Leandro, and his fiancé, Ralya..."
Oh? I nodded slowly as I watched the couple went to Lola Aurelia. Leandro Siverio nodded to his brother and slowly went to his mother and kissed her cheeks.
"Kumusta ang byahe?" Tita Lesandra asked him gently.
"Ayos lang po, 'Ma. Medyo traffic lang dahil sa mga inaayos na daan."
Lumapit din siya sa kanyang ama at nagmano. They really look alike. Kahit ang mga expression ni Tito Renaldo ay kuhang-kuha. Even the stubbles on his face. Katulad na katulad nang kay Tito. The physique, his posture... everything.
And I wonder what Sandro looks like now. Mas nagmature na siguro iyon ngayon. Naging close rin naman kami noon kaya ngayon ay excited din akong makita siya at ang kanyang mga—
"Kuya..." tawag ni Roilan sa kapatid na medyo ikinagulat ko.
Nilingon ni Leandro Siverio si Roilan bago ako inalayan ng tingin. He stared at me. At napansin ko na sa paraan ng pagtitig ay medyo may pagkakatulad sila ni Roilan. Malalim kung tumingin na para bang binabasa ka.
"This is Elvira, kuya, my girlfriend..." ani Roilan.
Tipid naman itong ngumiti sa akin na akala ko ay hindi gagawin. "Leandro," pakilala niya sa sarili at inabot sa akin ang kanyang kamay.
Mabilis akong nakipagkamay sa kanya. Lumapit na rin sa amin si Ralya pagkatapos bumati sa mga matatanda.
"Hi!" she greeted me animatedly.
She's pretty and she seems like a nice person. Ang gaan ng aura niya. And she's glowing. Parang walang mga problemang dinadala. Parang kapag bad mood ka, gagaan ang pakiramdam mo kapag nakita mo siya.
