HIDING HIS DAUGHTER (UNDER EDITING)

CHAPTER 2

ANGELA'S POV

"Mas maganda kung sa isla ka tumira," sabi sa akin ni Kuya Alvin, his eyes glinting like he just found the most precious toy in the world. "Malawak at tahimik, perfect para sa'yo at sa baby mo."

I stopped breathing for a second, my hand automatically moving to rest on my growing belly. Isla? Parang ang peaceful nga naman kung iisipin. You wake up every morning with the sound of waves crashing against the shore, birds chirping like they're singing just for you, fresh sea breeze na parang hug mo lang ang buong mundo. Pero I know Kuya Alvin too well - hindi siya makakapag-isip ng simple island na parang sa probinsya lang, na may kubo at sariwang isda lang araw-araw. I was sure he was picturing something else entirely: a private beach facing the sunrise, an infinity pool connected to a jacuzzi na parang nasa postcard, plus a butler na laging may dalang iced tea with lemon slices na sobrang linis at sariwa. For him, "tahimik" didn't mean true silence - it just meant no loud city noises like jeepneys honking or neighbors fighting over bills. It was quiet only because you couldn't hear anything ordinary.

"Anong sa isla? Sus, it's way better for you to live in my mansion, Angela," Kuya Anthony cut in, grinning like he was winning some stupid game. "Mas malaki at mas maganda pa, may malaking swimming pool pa na may slide pa!"

Mansion? Naku, mas lalong hindi pwede. Kuya Anthony's mansion was like a museum na puro mamahaling bagay - chandeliers na nagkakahalaga ng milyon-milyong piso, paintings na gawa pa ng mga sikat na artista noong unang panahon. I could already imagine myself walking on eggshells every single day, takot na baka matapakan ko lang yung mamahaling carpet o masira ko yung crystal na plato kapag kumakain. Paano pa ako magpapalaki ng bata doon? Babies are messy - they spill milk, they throw toys, they crawl everywhere. Baka isang araw lang, mapapabayaan ko lang sandali tapos si baby ay hawak na yung vase na pinaghirapan nilang bilhin sa ibang bansa.

"Sa US ka titira," biglang sabat ni Kuya Adrian, parang isang judge na nag-aannounce ng hatol na hindi mo maibabago.

My head snapped up so fast, I felt a sharp pain at the back of my neck. "Ano sa US?! Bakit naman?!" I practically screamed, my voice cracking a little. US was so far away - thousands of miles from everything I knew. Paano na yung mga kaibigan kong kasama ko simula high school? Paano ako makakapagsimula ng bagong buhay doon nang mag-isa? I didn't even know how to drive there, or how to talk to people without feeling like an outsider. Ang hirap na mag-adjust sa ibang lugar, lalo na kung wala kang kasama na kilala mo talaga.

"Siguro mas maganda kung dito na lang ako sa Pilipinas, at mas maganda siguro kung mamuhay ako ng simple lang - yung kaming dalawa lang ng anak ko, walang ibang tao na nakikialam," I said softly, hoping with all my heart that they'd finally understand me. All I ever wanted was a normal life - a small house with a little garden where I could plant tomatoes and herbs, a living room na pwede mong buhusan ng juice o gatas kahit hindi ka makapaglinis agad, at a neighborhood where people greeted each other with "Mabuhay!" instead of bowing and calling you "Ma'am."

The three of them looked at each other, their faces telling me exactly what they were thinking. Simple? In our world, that word was like a bad word - parang insulto sa lahat ng pinaghirapan ng pamilya namin. For them, "simple" meant poor, meant you weren't good enough, meant you were throwing away everything they worked hard to give me. They couldn't understand why I wanted to be "ordinary" - why I didn't want to wear designer clothes every day or ride in luxury cars or have people waiting on me hand and foot.

"Simple? Hindi pwede! Ikaw ang prinsesa namin tapos simple lang ang buhay mo?" Kuya Alvin said, his voice breaking like he was hurt by what I said. "Dapat prinsesa ka pa rin kahit saan ka man tumira! Dapat may mga taong nag-aalaga sa'yo, dapat may lahat ng kailangan mo at higit pa!"