He put the magazine down disappointingly as he finished going through its pages—a cup of coffee in hand.
"She hasn't written anything in months. I wonder what happened." he quietly thought to himself.
He's always been a fan of her work. He would ask his aunt who works for the Philippine Air Lines for his monthly fill of Mabuhay Magazine and yet, it's been awhile since he last read anything from her. He tried to read other travel blogs and features but he found her work incomparable. Her writing has always given him a daily dose of the only adventure he could pretty much afford.
He loved the way she looked at the world. Loved the photographs she took that spoke of the appetite she had for living. He loved how eloquently she could put into words a myriad of things that people rarely took notice of or chose to simply overlook. She took him, without physically doing it, to the most beautiful of places. The way she wrote about the places she's gone makes him want to jump on a plane and go right now. If only he could, he would've done so a long time ago. But since his father's accident—he took it upon himself to take care of his old man and his family.
As petty and unambitious it may be to some, he rejoiced at seeing her reach for the dreams he had for himself. Dreams that had only remained dreams for one Richard Faulkerson Jr.—who was the acting bread winner of the family. His mother had retired from teaching just before he could graduate college, his father an invalid because of a fateful accident that left him legally blind, and his sister, Riza, the primary reason why he had to work twice as hard. She was in college and that had much to say for itself.
As difficult as his life may have been, he was happy—regardless of its lack of luster. Nothing mattered more to him than the well-being of those he loved.
"Oh Nak, ang aga mo naman nagising?"
His mother calls out as she stepped in from her daily trip to the wet market.
"Mano po. Dumating kasi si Auntie Suzette dinalhan ako ng Mabuhay Mag."
"Oh nakapag sulat na ba yung babaeng inaabangan mo palagi?"
"Hindi nga po ma eh."
"Nako tong batang to. Kung makapag kunot noo parang limang taong gulang
palang."
"Eh kasi ma matagal na kong walang nababasa galing sa kanya. Namimiss ko na yung mga adventures nya."
"Alam mo anak, wag na wag mong pakakawalan yang pangarap mong makapag ikot ng mundo ha? Maaring mahirap ngayon sa sitwasyon natin, pero kapag naka ahon tayo, you promise me anak that you'll do the things you've always wanted to do. Isipin mo din yung sarili mo."
"I promise ma."
He stood up to give his mother a warm hug. He was filled with much adoration for her. She was his pillar, his strength when he was barely standing. He probably would not have made it this far if it wasn't for her optimism and love for their family.
"Napaka bait naman talaga nitong tisoy ko."
"Mana lang sayo ma."
And he smiled his winning smile as she patted his head and made a mess of his hair. If there was something in this world no amount of money could buy, that would be the love and respect his son has for her. His kindness and humility despite his good looks. His perseverance and faith, every single thing that made him RJ.
She took one look at his deep, brown eyes, his fair skin, his dimpled cheek, his overworked hands, his gentle smile—and for a mother, she could not have been more proud. He was her angel, and as much as he depended on his mother for comfort, she too, looked to him for strength when everything was much too heavy to bear. He was a happy kid, always have been. She doesn't know where his energy comes from, neither his patience to deal with his troubled life, but RJ always had a knack for making the people around him happy. His genuine soul was contagious, and if their lives have been grim, he was always the one who made everything seem worthwhile.
