"Daddy, ayoko po talaga." Samsam was already close to tears.
"That's the deal." Yago said with finality.
"Ang daya-daya mo naman po. You asked me what I want for my 18th birthday, and I told you what it is, pero hindi mo din naman pala ibibigay." She whined some more.
Kanina pa sila nagtatalo ng daddy nya sa firing range. At kanina pa din nanonood ang mga tito at mga pinsan nya. She never set foot on a firing range until she was 14. But, even then, she never dared touch a gun. Ayaw nya. Kahit pa nakikita nya kung gaano nagkakasiyahan ang mga pinsan nya sa pag baril, ayaw pa din nya. Her dad never brought her, nor her three sisters, whenever his brothers and their kids went there. Alam naman nya ang gawain ng daddy nya at ng mga tinuturing nitong mga kapatid. Alam nya ang masamang nakaraan ng daddy nya. Alam nyang naging masamang tao ito. But she always chose to see all the good in him.
Samsam knew what happened to her dad's first love. She knows that he loves her still. Kaya nga lagi pa din ito pumupunta sa beach house nila sa La Union at inaalagaan mabuti ang glass garden. He made it a sanctuary of his love and memories of his weird and sweet Samuelle. The girl Samsam was named after. Pero alam din nya na iba din ang pagmamahal na ibinibigay ng daddy nya sa mommy nya. Kailanman ay hindi nila naramdaman na nakahihigit ang first love ng daddy nya. Minulat siya ng mommy nya sa kaisipan na iba't-ibang klase ng pagmamahal ang ibinibigay ng tao sa kapwa. Nagkataon lang daw na pagmamahal na hindi malilimot ang ibinibigay ng daddy nya sa yumao nitong first love. At ang ibinibigay naman sa kanila ay pagmamahal na bumubuhay habang-buhay.
"Because I thought you'll be asking for a grand party." Her dad reasoned.
"I'm a weirdo, dad. I don't do grand parties. And even if I did, I don't have enough friends to fill up a small function hall."
What she said was true. She doesn't have many friends. Ayos lang sa kanya 'yon. Less friends, less drama. Even when she's surrounded by her so=called "cousins", she still felt out of place. Kaya nga halos every weekend, nagpapahatid sya sa isa sa mga beach house nila. Doon sya sa dagat. She can spend the whole day lying on the sand while reading a book and eating mangoes. She's an awesome surfer too. At the age of 15, she became a certified diver. A few more dives and she'll be a master diver already. Put her in any body of water and she'll be more at home than being in their own house.
"You may be weird, but you're still my daughter. I'm not asking you to kill. I just want you to learn how to use a gun for your protection." Her dad tried to convince her.
"Ayoko po humawak ng baril. Wag nyo na po ako pilitin." She was about to cry and walk away but her dad stopped her.
"Hit the target three consecutive times and you'll get what you want. I'll let you go to a coed school." Yago was stern. He sounded authoritative. Impatient. He never used that tone on her favorite daughter. "You're already 18. It's about time you learn to use a gun."
