Life with Sasa

Double Rainbow

Leila looked at the empty seat between her and Gringo in a health committee hearing and sighed. Risa, the Health committee chair and usually one of the first to arrive, had been skipping hearings and plenary sessions every other day or so ever since the viral post erupted.

And if Risa did attend, everyone could tell she was just running on autopilot until she could get home.

She eyed the empty seat with Risa's name plate on it. "Alam niyo, I'm getting really worried about Risa."

Loren shook her head. Risa's practically a little sister to her and to see her work suffer in the Senate hit her particularly hard. "This issue with Le-, I mean Princess, really took a toll on her. Dati pag meeting bibong-bibo mag-discuss. Ngayon ang tamlay na niya. That was, if she attended in the first place."

"Why not visit her tomorrow?" Grace said. "Para ma-check niyo kung okay siya."

"Sino?" Leila said.

The three of them sat down in silence and looked at each other for answers. Then, Grace and Leila's gazes aimed straight at Loren.

"Me?" Loren said, pointing to herself.

Leila continued. "Kayo ung nagiging close ni Risa lately eh. Tsaka may plans na kami ni Grasya na pumunta kina Princess para icheck na rin namin siya later."

-----

Right after the plenary session, Loren rushed to get the green mangoes and bagoong she prepared for Risa and headed off to meet her driver with a note containing Risa's home address.

After spending an hour and a half stuck in traffic, she finally made it to Risa's house on the other side of Metro Manila - a medium size home with a lawn decorated with various flowers and plants. She wanted to spend more time in the garden to check everything out but that would have to wait.

She rang the doorbell and was greeted by the family's yaya. "Good evening po."

"Si Loren ito. Kasama ni Risa sa Senate. Nasaan siya."

The yaya pointed to the staircase leading to the bedrooms. "Akyat po kayo. Pinakadulo."

Loren climbed up the stairs until she reached the door on the far end of the hall. Sniffling noises echoed from the other the closer she got.

She knocked on the door in the hopes that Risa would come out. She heard a clicking noise and out came Risa with her hair tied in a messy bun and her eyes red and puffy from crying so much. She didn't need to ask how she was anymore. "Hi Bubbles. Bumisita lang ako just to check up on you. Na-mi-miss na kita sa Senate eh."

Risa's voice was somber and raspy. "Sige pasok lan--Ui, mangga't bagoong ba yan?"

Loren nodded as she prepared a paper plate with all the mangoes on top so they could eat on Risa's study table. "Oo, nagdala talaga ako para sa iyo."

Part of Risa wanted to go down to the dining room so they could eat properly, but she's been so drained the past few weeks she could barely get out of bed. "Salamat. Bumababa na nga lang ako pag nandyan na mga bata eh. Most days, dito ako nagtatrabaho. Or at least I try to."

Loren tried to joke around with Risa to lighten up the mood, but she's only met with fake chuckles and grunts. Knowing that it's useless for her to continue, she stopped and ate their mangoes in silence. At least being there would help, or at least she hoped so.

As they ate their mangoes, Loren noticed the sheets of paper on her desk with the title Privilege Speech: The Story of Bubbles and her Princess. "Bubbles, pwede mabasa. Curious lang ako."