DUBREDO DIARIES: His and Her Circumstances

Chapter 1 | July 1, 2016 | Her Side

"Do I look okay na ba, Trish?" Leni asks as she smooths down her skirt.

"You always look okay naman ma, eh" Tricia, her second daughter looks up from the book she's reading and laughs. "Kaba mo lang kasi yang umiiral ma."

"Naku! Magkikita kasi sila ng presidente today." Aika adds as she takes her bag from the table.

"Ano kayang sasabihin niya? Oh my god - exciting!" Tricia adds.

Leni frowns at her daughters as they tease her and they both laugh simultaneously.

Before Leni could say anything more, Aika had already rushed towards the door. "Love you ma! Good luck later! Bye!"

Leni exhales.

"Sige Trish mauna na muna ako. Wake Jill up later, baka masobrahan yun sa tulog."

Tricia smiles at her mom. "Okay po." Leni kissed her daughter's forhead. "Laban Leni! Kaya mo yan ma!" She formed an L with her fingers which made Leni laugh.

"Laban!" Leni forms a fist with her hand and holds it up.

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Leni slowly took a breath in and then out.

Kinakabahan talaga ako. What if di niya ako pansinin?

Paano 'pag hindi man lang siya tumango o di man lang niya iacknowledge presence ko?

Sabi ni Mar madali raw 'yun magalit!

"Ma'am nandito na po tayo." The psg announced.

Tatagan ko nalang sarili ko. I can do this!

"Ma'am?" The psg said trying to catch her attention.

"Y-Yes?" Leni, who was abruptly shaken from her thoughts, replied.

"Nandito na po tayo, Ma'am" he said once more.

"Oh." The psg got out of the car and opened the passenger door for her. She then got off the van.

"Parang ang bilis yata nating nakarating ah." She said mostly to herself, kind of fearful of what was about to transpire.

"Ano po 'yon Ma'am?"

"No. No. It's nothing!" Leni hurriedly replied.

Her presence was announced as she walked up the stairs. She received a bouquet while the guests had begun greeting her.

She said 'hi' to every single one of them as she walked towards the VIP area. Once she had arrived, she directly looked at the names on the seats.

On her seat was 'VICE PRESIDENT LENI ROBREDO' to the right facing it was defence secretary 'SECRETARY DELFIN LORENZANA' and next to that -

"President Rodrigo Duterte." She said out loud. Her hands got clammy as her insides churned.

Why am I so nervous ba?

"Vice President!" It took a moment before it registered to Leni that she was the one being called.

She turned to see a woman wearing a Filipiniana.

"Hello!" She shook hands with the woman and they chatted away. Leni engaged herself in the conversation but found it difficult to concentrate.

She felt nervous like never before. As if she was back in college defending her thesis. An irrational fear had begun sweeping her.

"Let us all welcome His Excellency, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte."

Everyone stood up as the president marched towards the stage.