Learn to Love Again

Once You Figure it Out

Within days Sarah and Gerald are back in Cassie’s school. But this time they were called in not for a program but for what the little girl did in school.

“She what?!” Sarah said not believing what her daughter’s homeroom adviser just told them.

“Are you sure, she did that? I mean, did you see her do it?” Gerald asked.

“Look sir, ma’am, I didn’t call you in to discuss her innocence. What I want to talk to you about is her behavior in class these past few days. Cassandra has always been the good student. She’s very attentive in class, she works independently and is able to make friends easily. But lately I’ve been catching her exchanging banters with some of her classmates. I think this started right after the school program. Laging sinasabi ng mga classmates n’ya that she is the one starting it but I know your daughter isn’t the type to pick fights. Minsan tinawag ko s’ya para kausapin. I asked her if something was bothering her pero sabi n’ya wala naman daw. I asked her to tell me about your family. Basically masaya naman po ang mga kwento n’ya. Sabi n’ya she loves her new daddy very much. Mr. and Mrs. Geronimo…”

“Anderson. That’s Mr. and Mrs. Anderson,” he corrected.

“Oh. I’m sorry. I just thought…”

“It’s okay,” she told the teacher.

“As your daughter’s class adviser, it’s my obligation to know everything that I need to learn about a child so I would know how to deal with him or her. In Cassandra’s case, I am kinda lost. She seems to have a normal and happy family life but with instances like this, her fights with her classmates, I’m getting confused. Is there anything that I need to know?”

“What exactly do you wanna know?” Sarah asked.

“Okay. I will be straight forward with you. This is just my first year in this school so I don’t really know much about the students, even the old ones. I don’t know much about their family background. In Cassandra’s school record I remember seeing that her mother’s surname is Geronimo, same as hers. But now you are telling that it’s Anderson.”

“Her biological father and I are not married so we had her take our surname. But just last month Gerald and I got married so now I am using his surname.”

“But I am in the process of legally adopting her so that she can also use my surname,” he added.

“I see. Now I understand,” the teacher said. She shifted her position a bit and then continued on, “I overheard one of her fights with another girl. She was being teased about not having a real family. I guess her classmates know now that Mr. Anderson is not the real father.”

Sarah looked at Gerald before saying, “Pero alam n’ya na totoo ‘yun so she shouldn’t be bothered.”

“Alam n’yo po minsan akala natin ay okay ang lahat sa mga bata. When we’re around them they can create a façade that everything’s fine. Pero ang totoong nararamdaman nila ay lumalabas na ‘pag natutukso o nakukutya na ng mga peers nila. Oo alam n’ya, naiintindihan n’ya at tanggap n’ya that she is not with her real father. Maaaring masaya s’ya kapiling ninyo pero hindi n’yo po maiiwasan na sasama ang loob n’ya ‘pag ito rin ang rason kung bakit s’ya pinag-uusapan ng mga kaibigan n’ya. Kasi hindi naman lahat ng ka-edad n’ya ay naiintindihan ang sitwasyon n’ya. Itong batang pinalo n’ya ay galing sa buong pamilya. Na ang mommy at daddy n’ya ay ang biological parents n’ya. And just like what I’ve said, her other friends may not be able to grasp yet the idea that another person can have different parents.”

“Hindi kasalanan ni Cassie ito. So why is she being punished?” Sarah said. Gerald could sense the strain in her voice that he had to hold her hand to calm her and make her feel his support.