FRANCIS and CHESCA - ETERNAL LOVE

CHAPTER 3

Nakabalik na sila Kath at Albie from their honeymoon. Ilang weeks lang din, dumating na sila Cha at Kristoff. Death anniversary ni Nicole kaya sabay sabay silang pumunta sa Manila Memorial to pay a visit. They also lit a candle for daddy Henry and mommy Julie. They were about to leave when Chesca saw Emil approaching, kasama nito si Angela.

Angela: Chesca?

Chesca: Angela? Hello! Musta ka na?

Angela: doing good.

Chesca: ah buti naman. btw, my kids… (pinakilala niya ang mga anak dito) and Francis remember?

Angela: of course I do… hi Francis (tumango lang ito) Emil my husband, remember? 

Chesca: yah (medyo awkward na pagsagot niya dito) we have t go, may lakad pa kame. It’as nice seeing you again.

Angela: yah you too. 

Nagpaalam na ito sa isa’t isa. Before finally leaving the place, nakita pa ni Chesca na sa puntod din ng ate niya papunta ang dalawa. Now she wonder why Emil still visits her sister. Well, kung dahel sa pinagsamahan nila, she’s not sure. Pero hindi niya alam kung ganun ba talaga kalalim ang pinagsamahan nito at ng ate niya for him to remember and visit her with his wife. Napatingin siya kay Francis, iniisip niya kung hindi kaya siya ang asawa nito, ganun din kaya ang gagawin niya?

F: what are you thinking? 

C: huh? Wala bakit?

F: bothered ka ba kay Emil?

C: bakit mo natanong? (buti na lang kina Albie sumabay si karl at Julia kaya dalawa lang sila sa sasakyan. Nakaconvoy lang sa kanila ang mga bata on their way to tagaytay.)

F: naiisip ko lang, na maybe you’re bothered because of him.

C: naisip ko lang, kung hindi kaya ako ang asawa mo, will you still visit her? 9tumingin ito sa kanya)

F: alam mong ginagawa ko lang to dahel kapatid mo siya, you should know my answer.

C: I know. (binalik nito ang tingin sa road)

F: Franchesca magkaiba kame ni Emil. Hindi ko gagawin yung ginagawa niya ok? Maybe he has his own reason, we never know.

C: oo nga, wala naman akong sinabi ha.

F: it doesn’t look like your convinced kase.

C: I believe you okay?

Sa Tagaytay Highlands sila naglunch with the kids.

F: me and mom decided to leave next month. Out of town trips muna, then maybe we’ll go to Paris.

Kath: wow, paris! I want to go there too… can we join you?

F: funny, but no you can’t. Karl san ka magi stay? Ate or kuya’s place?

Karl: at home. I can say there alone. No worries, I’ll be good, I promise.

C: pano ka kakain honey? You don’t know how to cook.

Karl: delivery. Or Call 911-ATE. 

Kath: haha, nice try karl. Dun ka na lang samen.

Karl: no ate, ok lang talaga ko, promise.

Albie: what if samahan namen si Karl while your out of the country mom?

Kath: yah, dun na lang kame magi stay sa house while your away.

Nagtinginan pa muna si francis at Chesca and then pumayag na din sila, hindi kase talaga maaasahan si karl sa kitchen. Baka pag uwi nila, buto’t balat na ito. Si kath lang talaga ang marunong magluto sa kanila, sa dalawang lalake, parehong kay Francis nagmana, allergic sa kusina. Hindi naman sila ganun katagal mawawala, less than two months perhaps. Depende pa yun kay Chesca, kaya ok lang kina Kath at Albie kase Makati lang sila nagwowork.

Before going home, dumaan sila sa Pink Sister Convent. It was a habit for Chesca and francis, pero yung mga bata, ngayon lang makakapunta dun.

Karl: anong gagawin naten ditto dad?

F: you write your prayer intentions.

Kath: and then?

C; the sisters will pray over your intentions, para matupad siya. 

Cha: talaga mom? I never heard of that.

C; we usually go here, pag nasa area kame ni dad.

Albie: natutupad naman yung intentions niyo?

F: well, this is actually my fourth time here, and I have the same prayer intention. And natupad naman siya.

Julia: ano po yun tito?

F: wag niyo na alamin.

Toff: sige na dad, ano bay un?

F: well, okay. This is actually the fifth time I visited this place. four time na andito ako, my prayer intention was that mom and I will be together forever. 

C: four times?? We were here twice lang.

F: I was here four times already. The first time we were here, then after the accident, before I fly for Canada, then before we got married, then last time was when you and the kids went to Cebu.

C: oh, you were here twice without me. Great…

F: yeah, but those were the times when I prayed that I find you again and that you give me your forgiveness. I believe it was an answered prayer, right?

Kath: dad, if you will to write an intention again, what would it be?

F: why ask me that question?

Kath: wala naman, it just popped in my mind.

F: maybe that mom and I will be together for the rest of our lives.

Toff: impossible pa bay un?

F: why don’t you just write your intentions so we can leave?

Karl: okay, shoot. We will.

Nagsulat na sila.. They have to go to People’s Park and catch the sunset overlooking Taal Volcano before finally heading home.

A week before Chesca and Francis go out of town, lumipat muna ulit sina Albie at Kath sa kanila para samahan si Karl. Hindi nauubusan ng ibibilin si Chesca sa anak, since siya lang ang babaeng maaasahan niya during this time, lahat ibinilin na niya. They plan to go to Batangas then Cebu, then from there, lilipad naman sila papuntang Paris, then Venice, then maybe US. All they want to do now is to enjoy their lives by just being together. Ngayon na wala na silang iniisip na negosyo, na stable na ang mga anak nila. It’s time for them to enjoy each others company again.

Chesca: o Kathryn, remember, call me pag may problem ok?

Kath: yes mom!

Francis; I already asked Kristoff to visit you too every week. Don’t forget yung mga bilin namen okay?

Kath: yup!

F: and the business, wag papabayaan. 

Albie: of course dad.

Karl; ang OA niyo mom dad ha.. next week pa kayo aalis, baka bago kayo umalis, nakalimutan na ulit namen yung bilin niyo.

Kath: loko loko!

Karl: mom, dad, we’re not young anymore… may asawa na si ate, malay niyo pagbalik niyo may asawa na din ako. Don’t worry too much about us, just enjoy.

C: ok lang kung may asawa ka na pag uwi namen, for as long as you won’t live here. (biro nito, madalas kaseng sabihin ni karl na mag aasawa na din siya)

Karl: no of course not… im just kidding. (niyakap nito an mommy niya)

C: you better be.

They started packing their things. Chesca is always that excited to go on trips with her husband. Now this trip is the one they longed for. They hoped that it will work out according to their plan.