Divine Intervention

I

Going to church and listening carefully in the mass every Saturday became my hobby since my father died.

Dati, I'm just alone. Thankfully, ngayon, my friends usually go with me every Saturday. Maybe just because it is a MUST. I mean, one of our projects kasi in Christian Living Education is magpapapirma sa pari pagkatapos mong umattend ng misa.

Sermon na ng pari and we're just sitting and listening to Rev. Fr. Harry Anderson - Saint Joseph Parish's parish priest.

Rey, my gay friend is always noisy wherever he is. I am really irritated when he'll sit beside me in church. And now, unlucky me. 'Cause he's just on my left side.

"Look Trisha! I think that sacristan is looking at you." Rey told me.

I looked where he's pointing at. Then, I saw a couple of sacristan.

"Lahat yan?" I said sarcastically.

"Silly you. The one who's wearing eyeglasses, my dear." He said.

I looked at the sacristan he's referring to.

"You're drunk. The devil's poisoning your mind, Rey. Why don't you just listen at Father's preach?" I said.

"Eh. He's talking fast e. I can't understand him well."

Yes. Fr. Harry talks very fast during mass. It seems like he's rapping or somethin'.

"If you'll just listen to him carefully, you'll understand him." I said to Rey.

"Yeah. I'll try." Rey said.

"Oo nga Trisha! Tumitingin nga sa'yo yung nakasalamin!" Leslie broke the silence.

Seriously!? I can't concentrate well because of them! Nah. Just this day. Sorry po Lord. Magsisimba naman ulit ako bukas e.

I looked again to the said guy. I caught his eyes looking at mine. I looked away immediately. Maybe it was just a coincidence. Or baka naman banlag lang yung lalaking yun. Or baka naman hindi naman talaga ako yung tinitingnan nya.

"Maybe you guys were just assuming." I said.

"No. Really! Napansin ko rin na tumitingin dito yung nakasalamin." my lesbian friend -Denden said.

I just ignored my friends. But I did not ignore the guy they're talking about. I took quick glances to that sacristan. And somehow, our eyes met. And we'll just awkwardly look away.

After mass, nag bless at nagpapirma kami kay Fr. Harry.

"Oh. Yung kay Trisha lang pipirmahan ko ha. Maingay kayong tatlo e." Fr. Harry said.

I was surprised! I didn't know that Fr. Harry knows my name!

"How did you...."

Fr. Harry laughed.

"I know your brother well, Trisha. He once said na gusto mo nga raw maging madre e."

"Magmamadre ka Trisha?" Leslie asked.

I laughed. "I'm just thinking of it."

"Ngayon, I will sign these. Pero next time, pag maingay pa rin kayong tatlo, magseserve kayo rito sa simbahan. Okay?"

"Opo Father." Leslie, Denden and Rey said in chorus. And they said they were sorry for what happened.

When I got home, I kissed my Nanny on her cheek.

"Where are they?" I asked my Nanny.

"Wala pa e. Pero parating na siguro yun. Tatawagin na lang kita sa kwarto mo pagkauwi nila."

My Nanny's name is Silvia. She's with us since my brother was born. She is 13 years older than me. Nasunugan kasi ng bahay sila Nanny nung 7 years old pa lang sya. Her family died. Lola adopted her kasi wala na syang family.

Then, nung 10 years old na si Nanny, nilipat sya sa amin ni Lola. Pinag-aral sya ni okaa-san at otou-san. Then, she had decided na gusto nya na lang daw na pagsilbihan kami.

Okaa-san and otou-san refused at first, but gave up in the end.

Thankfully, Nanny is happy naman in her job.

Suddenly, I heard a knock on my door.

When I opened it.....

"Onii-san!!!!!" I screamed, hugged and kissed him.

"Tara na Nami. May uwi ako sa'yo. Nasa baba na rin si okaa-san."

Pagkababa ko, I immediately opened the ice cream.

"Nami! Di ka pa nagkikiss sakin!" sigaw ni okaa-san sakin.

I laughed. "Sorry okaa-san. I missed you!" then I kissed her cheek.

"Nagkita naman tayo kaninang umaga ah."

"By the way, onii-san, what's with the ice cream?" I asked.

"Later na. Let's eat first. Nanny, upo ka na."

Onii-san led the prayer. "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Bless us O Lord, in these thy gift, which we are about to receive, from thy bounty, through Christ, our Lord, Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen."

"Itadakimasu!!!" we said in chorus.

"Atsushi! Now, what's with the ice cream?" okaa-san asked.

"Okaa-san, Nami, Nanny.... I got a perfect score sa dalawang major subject ko!" he said cheerfully.

We clapped our hands and congratulated onii-san.

Onii-san is taking up Bachelor of Science in Accountancy. Sinusunod nya yung yapak ni okaa-san. My okaa-san is now a Certified Public Accountant.

My onii-san and I are Filipino-Japanese.

Our father, Nishino Suzuki died 3 years ago because of heart failure.

I really missed otou-san damn much!

My name is Trisha Nami Andrada Suzuki. My friends usually call me Trisha while my family calls me Nami.

My mother wanted to call me Trisha but my father wants Nami. And as time went by, they've decided to have both Trisha and Nami.

My mother's name is Katrina Andrada-Suzuki. She's very lovable and sweet, like otou-san and onii-san.

I can say that I have a perfect family. Really! But, now... Somehow, I feel incomplete.

Then, I have my very intelligent, lovable, sweet, handsome, and.... Nah! He's perfect for me. My onii-san, Atsushi Andrada Suzuki. His soon to be girlfriend would be so lucky to have him. 'Cause me, I'm so lucky to have him.

He is usually a heartthrob wherever he goes. I can't believe he don't have girlfriend... Well, since birth!

He's always there when I have problems. Always there when I'm happy. He also knows all of my crushes and secrets. Onii-san is my bestfriend.

Then I remember! My onii-san is a sacristan. But he wasn't active now like he used to. But still, I knew he's still the President of the Knight of the Altar Servers - the organization of the sacristans.

Maybe he knew the guy who's wearing eyeglasses.

Japanese-English translation:

• otou-san ~ father

• okaa-san ~ mother

• onii-san ~ older brother

• itadakimasu ~ let's eat / thanks for the food / i'm digging in