Set seven years into the future, let's all meet and love Thirdy, Charm and Seb Faulkerson.
This book is inspired by a story I wrote on Payb Takes.
I originally posted it as a special monthsary update but the part has gathered a lot of great comment...
"Are you sure about this, Love?" M asks R worriedly.
"Oo naman, Love. Wala ka bang bilib sa asawa mo? Nag-practice ako ng madami para dito. I want to do something special for our bunso's first birthday." R answers with a grin.
"I know but can't you just sing with a guitar like what you did on Thirdy's or ballroom dance with Nanay like that on Charm's? Bakit ito?" She frowns as she watches her husband, dressed as a clown minus the makeup, being hoisted up the tall stilts. "You can barely walk in your own feet without tripping tapos maglalakad ka nang ganyan and throwing candies pa?"
"Circus themed kasi ang party ni Seb di ba? So ito gagawin ko." He grins down on her while balancing on the stilts.
"Bakit ito? Pwede ka namang mag-host and be the ringmaster. You can be a clown. Do magic tricks. Kahit nga mag-act ka lang as a monkey or lion or elephant. Wala akong pake but this! This is life threatening to you, Richard Faulkerson Jr. My god, RJ! We have three kids! Hindi ko to kayang mag-isa. Hindi pa ako handang ma-biyuda." She sighs.
"Grabe siya! Ang OA, Love. Biyuda agad? Trust me. Kaya ko to." He smiles down on her.
"Fine. If you want to do this then go. Just be sure hindi ka mapapahamak dahil ako mismo babali niyang binti mo pag nahulog ka diyan." She says rolling her eyes.
"You don't mean that. You looove me." He tells her with a wink.
"I do that's why I hate you right now. Umayos ka." She says and walks away.
M goes to her parents who at that time are surrounded by their kids. Thirdy, in his mime costume, is sitting in between his Tatay and Nanay who are wearing white shirts with circus tent prints. Charm, in her circus lion costume, is singing in front of them while Seb, the ring master, is holding on to his grandpa's knees as he balances to keep himself up.
M chuckles at this sight, watching their youngest son struggle to take a steady step forward is like watching her husband keep himself from falling from the stilts.
Everyone claps after Charm's rendition of "I See The Light" and M sits beside her Tatay as their little girl runs into her arms.
"That was awesome, sweetheart." She kisses Charm's cheek then looks at Seb who grins up at her. "Mukhang fully energized pa din ang birthday boy ah." She smiles back at the little boy whose eyes and grin look exactly like his dad's.
"Mag-uumpisa na ba, anak? Mukhang naiinip na si Thirdy. Hinahanap na yung iPad niya." TD tells his daughter.
"Opo. Malapit na po. Pasok na po tayo sa loob." M says and leads them inside.
The ballroom is turned into a colorful circus tent with its ceiling decorated with red and with drapes that flow to the floor. A spotlight is focused on the circular stage like a real circus ring. There are mini platforms for clowns, mimes, jugglers, acrobats, magicians and fortune tellers to perform around the venue with popcorn, cotton candy, hotdog and ice cream carts in between. The buffet tables are covered with colorful polka dotted fabric like and in the middle of them is the huge 4-layer clown themed cake.
Oops! Ang larawang ito ay hindi sumusunod sa aming mga alituntunin sa nilalaman. Upang magpatuloy sa pag-publish, subukan itong alisin o mag-upload ng bago.
The party starts with R walking in on his stilts from the back of the stage, showering candies and chocolates to the delight of all the kids who scramble to grab a few. M nervously watches on as she holds Seb in her arms, silently praying for her husband's safety.
Much to everyone's relief, R successfully steps off the wobbly stilts to welcome the guests to their son's party. He then joins his family in the front row and stays with them throughout the party.
Everyone enjoys the food, games and performances in the party including the birthday boy himself, who squeals and giggles at everything that amuses him and charmingly smiles at friends and relatives who greet him.
At one point he animatedly babbles for a few minutes at M after the man with a litter of hoop-jumping puppies left the stage as if retelling his mom the show and asking for them to come back.
After the birthday song is sang and Sebastian blows (actually Thirdy and Charm blow) the birthday candle on the clown cake, M whispers to R.
"Love, ikaw na muna bahala sa mga bata."
"Huh? Bakit? Saan ka pupunta?" He asks as M places Seb in his arms.
"Basta. Surprise." She smiles and walks to the stage where two sets of red fabric fall vertically from the ceiling.
The lights are dimmed as two dancers get climb the cloths and swing on them. A few more minutes later and white sphere with a female silhouette in fetal position comes down in between the swinging dancers.
Everyone gasps as the white cloth is pulled away and reveals M in a gold spandex suit inside the giant fiberglass ball. R holds his breath as she carefully stands and grabs the handles over her head while the sphere opens from under her feet and she starts to dance inside.
She moves with breathtaking grace to the dangerous poses inside the sphere much to everyone's amusement and admiration, nailing every step and move perfectly.
The whole place erupts in a loud round of applause and unified sighs of relief when the the ball comes down and touches the floor so M could step out of it. She smiles and waves then takes a bow before R and their kids storm up the stage and wraps her in a tight embrace.
Seb holds M's face between his tiny hands and grins. "Muh-mah, Moh!"
"More?!" R exclaims. "No no, little buddy. Last na yun ni Mama. Papa will have a heart attack if she gets back in that ball." He sighs then he holds M closer and kisses her temple.
"Promise mo last mo na yun, Love. Utang na loob." R whispers. "Kinabahan ako. Maga-anniversary pa tayo mamaya at seventy years more after."
"Promise. Last na yun. Sa susunod na birthday ng mga bata, slumber party theme na lang ha? Kung ano-anong naiisip nating gawin eh." M giggles.
******** Unbeta'ed and not proofread. Thank you for reading. ❤️
