Melody (originally 'A Melody To The Heart')

32

Sa nakalipas na mga araw, palagi na kaming sinasama ng Reyna na mag-merienda. Sa kalagitnaan ng merienda namin ay biglang umalis si Mamá dahil may importante raw s'yang lakad.

Sumunod na umalis sina Abuelita Esmeralda dahil s'ya muna ang hahalili para sa Reyna na hindi raw muna aattend ng lakad na 'yon para magpahinga. Sumunod na umalis sina Tita Beatriz, Tita Rachel, at Ate Fe.

Naiwan ang Reyna sa garden kung saan kami nag-merienda. Ayoko s'yang iwan kaya nagpresinta na lang ako samahan s'ya. Napansin n'yang hindi pa ako umaalis kaya nagtaka s'ya.

"Chloe, why are you still here?" tanong n'ya habang nakangiti sa akin.

"I would like to keep you company, Your Majesty." Natuwa s'ya sa sinabi ko kaya dinala n'ya ako sa mas malayong parte pa ng hardin. Doon ay may balon at may mga benches din na pwede kang maupo. Naupo kaming dalawa sa isang bench para mag-usap.

"Why are we here, Abuelita?" Iyon na lang ang tinawag ko sa kanya since ang personal assistant ng Reyna at si Ms. Carmen na lang ang nakakarinig sa amin. Isa pa, drop the formalities na raw.

"This is my favorite place here in the Palace. It brings back memories." Napatingin s'yang muli sa hardin habang nakangiti.

"What kind of memories?" my brows furrowed out of curiosity.

"Happy ones," she said.

"Like what?" Napalingon s'ya sa akin at ngumiti ulit. I can see the pain in her smile and I bet that the memories she's talking about aren't the happy ones.

"This is where me and your Abuelito Esteban met." Halata namang medyo kinilig s'ya nang banggitin n'ya ang pangalan nito.

"Really?!" I was surprised because I don't know their love story so I got excited. "How?"

"I was once roaming around the Palacio, trying to get some fresh air when I saw your Abuelito standing here and looking at that well." Itinuro n'ya pa ang balon na nasa harapan lang namin sa 'di kalayuan.

"What was he doing?" I asked.

"He said he's looking for something he dropped inside the well but he couldn't see it because he doesn't have a lamp. I happened to have a lamp with me so I helped him find what he was trying to find but the well was too deep so there's no chance he could get it.

"I remember, we were looking inside the well until we saw each other by the light of the lamp and our eyes met," she said.