A Letter of Promise

Chapter 6

Alas tres ng umaga nang bumangon si Ria, abala na sa buong bahay. Amoy ng iba't ibang putahe ng pagkain ang bumungad sa kanya nang naglakad siya patungo sa kusina sa baba. Sa ilalim naman ng balkonahe abala ang mga nagsasalansan ng mga tubig sa malalaking ice boxes. Maging ang mga personal drivers ay inihanda na rin ang mga sasakyang pampamilya lamang kung tutuusin, pero ipinahanda na rin para sa mga kamag anak at tauhan ng mga kagawad ng kaniyang papa.

"Ate Edita, gising na ba sina mama at papa?" She asked their mayordoma, ito ang nag alaga sa kanya mula pa noong ipinganak siya. Maging ang ate niyang si Clea ay si Edita din ang nag alaga. Sa kasalukuyan ay nasa edad na kwarentay singco na ito. May apat na anak, ang ikatlong anak nitong si Joel ang kaedaran niya.

"Ay oo, nasa balkonahe sila at nag cha tsaa. Kanina pa silang alas dos trenta gising. Magbihis ka nang pangginaw kung lalabas ka sa balkonahe." Bilin nito habang naglalagay ng kanin at ulam sa mga styro.

Napalingon tuloy ang iilang kasambahay na naroon. She's wearing a silky canary yellow sando style dress. Halos lahat yata ng pantulog niya ay silk ang tela.

"Opo" maikling sagot niya at nagtungo na siya sa kaniyang silid upang mag patong nalang ng isang itim na cardigan. And it felt warm, it felt better. And when she's satisfied she went out of her room to see her parents.

"Ma, pa, good morning." She kissed her parents cheeks and sat on the vacant chair on the center side of the round table, in between her parents.

"Did you have a good sleep?" Tanong ng papa niya.

"Yeah, how bout you pa? Ma?" Balik na tanong niya.

"I didn't have enough sleep, but I feel good. Her mom nod and smiled at her.
It was a long silence, they just sat there, and wait for the sun to rise. She felt at peace, she sometimes wish that her father is not a politician. She wants a peace kind of life. The one that doesn't need bodyguards, the one that doesn't need to pretend. The kind of family that is free to do whatever they want to do. She wants a family that doesn't have rivals. But life is unfair, it is cruel. People think that if you have money, you can have it all. But they are wrong. As you get the larger amount of money the lesser you get and feel happy. The more money, the more problems--sometimes it comes one at a time, sometimes it's like a typhoon that has thunder, that has hurricane, has tsunami, it has it all. Sabay sabay. But Ria learned that, as long as you have your family, whatever problem came, she can always surpass it, because her family is there for her like she is always there for her family too.

"Ma, I'll just take a half bath and I'll get ready for breakfast." She stood up and walk towards the other ladder that connects to the second floor, there is her room and the library.

"Okay, susunod na din kami ng papa mo." Her mom smiled at her.

"Are you ready to meet Fely later today?" Ria's mom Marina asked Ria's dad, Romualdo.

"Of course I am," Romualdo answered simply.

"Huwag mo nalang papansinin kapag nagpasaring, keep your temper cool." Nag aalalang bilin ni Marina sa asawa.

"Stop lecturing, I know what to do. Just sit there and don't let them see that you are nervous." Tumayo na ito at tumungo sa kabilang hagdan na patungo sa unang palapag, karugtong ng hagdan na iyon ang sala na maaring daanan patungo sa dining area.

He left Marina there, but after a few minutes of taking sighs and deep sighs, Marina decided to follow her husband on the dining area.
After breakfast they went to the church and attended the first mass.
Nakasalubong pa nila ang kalabang partido pero Hindi na nila ito binigyan pa ng pagkakataon para makipag usap pa sa kanila, they sat on the third long chair. On their opposite side is the other party.