A Letter of Promise

Chapter 14

"Let's go Ria! It's already raining! Let's just comeback tomorrow or on the next days. Papa will understand."
Clea tried to get Ria's hand but Ria keep on slapping her hands.

Umalis na ang lahat matapos ang misa at matapos maibaon ang kabaong ng kanilang ama.

The Alegres came, their family friends and their parents friends including the uncountable politicians. Some congressmen came, the Nueva Ecija Mayors were all present too.

"I'll stay here, mauna na kayo. Gil might catch a cold." Ria shoo her sister.

Marina kneeled down and hugged her daughter.

"Let's go dear, your father will get mad at you if you'll get sick. Ilang araw kang puyat at hindi rin nakakain ng tama." Marina tried not to cry but her tears kept falling as she watch her daughter cry.

Ria hugged her mother and sobbed on her mother's left shoulder.

"Ma, please wake me up, I'm having a nightmare. Wake me up ma. Please wake me up. Maaaaa....."

She kept crying while the rain is falling harder, nakikiramay sa kanila. Then the thunder made Ria closed her eyes tightly as he hugged her mother.

"Maria, the world won't wait for you if you stop moving, it won't adjust for us. We need to move on and accept things. God has a plan for us."

Ria loosened her hug and spaced out.

"I don't get it ma. Can you do it ma? Can you accept it and just move on? I think I cannot. Maybe I am not as strong as you."

"Maria! Who's not hurting? Gilbert's father in law died! Gil's Grandfather died! Clea's father died! Your father died! My husband died! Now tell me that it is just you who is suffering!"

Marina stood up and made Ria stand forcefully.

"I am brave because of you and your sister. I am trying to be braver because I don't want you to lose hope. I am trying to be braver so you could ask me to hold your hand and give you strength. You still have Clea, Gilbert, Gil and me. I am your mother. You have me."

Clea hugged her sister. Ria hugged her too. Marina hugged her daughters and kissed their hair.

"I'm sorry. Let's go home." Ria said as she held her sister's right hand on her left and her mother's left hand on her right.

Nanatili lamang silang walang kibo buong byahe.

"Manang Brenda, handa na ba ang hapag?"

Napalingon muli si Clea sa mga kasambahay at bodyguards nila, maging ang mga ito ay naka-itim, isinantabi ang mga uniporme. Napangiti siya ng tipid, her father received enough of love. He's loved. By his family, by their men and by those who knew him.

"Opo, senyorita." Sagot naman ni manang Brenda.

"Mommy, let's eat, I'm starving." Gil reached for Clea's hand.

"Yes baby we will. Let's change your clothes first okay? We'll eat after." Gil ran towards their room, too eager to eat.

"I'll just change too." Ria didn't wait for anyone's answer and walk straight to her room.

She sat on her bed, she felt sad. She is hurting. She felt incomplete, she felt that something in her is missing. She knows that she's hurting but she can't pinpoint the exact part of her that is hurting.

"So this is what they say that it feels like something from the chest falls in the stomach." She gather herself together, took a deep breath and walk towards the door.

Ng lumabas siya at tumungo sa hapag ay siya nalang ang hinihintay.

And there she saw, as she sat on the chair where she used to sit--on the left side of the chair of her father.