Fighting Cancer (EulBert)

Characters

Julia "Eula" Valdes - Martinez
I was ready for this. Matagal ko 'tong pinaghandaan, pero bakit nung dumating na bumaliktad yung sitwasyon? I was wrong, I wasn't really ready. I just made myself believe I was ready. Sinabi na ng late Dad ko na may lahi kami ng Hepatocellular Carcinoma, also known as, cancer in the liver, so there was a big chance that I could get it, too. And yes, he died last year because of this. We did everything we could, lalo na si Mama. She exerted big effort and patience sa everyday chemotherapy ni Papa, and whatsoever. They fought until the end... Until my father's journey ended.

Albert Martinez
Eto na ang pinakakinakatakutan ko.. ang magkaroon ng sakit ang pinakamamahal ko. Alam ko namang malalampasan namin 'to eh. Matagal na kaming handa, pero iba pa rin talaga yung pakiramdam na dumating na talaga 'no? Syempre una na yung takot, kaba. Pero nandito pa rin yung pananalig at paniniwala na malalampasan namin 'to. Si Eula? Kaya n'ya 'to. Siya kaya yung pinakamatapang at pinaka-hopeful na nakilala ko. Pareho sila ng Mama n'ya. Mahihirapan siya, oo, pero hinding-hindi 'yun susuko.

Alexandra Martinez - Montenegro (Alex)
Pinapunta ako nila Mommy noon sa bahay namin para mag-dinner, since hindi na naman ako nakatira 'dun dahil may asawa na 'ko. Sila nalang nakatira 'dun, si Daddy, si Mommy, at yung dalawa ko pang kapatid. Si Julianna naman, nasa Batanes, at hindi siya makakarating kaya nag-vvc nalang kami. Minamage niya yung resort ni Daddy 'dun. Nagpa-dinner sila Mommy, 'di ko alam kung bakit, hindi rin alam ng mga kapatid ko. Sila lang ni Papa ang may alam. Habang kumakain, tinanong ko na si Mommy kung anong meron. Tinawagan ko na rin si Anna para sabay-sabay namin malaman. Huminga nang malalim si Daddy at siya ang nagsabi ng balita, na siyang ikinagulat namin... May cancer si Mommy.

Julianna Martinez (Anna)
Kakagaling ko lang nun sa trabaho noong nag-text si ate Alex na mamaya tatawag daw sila. Syempre, nagtanong ako kung anong meron, at sabi n'ya may sasabihin daw sila Mommy. Aaminin ko, kinutuban ako nung mga panahong 'yun. Pero, 'di ko pinansin. Kumain nalang ako habang naghihintay ng tawag nila. Hayy, miss ko na sila.. Maya-maya, nag-ring phone ko, si Ate 'yun. Tinapat n'ya kay Mommy at Nakita kong huminga nang malalim si Daddy at nagsalita. "May cancer ang Mommy n'yo." 'Yan ang sabi n'ya. Hindi ko namalayan umiiyak na 'ko, kaya tinawagan ko ang driver ko para ihatid ako sa airport at naghanap ng flight nung gabing 'yun.

Alessandra Martinez (Sandy)
Pagdating ko galing ng law school, sinabi agad sa akin ni Manang na may dinner mamaya. Tinanong ko kung nasaan sila Mommy at kung bakit may dinner? Sabi niya hindi n'ya alam at inutusan lang sila ni Daddy. Maya-maya dumating na sila Mommy. Matamlay siya, so I asked her kung anong nangyari. She just smiled and said, napagod lang daw siya sa lakad nila. Tinanong ko rin kung bakit may dinner. My dad was the one who answered and told me na there was an important news. Maya-maya, dumating na si Julie and Ate Alex. Si Ate Anna naman, tatawagan. We all gathered at the dinning area. Ate Alex asked them kung ano 'yung news. I saw my Dad hold Mom's hand and breathed heavily. He looked at us one by one and told us that our mother has cancer.

Julienne Martinez (Julie)
Ate Alex called me, may dinner raw sa bahay and told me that I should go home. When she texted me, kinutuban agad ako. Something's just not right, parang may mali. Hindi ko lang alam kung ano. When I reached home, Ate Sandy was there. Si Ate Alex naman, papunta na. I asked Manang kung anong meron, but she doesn't know. I went to kiss Mommy and Daddy. Parang may mali eh.. Ang tamlay nila pareho, so I asked kung may problema. Sabi naman nila wala, pero ramdam ko talaga na may mali. I shrugged of the thought and asked them kung bakit may dinner. They said na may sasabihin sila mamaya. When we all went to the dinning area, my eldest sister asked our parents kung ano ba 'yung news. I saw them look at each other then Daddy spoke, "May cancer ang Mommy n'yo." It's like the world stopped, I just saw myself crying. That's why I'm studying medicine kasi Lolo told me na baka mamana ni Mommy 'yung sakit n'ya and after that I was determined to be an oncologist, kaso dumating agad yung sakit ni Mommy. I'm too late... But on second thought, maybe I'm not. I can help her in different ways. I'll save my my mom. Not as an oncologist, but as a daughter. No one can stop me.

Julia Valdes - Martinez
The hopeless cancer persistent.

Albert Martinez
The hopeful husband.

Alexandra Martinez - Montenegro
Julianna Martinez
Allesandra Martinez
Julienne Martinez
The supportive daughters.