Since Childhood

1: The Mark of Childhood Days

Daniela just finished making her resume which she will pass next day on the hospital where her entire family were working. She passed the Philippine Physician Licensure Examination last year, and since then she decided to take a break after her long years of studying.

Daniela take about 12 years before she become an OB/GYN. She had gone through the 4 years study for a bachelor's degree, then another 4 years for a medical degree. And then she waited another 4 years  earning her residency. And then last year, she was able to nailed the licensure examination and is now a certified OB/GYN at the age of 30.

At her age, she's already considered as the youngest OB/GYN. With her impressive performance in medical response, there is no doubt that she will be accepted in the hospital where she will try to apply. They were a family of doctors and it's not questionable if she excels in terms of medical procedures.

She shut down her macbook and then closed it. Mula sa kwarto nya, she can hear the loud screams of her niece and nephew. Her brothers and sister-in-laws have visited because it's Sunday. Dinala ng dalawang mag-asawa ang mga bata dahil yun ang request ni Divina, their mother. Melanie is in the midway of her pregnancy. She and Noah are having another healthy boy. While Avah and Davien still have no plan of following Angelette, their first child.

Daniela put her macbook at her drawer and then she stands up from her study table. Lumabas sya ng kwarto nya para makipag bonding sa pamilya.

Passing the corridor of their house in the second floor, she heard the kids playing at her favorite place in the house. The computer and playroom.

Dumaan muna sya sa kwarto para tignan ang ginagawa ng dalawa nyang pamangkin. But seeing what the kids have done to the room, she really burst out because of anger.

"Angelette! Zaiden! What have you done?!" Daniela screamed.

The kids must have found the color pastel on the lowest drawer because the two were holding different pastel and the walls of the room which was once a plain white is now filled of rumbled colorful lines. There are zigzag pattern of line, a house, a tree, stickman and all. It's as if the two made the wall a blackboard to write on. Seeing what the kids have done made her angry.

"Drop that! Who on Earth told you to draw lines on the wall?!" Daniela rushed to the kids at hiniklas nya ang mga pangkulay na hawak ng dalawa. She slapped their both hands as a punishment for dirtying the whole room. That made the two kids cry on the floor. Both of them were calling their moms. "Don't cry! Sino nagsabi sa inyo na pwede nyong sulatan ang dingding?! Who?!" The kids flinch because of her scream.

"Rhein! What is going on here?! Bakit umiiyak ang mga pamangkin mo? Angelette? Zaiden?" her mom, Divina banged into the room, worried sick because of her grandchild's loud cries.

"Just look what they have done! This is so frustrating! The two of you will never do this shit again!"

"Daniela Rhein! Ayusin mo nga ang pananalita mo sa harap ng mga bata! This is not even a big deal! We can just repaint the walls. What is your issue?!" Divina's level of anger have match hers. She think that her daughter is being a little too harsh towards her niece and nephew. They are kids for Pete's sake! They didn't do all of that on purpose. They're unaware of what they were doing.

Frustrated, Daniela left the computer room and then she head straight back to her room. She shut the door behind her and locked it.

She took a deep breath. And then a sudden sadness took over. She felt guilty for screaming on Angelette and Zaiden. That room is so dear to her heart. That room is not just a computer room, it is more than that. It's the place where her childhood memories reside.

Daniela open her veranda, she sat down on the chair there and feel the fresh air coming. Her mom was right. She is being unreasonable. She is so mad over a small thing. Kinalma ni Daniela ang sarili nya. Hihingi sya ng sorry sa mga bata dahil sa ginawa nyang paninigaw. And for sure, her brothers wouldn't be so happy to what she have done to their child. She is hoping that her sisters-in-law would understand. Hopefully, Avah and Melanie would.

After letting an hour passed, she left her room. Head straight down to the living room where Avah and Melanie was sitting next to their kids. Davien and Noah aren't there, maybe doing some manly stuffs she didn't care.

As soon as Angelette and Zaiden saw their aunt walking towards them, their small hands gripped on their mother's dress, then hide at their back.

"Hi .." Daniela greeted her sisters-in-law.

"Okay ka lang ba, Rhein?" Avah asked.

"We are so sorry to what the kids have done to your computer and study room." Melanie butt in.

"No, ate. Ako nga dapat ang nagsosorry. I lost my temper, and it was unreasonable." Daniela admitted her mistake. "Angelette? Zaiden?" She called them, her knees were on the floor. And her arms are wide open, asking the kids to come to her.

"Go on, tita is calling you guys." Melanie shove the kids towards Daniela.

"It's okay, kids. Go to your tita." Avah commented.

Zaiden and Angelette take their gripped off their mother's dress. Then they walk slowly towards Daniela, still scared and unsure. When Daniela gets hold of the kids, she pulled them close and hug them tight.

"I'm so sorry, Angelette. I'm so sorry, Zaiden. Sorry kasi nagalit si tita at nasigawan kayo. I was just shocked, and quite disappointed. Will you forgive tita?" Her voice is calm, and pleading.

Zaiden as the sweet guy, he enclosed his warm and small palm on his aunt's face. Angelette did the same, her hands just above Zaiden's.

"We are really sowie, tita Rhein." Said the little guy. His mispronunciation of sorry made Melanie chuckle and Daniela smiled. That was the cutest word she ever heard.

"We love you, tita." Angelette stated and then she embraced her aunt. Zaiden hug Daniela as well.

Avah and Melanie look at each other, the smile on their faces shows genuine emotion. Watching their kids being so lovely and respectful will be their greatest achievement as a mother.

After the dinner, around eight in the evening, the couples with their kids bid their goodbyes. Visitation is over and they need to go back to their own home. Davien and Noah didn't knew what happened, everyone kept it as a secret because it is not necessary for them to find out. Hindi din naman nila gusto na lumayo ang loob ng dalawang lalaki sa bunso nilang kapatid because of petty things.

After watching the two family hop into their cars and speeding away, Daniela and her parents closed their gate and went back inside the house.

Pumunta si Daniela sa study room imbes na sa sarili nyang kwarto. She switch the lights on and saw the mess those kids have done. She walk near the window where a large curtain was hanging. Daniela collected the curtain and then tied it in one. When the curtain was tied, she saw the words on the wall that she had been protecting for two decades already.

The room was already renovated, painted multiple times, but she was able to save that one spot in the wall. But now, it's been covered with few lines.

She sigh, then she traced each letters on the wall. Daniela stand up and then grabbed her first aid kit. She pulled out the alcohol and a clean fabric. After soaking the fabric with alcohol, she rubbed the color pastel away from the mark of her past. When totally cleaned, she read the words for she think a million times already.

Written on the wall was:

Daniela

Love

Timothy