Concealed beauty

Chapter 3

Everything went back to normal.

Kinabukasan ay parang walang nangyari, tila ba nawala ang cancer ni Mommy. Daddy went back to work, may press conference siya ngayong araw, we were left alone in the house.

Hindi ko kayang tingnan sa mata si Mommy, I can't help but be disappointed of her.

How could she give up just like that?

Hindi ba kami sapat para ipaglaban niya? Iiwan niya na lang kami dito sa mundong 'to?

Calix told the family that he will decline the offer in England, but Mommy said not to create haste decisions, malay raw niya ay mag-iba ang ihip ng hangin at gusto niya na ulit mag-aral sa England.

I want to stay away from Mommy, gusto kong ipakita sa kaniya na galit ako pero hindi ko kaya.

Every single day, I am haunted in my sleep na baka pagkagising ko kinabukasan wala na akong nanay, how can this happen, I am only a decade old pero bakit ganito na ang problema ko?

"Anak turn the tv on, may press conference ang daddy mo, tawagin mo si Calix sa kwarto niya." I called Calix, after that bumaba na rin siya, nanonood kami ng tv, the interview is about daddy's successful movie, he is in New York right now for the interview, ito raw kasi ang unang Filipino movie na naging blockbuster hit sa US.

"Congratulations Aden for the success of your movie!" paunang bati ng host sa kaniya, they talked about random stuffs like his most memorable scene in the movie, how can he correlate his personality to the personality of the main character and such.

Tungkol kasi sa kahirapan ng bansa ang kwento ng palabas niya, how Diego, the main characters name, daddy's character, tried to climb to the society without education to back him up. Nagbebenta ng droga sa mayayamang mga businessman at minsan sa mga politiko, and at the end, he may have been successful but he realized that he was so driven to stay out of poverty he realized he was alone.

Aminin man o hindi, kaya sumikat ng todo ang palabas sa Pilipinas ay dahil gwapo ang bida. Habang mas sumikat naman ito dahil sobrang ganda ng takbo ng kwento at sa magaling na pagdeliver ng linya ng mga artista.

''You see Aden, I asked my producers if they could ask you a question what would it be, well they all ended up asking me the favor to ask you if you are single?" the host asked.

Napaikot naman ang mga mata ko, sikat na artista ang daddy, pero nag-invest naman ng malaking pera sina mommy para protektahan ang animosity ng pamilya namin, heiress kasi si mommy ng isang enpire na nanggaling pa sa ninuno nina mommy, habang si daddy naman nanggaling sa pamilya ng mga haciendero sa Spain. Which is why daddy promised to take us away from the spotlight.

"I am not single,'' daddy chuckled, nagkaroon naman ng aww na soundeffects, "I am happily married, with two kids." Daddy ended the statement there. The host laughed and told daddy that he broke many hearts tonight, then they proceeded with other questions.

"Yeah, he is happily married to me!" sigaw ni mommy sa screen sabay tawa.

Natawa naman kami sa sinabi ni mommy.

Three days passed at kababalik lang ni daddy galing New York, instead of going outside kagaya ng nakagawian ay napagdesisyonan naming pumarito na lang sa bahay.

Three days passed and mommy became more sick, napapansin na namin ang pagpayat niya lalo. Daddy decided to take a break, huling pakita niya sa media ay nung nasa New York pa siya.

"Mga anak," pinapunta kami ni daddy sa sala nung nakatulog na si mommy, "bukas na ang anniversary namin ng mommy niyo, it'll be our 15th anniversary, gusto ko tulongan niyo ako, I am planning on renewing our vows sa kung saan kami magpapakasal." he said.

"Daddy, that is so sweet! Sige payag ako, ano ba ang gagawin namin?" I said.

"Nakausap ko na ang pari na nagpakasal sa amin noon, napareserve ko na rin ang simbahan, I want the wedding to be very exclusive, kayong dalawa lang ang bisita namin, you see, everything is prepared, all I want you to do is to make your mom wear the dress I bought, and to make her come to the church, Callista will be the maid of honor and Calix will be my best man." we talked and planned kung anong gagawin bukas, babalik na sana kami ng mga kwarti namin ng biglang nagsalita si Daddy.

"I want this to be perfect, I planned to renew our vows on our 20th wedding anniversary, pero mukhang malabo na ata yun, I don't want to be pessimistic but then ilang linggo pa lang ang nakalipas simula nung nadiagnose ang mommy niyo pero napakalaki ng epekto na nun sa katawan niya. I am sorry mga anak, I can't change your mother's decision, ang sakit isipin na marami naman tayong pera para pagamutin siya pero wala namang magagawa yung pera natin. I am so sorry I failed you, I know it pains you seeing your mother getting weaker every day, it hurts me too, it kills me every single day. I am sorry for disappointing you kids, kaya nga gusto ko sa bawat araw na dadaanan it will all be memorable for you." I went to my father to give him a hug. I cried in his shoulder, yun lang ang ginawa ko, naramdaman ko na lang na sumiksik si Calix sa gilid ko at niyakap rin si daddy, I felt his shoulder shake beside me, then I heard him sob. It was the first time I saw Calix cry, mas lalo akong napaiyak.

We spent the night crying our hearts out, tomorrow will be a new day, another day with our mom.