Rewind

Chapter One: A Sudden Downpour

A cold and rainy September morning was what greeted me when I woke up, the opposite of what kind of weather I was expecting today. I never really liked rainy days. Or there was a time that I used to, but that was when I was very young. The continuous downpour of water, the sky that was a dull shade of gray, and the sudden claps of thunder made me feel more vulnerable than I ever did. I don't think there's anything to look forward to now.

I know, I'm such a pessimist, but that's the truth.

I nearly forgot to introduce myself. My name is Brianna Nicole Salonga-Muhlach, but everyone else calls me Brie. I'm just a few days shy of my fourteenth birthday. And, if you were wondering, yes, I am the only child of Lea Salonga and Aga Muhlach, two show business royalties who took the country by storm with their hit romantic films.

I do think that I'm very lucky and blessed to have them as my parents. We used to stay in during heavy thunderstorms and watch Disney movies while stuffing popcorn into our mouths. Mommy and I would sing together before we went to bed, with Daddy listening to us from the corner of the room, his head buried in a book (Mommy just hates it when Daddy sings, that's why he remains silent whenever Mommy and I began to sing). On the other hand, summer meant vacations to New York, where the three of us would watch a show currently playing on Broadway...

Well, would you look at that. In an instant a flurry of memories entered my head and I couldn't stop speaking about them now. But, you couldn't blame me for that. 

They'll always be just memories and remain as they are. 

I closed my eyes for a moment and recalled what happened exactly five years ago. I remember that day too well.

--

As I was seated on the living room couch reading a book, I heard some footsteps. I rose my head to see Mommy descending the stairs with her travel bags. I thought that she was leaving because she was going to perform together with a couple of celebrities in some other foreign country, but when I saw tears in her eyes, I knew it was something else.

I ran up to her and asked, "Mommy, why are you crying? Did Daddy sing again? I know you hate it when Daddy sings. Was he annoying you?"

Mommy just shook her head.

"Then why, Mommy? Did Daddy do something bad??

She sighed and placed her hand on my cheek. "It's nothing, sweetheart. Don't worry about me."

I didn't bother asking her about that anymore as I didn't want to make the situation worse.

"Why do you have your bags with you, Mommy?" 

"Mommy's just taking a quick trip to New York, sweetie. A vacation of sorts. I'll be back before you know it. You'll take care of yourself, will you?"

I nodded and then gave her a very big hug, then began to sing:

"The sun will come out tomorrow, so you gotta hang on till tomorrow, come what may..."

Mommy joined in although she was still crying.

"Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow

You're always a day away

Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow

You're always a day away..."

"You know that I love you so much, Brianna. Please, please do take care of yourself. Mommy loves you no matter what," she whispered.

"I love you, too, Mommy," I replied. "I love you so, so much. I'll miss you really bad. Take care, too!"

Mommy broke away from the hug and headed to the direction of the door. 

"Wait!" I screamed.

She stopped walking and turned back. "What is it, Brie?"

I ran up to my room, grabbed my favorite stuffed doll, Sally, and went down again. I handed her over to Mommy.

"But Sally's your favorite doll..." 

"I know, Mommy, but I want you to keep her. Whenever you're sad and if you miss hugging me, just give Sally a hug. I hope she'll remind you of me while you're away."

Mommy pulled me close to her and gave me another hug.

"That's very sweet of you, darling. I really, really, really love you," she said and gave me a kiss on the forehead.

"Now, Mommy's going to be late for her flight already. I really have to go."

"Alright, Mommy. Bye! I'll miss you! I love you!"

She smiled at me and finally went out the door. And just moments after she left, it began to rain.

That was the last time I ever spoke to Mommy. She never returned or at least called. But I waited for her to come back.

--

I opened my eyes to find myself crying again. I cried because that day kept on haunting me. I cried because I missed Mommy too much. I cried because I wanted to have a complete and happy family again. I cried because Mommy never told me why she left. I simply cried for many reasons.

Then came a knock on the door.

"Brianna? Are you up, darling? Breakfast is ready."

It was Daddy.

I took a deep breath, and, regaining my composure, replied, "Yeah, Daddy. I'm coming down in a minute."

I showered quickly and got dressed in my white jeans, a long-sleeved royal blue shirt, and black ballet flats. 

Breakfast was already being served when I went down. At that moment, my jaw dropped.

I saw a tall figure dressed in a white long-sleeved polo, slacks, and black shoes. An apron was tied securely on his outfit.

"Hello, sweetheart! Our household keeper took a day-off today, so I decided to make breakfast," Daddy said with a smile. He was holding a pan in one hand and two plates in another.

Oh, no. Daddy cooking breakfast, or just him cooking anything in general, spells disaster. I loved Daddy, but the thing is, he's not the best cook in town.

"Um, sure, Daddy. What's cooking?"

He laid out plates of slightly burnt bacon, not-so-well-done eggs, and severely burnt toast on the table. As if his cooking wasn't terrifying enough. Good Lord.

Being the kind and understanding and loving daughter that I am, I still ate my breakfast, although I was pretty certain that my stomach was already screaming for help. I grinned at Daddy, telling him that the food was alright. I didn't have the heart to tell him that the food was terrible. He's still my dad, after all.

"So, you've got any plans for today, Brie?" Daddy asked. His head was buried in the newspaper he was reading.

"Well, I'm off to my friend Melissa's house to work on a project for Biology class, and...that's about it, I guess. Her house is just a couple of blocks away from ours. "

"Okay. Would you like me to drop you off there? I'm having a meeting with some ABS-CBN executives about my upcoming movie."

"Considering that it's rainy today, sure."

We stood up from our seats and grabbed an umbrella huge enough for the both of us. 

"Daddy, you miss Mommy, do you?" I asked as I took my seat inside the car.

He let out a soft chuckle. "The past is in the past, sweetheart. It's been five years since she left us. I've moved on."

I didn't believe him. He barely made mention of her in our daily conversations but I knew he still loved Mommy deep down inside. I knew he wanted her to come back. I could just feel it.

All I have to know now is why she left and why he let her go.