Wanted: Not so Perfect Daddy

Are you the one? Do you have what it takes to be my not so perfect daddy?

~~~~~

"I want my daddy," lumuluhang sambit ni Astrum Orion, ang limang taong gulang na anak ni Maria Zephyrine.

She doesn't know why he suddenly wanted his daddy. Noon nama'y okay lang dito na silang dalawa lang.

"Sweetie, your dad's with the stars now. I've been telling you that for so long already," she said calmly as she gently cupped her son's cheeks.

"But mommy, when will he ever get down and be with us? My teacher told us that some stars fall and they are called falling stars. Won't my daddy fall with them?" Astrum asked innocently as tears fell from his ocean blue eyes. "I miss him, Mom. I didn't even get to meet my daddy. He won't even get to see me grow."

Zephyrine's heart clenched in pain. From the start, she knew that this day would come. Alam niyang kahit noon pa ma'y k-in-uwento na niya sa anak na wala na ang daddy nito bago pa man siya ipinanganak, darating pa rin ang araw na hahanap-hanapin ng paslit ang ama nito.

At heto nga't dumating na rin ang araw na iyon-ang araw na kinatatakutan niya.

"Astrum, baby, listen. Daddy's still busy putting up all the stars in the sky, okay? But as soon as he finished placing all the stars in the sky, he'll be back, I promise."

"Really, mommy?" Astrum's face suddenly lit up and he finally smiled. "Yehey!"

"Yeah, sweetie," Zephyrine said and sighed.

Ilang beses pa ba niyang lolokohin ang anak niya?

How many times does she have to tell lies and make up stories for him just to stop asking about him?

Ilang beses pa rin bang aasa ang puso niya sa lalaking tulad ng mga bituin sa kalangitan ay milya-milya ang layo sa kanila?