Since that night sa beach with Risa, I found myself constantly thinking about her. Syempre hindi naman mawawala sa isip ko 'yung mga kailangan kong gawin at sabihin for that day, but at the back of my mind, there's the thought of her.
Kumain na ba siya? How is she doing? Will she be with me tonight sa rally?
Sa totoo lang, hindi ko na rin naiintindihan 'yung nangyayari sa'kin. But I'm starting to seek her presence more often. Mas hinahanap-hanap ko 'yung comfort and energy na dala niya tuwing nandito siya.
"VP, nagpadala po si Sen. Risa ng representative niya for tonight kasi may prior engagements po siya," Bryce introduced Risa's representative.
I greeted the girl with a smile on my face pero deep inside, medyo malungkot ako na hindi namin kasama si Risa ngayong gabi. I opened my phone and decided to send her a message: "You won't be with us tonight pala. Saan ang ganap mo?"
To my surprise, she replied instantly. "Yeah :( I was invited as a speaker sa isang event tonight sa Quezon. I think they're endorsing me rin."
"Okay, good luck and ingat ka! Sana makasama ka sa next rally :)"
"Bawi ako, promise. See you and take care!"
I reacted to her message with a heart and I couldn't stop myself from grinning. Babawi naman raw pala siya eh.
True to her word, she was present at our next rally.
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Risa won't be around again tonight pero she informed me beforehand kasi ang magrerepresent pala sa kanya is her daughter, Sinta. I'm also quite close with her children the same way that she is with mine. Pero I'm closer to Sinta than her other kids kasi Risa often brought her during the 2016 campaigns.
Sinta and I didn't get to interact before the rally started kasi nanggaling pa ako sa ibang place but once I sat down onstage after another grand entrance, she approached me and took my hand para magmano.
"Hi, Tita VP!"
"Sinta! Kumusta? Ang galing mo kanina."
"Thank you po, Tita! I'm okay naman po."
"Buti naman. Don't hesitate to come to me kapag may problem ha? Na-brief ka naman about what to do and where to go after the program?"
"Opo, nasabihan naman po ako. I'll be fine, don't worry po."
"Good. Let's talk again after the rally, okay?"
She nodded and went back to her seat.
The rally ended and I kept a close eye on Sinta. I felt a sense of responsibility sa kanya, as I feel with everyone here, pero iba 'to kasi she's Risa's kid. I watched her interact with fans and I can't help but see Risa in her. Para silang pinagbiyak na bunga.
Once we were backstage, Sinta and I immediately fell into conversation. She told me about school, her siblings, and many other things.
Before I fell asleep, I received a message from Risa. "Sinta said she had fun tonight sa rally and in catching up with you. Thank you for looking out for her. See you tomorrow."
I slept soundly with thoughts of Risa flooding my mind.
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Monday
"Pupunta ba si Sen. Risa mamaya?" I asked Bryce who was busy arranging paperwork beside me.
"Opo ata. Wala naman po silang nasabi na nagpadala ng representative si Sen or anything po." He replied.
