Jesse answered my question a few hours after I asked. Nakatanaw ako sa labas ng bintana sa kwarto ko, too invested in my musings to even get settled into bed, and that's when I saw it. A yellow butterfly circling around the window pane.
I closed my eyes and breathed heavily. Thank you, Bok.
-------------
Finally settling to Malacañang took longer than I expected. Hindi lang ayun pero mas nakakapagod pala. Still, masaya akong nandito ako ngayon, hindi lang dahil panalo ako pero dahil mas marami na ang magagawa ko para makatulong.
The day after we settled, I put the first executive order out as I have promised. Ang daming nabunyag kaya marami ring inasikaso. We started to mobilize the effective pandemic response the previous administration should've done noong umpisa pa lang.
I haven't seen Risa in at least 6 months. Naging busy rin kasi siya with the Senate. We texted occasionally, asking each other kung kumusta na ba kami and such. I treasured those small moments with her.
But now that the topic on divorce has been brought up after recent developments, I received a lot of criticism for my stance. Of course, well-accepted naman 'yun kasi trabaho kong pakinggan ang puna at hinaing ng taumbayan. And I knew no one else could help me form a decision regarding this issue than the principal author of the divorce bill herself, Senator Risa Hontiveros.
I set an appointment with her a week before para walang sagabal sa meeting namin. I want my time with her to be our time alone. Hindi lang dahil we'll be discussing an important matter pero dahil rin gusto ko siyang makita at makasama ulit.
Nasa condo ako ngayon kasi it's a Sunday and my girls and I treat the weekends as a time to return to the normalcy we once had.
Bukas, it's back to Malacañang for me again.
"Mama, may bibigay ako sa'yo." Jillian approached me sa couch and laid her head on my lap.
"Ikaw lang, Jill? Eh galing 'yan sa'ting tatlo." Tricia said as she stepped down the stairs.
"Ano ba 'yang ibibigay niyo sa akin?" I asked before they start bickering again.
Jillian handed me a lipstick. Kinuha ko sa kanya and noticed that it was darker than the usual colors I wore. Actually it was much darker kasi it was burgundy, like the shade of red wine.
"Ang dark nito. Kailan pa ako nag-dark lipstick?" I asked my children.
Lumabas si Aika from the bathroom and she replied,"Ma, for a change lang kaya naisip ka namin bigyan nyan. 'Lam mo 'yun para mas matapang lang 'yung look."
"True! Para fierce naman diba?" Jillian replied.
"Diba kasi sabi nila change is coming daw." Sabi naman ni Tricia.
We laughed at her remark, immediately getting the reference sa tagline ng former president.
"Jokes aside, Ma, you don't have to wear it all the time. Para lang when you want to look intimidating ganern. Try mo isuot tomorrow." Aika assured me.
"Okay. Thank you, mga anak. Ang sweet niyo naman." I replied, adoringly. Swerte ko lang talaga sa mga batang 'to.
We spent the rest of the night savoring the rest of the hours we had together bago kami bumalik sa mga trabaho namin.
-------------
My meeting with Risa is today. At isang understatement kapag sinabi kong kinakabahan ako. What has changed with Risa and I over the past months? Wala, pero ito ako, nababaliw na kasi hindi ko alam kung kabag ba 'to or excited lang talaga ako.
