Written Reality

1: Who Is She?

Who is Maria Leonor "Leni" Gerona Robredo?

Ask that question to any person and you would probably get the most obvious answers.

"The 14th Vice President of the Philippines."

"A long-time human rights lawyer, social activist, an economist, and probably the one that got away."

"Our hope— a symbol of hope."

"Lugaw."

"Mahal ko."

But there's one thing people doesn't know or won't even expect her to do during her idle time— that Leni is an anonymous writer on a social storytelling platform.

People might already read her recent posted articles that were related to her trips abroad or just a simple piece about economy. Obviously, she loves to write— to express her feelings, thoughts, and her insights. But this time, how about to express her love for someone?

You might be wondering what kind of story she writes on a storytelling platform, exactly?

Their story.

The story of how she first met her.

How they fell inlove in the middle of fighting beside each other, for the better future of their country.

The real story behind those photos and probably those moments when they reposted lenrisa fanarts on their instagram stories.

And how they almost broke up.

—

Leni is looking down at the laptop on her lap, she minimizes the browser and opens up her saved word file— not to edit a report or an article that would probably be published to a news website, but the story of a widowed vice president and a widowed senator that fought dragons and fell inlove with each other along the way.

Her smile is too wide as she starts on the scene where she read a placard during their 2022 campaign.

Leni. Lawyer. Ekonomista. Naninidigan. I love you, Sen Risa.

Her fingers started to tap the keyboard keys, turning the scene in her head into group of letters, forming sentences that make up paragraphs that depicts their actions and feelings in her head.

The exact moment plays in her head as she writes the reaction of the other woman that day— based on the videos that she watched on Twitter.

That LenRisa thing is not new to the both of them, they are fully aware that there are a lot of people supporting or even shipping (based on millenial's term) them to be together. Not in a sense that they like Risa as Leni's Vice Presidential candidate but in a sense that Risa should be Leni's partner in life— in general.

"Kababaihan para sa kakabaihan. Hashtag LenRisa," said Leni and giggling as she types the word on her laptop keyboard.

At first, they tried to avoid each other to not give more reasons for people to speculate and overthink their interactions during the campaign trail.

But how could they do that if they are madly and deeply inlove with each other to the point that even drone shots could capture their secret gazes with each other?

"A quick peck on your cheek while I'm greeting you on stage won't hurt naman siguro, darling."

"Love, as much as I want and enjoy you kissing me on the cheeks in front of many people pero we have to be careful. We can't always count on the women empowerment and close friends as an excuse why we're so close."

"At saka, ikaw na nagsabi na madami pa tayong kailangang gawin na trabaho. 'Diba?"

"Eh ang cute mo kasi tapos kinakantahan mo pa 'ko."

—

But just like what people say; if you can't beat them, join them and that's when Leni decided to write the real story behind closed doors— as if to say it's for them to decide if they are reading the real story or just a fictional story.

It's about time for them to know about the things they do when they are alone at the backstage waiting for their turn to speak, at OVP or at Risa's office at the Senate or the real meaning why during one of Leni's OVP budget hearing, one senator had said, "We thank the Vice President for coming here herself. We only see you once a year although Risa sees you more frequently."

Risa leans her head on Leni's shoulder and asked, "You're writing about us, are you? Ayusin mo ah baka you wrote na I'm the one who's patay na patay sa'yo."

"Ikaw naman talaga. Conyo," Leni chuckles.

After all, if they can't still tell the world about them. The least they could do is to tell it through a story that is disguised as a fictional story, right?