Forgotten Daughter (LeAga & Sue Ramirez)

Chapter 3

" Amanda! Halika ka dito anak" the mother superior called her. She's playing with the kids.

"Sister bakit po?"

"Anak kilala mo naman diba si  Ma'am Lea Salonga?"

"Ay, opo sobra po."

"Sumama ka sa akin sa opisina may mga bagay lang na gusto sya malaman sa dun sa dating bahay ampunan na tinirhan nyo ni sister Teri."

"Ah! Sige po."

I'm wondering why Ms. Lea Salonga is interested about the old orphanage where I came from. I'm quite nervous too. I'm going to meet the Broadway diva. We all know that Ms. Lea is smart person. Baka ano masagot ko sa kanya. And if you guys wondering why I know how to speak in English kasi scholar po ako sa Ateneo kaya wag kayo mgtaka kung bakit ng eEnglish ako hahaha.

"Ma'am Lea, this is Amanda po sya po yung natitirang bata na galing po dun sa sinasabi nyong bahay ampunan."
The old nun introduced Amanda to Lea.

"Hello, po Miss Lea good afternoon po.Amanda said shyly

"Hello, Amanda diba ikaw yung painter ng forgotten daughter?" Lea asked Amanda and smile to her.

"Opo"

"Amanda, I have some questions for you ha? If you don't mind?"

"Sige po, kung alam ko po yung sagot wla po problema Hindi nyo naman siguro ako tatanungin ng math nuh?" Amanda asked Lea innocently

"Whahahahhaha! Hindi, don't worry." Lea find amanda funny.

"Amanda, ahm paano kayo napunta dito ni sister Teri?" Lea started to a ask her.

"Kasi po, nilipat kami dito kasama yung iba mga kasama ko. Sira sira na po kasi yung bahay amponan tapos wala na po masyado ng dodonate nun. Kaya ayun nakapa desisyon sila Sister Teri na lumipat dito para isa na lang daw mm po hung gastos dun."

"How many are you in the orphanage have same age as you."

"Were two, actually po we were only 10 na lang po dun ako at si Jane po ang mgka edad."

"Ahm  where Jane is right now?"

"She was adopted by the foreigner couple po, kasi they want to have daughter but older than their sons po. Napili nila si Jane kasi may lahi po sya parang Fil-Am po sya pero we don't if that's her real blood kami na lang dalawa ng assume na half american sya."

"Ahm Amanda if you don't mind can I ask you if sister Teri told you or Jane about your parents? Whom are they? Or where are they now?"

"Opo, Sister told us that Jane's mother is teenager that time and got pregmat by a foreigner. Lumayas daw po yung Mama ni Jane sa kanila at iniwan po sya sa bahay ampunan para IPA.ampon kasi hindi nya daw po mabubuhay si Jane."

"How about you?" Lea is trying to get more information about Amanda, she think that Amanda is her daughter. And that makes her feel more sad and guilty coz she knew how Amanda feel towards her parents.

"Ako po? Sabi lang po palagi sa akin ni sister na intayin ko lang daw balikan ako ng Mama ko. She said that she made a promise to my mother that she'll keep me and wait her to take me back. Kaya sabi nya hindi daw ako pwede ipa.ampon. Pero I think my mother forget me already maybe she have her own life na ngayon at masaya na sya kaya nakalimutan na nya ako." Amanda show lea a little smile on her face.

"Thank you Amanda yun lang at tsaka nga pala saan naka libing si sister Teri?"

Amanda give Lea the address and said her goodbye to her.

"Miss Lea I need to go na po. Malalate na po kasi ako sige po."

"Sige salamat."

********************

Im standing in front of the orphanage gate waiting for pedicab. A black Mercedes Benz car stop in front of me.

"Amanda? Where are you going?"

It's Miss Lea pala. "Ah, sa may Alabang po."

"Come on. Hop in. I can give you a ride."

"Ay huwag na po baka may ibang lakad pa po kayo."

"No, I insist I'm on my way to Alabang too so no worries."

"Ay sige po." Then I was confused where to sit if  in front seat beside manong driver or at the back seat beside her. Kaya natagalan ako sa pag pasok. Then suddenly she open the door at the back seat.

"Get in! Huwag ka nang mahiya."

Hehehe "thank you po." Yan lang nasabi ko.

"So what are you going to do in Alabang?"

"Raket po, hehehe rumaraket po kasi ako sa mga restaurant minsan waitress, minsan taga hugas ng pinngan at minsan po, ngpeperform din po ako." Nahihiyang sagot ko.

"Wow! Sipag mo naman. Why? For extra money? Or for what?"

"Hanap buhay ko po hehe. I need to have 3-5 jobs to sustained my needs po. Allowance, pang upa ng boarding house ko po at pagkain. Wala na po ako problema sa tuition fee at projects ko sagot na po kasi yun sa scholarship program ko. Hehehe"

"In one day you need to work 3-5 job and you study also how did you do that?" Lea asked her and that make her heart broke into pieces if Amanda is her daughter. She will never forgive herself of what she did to her own daughter. Lea's voice is cracking now.

"Hindi po kasi ganito po yan.  MWF may iba raket po ako yun po malaki po nakukuha ko dun at 1 hour po may 1000 na ako. Kaya hindi po masyado mabigat ang pagraraket ko kahita ng.aaral tapos eto TTHSS ko ito po yung pang savings ko para sa American Dream ko po hehehe"

"Bakit malaki yung MWF mo ano namang raket yun at American Dreams?" Lea is now controlling herself to cry if Amanda is her daughter she doesn't know how to feel na talaga.

"I have patients po, I'm a Physical Therapy graduate din po kasi and licensed Physical therapist na po ako. I have strokes patients po so yun po. Opo kasi gusto ko pumunta ng America para din mgtrabaho malaki po kasi kita ng mga PT dun hehehe"

"You're 20 right? Then fine arts is your second course? So how old are you when you started to study? Who sustained your studies?

"5 years old po ng grade one ako. Tinulungan po ako ni Sister Teri na makakuha ng Scholarship sa UP at dun napo ako ng Aral elementary til college. Thanks to my parents for the good genes hahahaha. At manong dito na nga po pala ako. Hehe salamat po Miss Lea sa libreng sakaya. Pasensya na po sobrang daldal ko hehe."

Amanda was surprised what Lea did. Lea hugged her so tight. Then she's wondering how she feel about it. It's like the hug that she's longing for. It feels like her mother hugging her.

"Sige Amanda take care." Lea let go Amanda

"Sige po bye po ulit." Amanda went out the car and waved to lea.

Amanda wag ka nga daydreaming pa et? She told it to herself coz she don't know why she felt it.