Rj became a constant visitor to Maine's home. He would often bring her home after work and eat dinner with the family until traffic subsided. He would help the boys with their homework or push Charm's wheelchair around the village for an after-dinner stroll. On some weekends, he would 'date' Maine without the kids, and on Sundays, they would go to Mass as a 'family' before having dinner out together. He was very much part of the family already that even Nanay and Tatay would look for him at family gatherings.
"Boys, Tito Rj is asking kelan ang summer break?" Maine asked. They were seated at the dining table
"Sa March 16 po, final exams na namin." Chino replied.
"Chip?"
"Pareho lang kay Kuya." Chippy replied.
"Okay. Ikaw Charm, what are your plans for the summer?"
"Wala naman po. I was thinking of maybe taking classes..."
"Really? That's good. What courses do you have in mind?"
"Hmm. Baking?"
"SIge Ate! Tapos i-benta natin yung cookies mo!" Chino encouraged Charm.
"We can look into them later, or tomorrow. Yung wheelchair accessible kitchens" Maine said.
Charm nodded and smiled.
The family noticed that Chippy, who was usually noisy and talkative, was very quiet.
"Are you okay, Chip?" Maine asked and reached over the table to touch Chippy's hand. "O, bakit nanlalamig ka? Are you okay?"
"Mommy" Chippy said in a soft voice.
Maine nodded and raised her eyebrows to acknowledge Chippy and signal that she would talk to him privately.
"Okay, so I'll tell Tito Rj about your schedules. He said he wanted to bring us somewhere for summer daw e."
"Out of town?" Charm asked.
"Ata. Ewan. Basta he asked for your plans, our schedules."
"Sana out of town" Chino said, hopeful.
Later on, Maine went to Chippy to tuck him in bed. Though he shared a room with Chino, Kuya was still outside finishing a school project he needed to submit the following day.
"Chip? What's the matter?" Maine asked as she sat by Chippy's side and ran her fingers through his hair, after tucking him in in bed.
"Mom. Mommy."
"Hmm?"
"Summer na. I'm eleven years old."
"Yes, Love."
"I'm..I'm scared."
"Scared?"
Chippy nodded as tears began to well in his eyes.
"Ah. Yes. It's time na. We talked about it, matagal na, diba?" Maine put her hand on Chippy's face.
Chippy nodded. Maine wiped his tears with her thumb. "Don't worry, Mommy will be with you."
"Pwede bang si Tito Rj nalang?" Chippy said aftera long pause.
"Tito Rj?"
"Si Tito Rj nalang ang sasama sa akin? Kasi. Kasi boy din sya."
"Ah. Okay. Sasabihin ko sa kanya."
Chippy nodded.
"O sleep ka na. Don't worry about it too much, okay? You're going to be fine."
Chippy nodded one more time and turned to his side. Maine bent down and kissed Chippy on the cheek whispering, "My brave boy. Big boy ka na."
"..the boys' last day of school is on March 16th.." Maine told Rj when they talked during their nightly video chats.
"March 16th" Rj wrote in his notebook.
"Yes. Tapos, si Charm, gusto daw matuto magbake...ibebenta daw ni Chino.."
"Haha! O sige ba! Hanap tayo cooking school para kay Charm. Businessman talaga si Chino, no?"
"Oo..nag-iisip na nga ng packaging at kung saan daw ibebenta" Maine shared.
"Cool! Eh si Chippy?"
"Taga-tikim daw sya nung cookies"
"Ahh...hati kami!" Rj chuckled.
"Sabi ko nga e. Sabi nya, ang takaw mo daw. Inubos mo daw yung cake na bigay ni Tita. Wala daw natira sabi ni Manang."
"Hehe. Sorry na. Masarap talaga e."
"Uhm. Speaking of Chippy.."
"Ano?"
"Samahan mo daw sya."
"Saan?"
"Summer na e. Plano ni Nic nun, ipatuli si Chippy pagtungtong nya ng 11 years old."
"Ah. So hindi pa sya.."
"Hindi. Gusto nya ikaw ang sasama kasi boy ka rin daw."
"Asus! Okay! No problem" Rj smiled.
"Teka lang, ano ba ang plano mo for summer at tinatanong mo ang schedule nung mga bata?"
"Diba nililigawan pa rin kita?"
"O"
"At di mo pa ako sinasagot"
"Aaand?"
"Sabi mo, kailangan pagsilbihan kita muna bago mo ako sagutin."
"Hmm.."
"I want to bring you, the kids, and your parents, isama mo na rin sina Janessa at Manang, to my farm in Batangas."
"Farm?"
"Yes. In Batangas. Mga 3 hours lang from Manila."
"I have a house there. Kumpleto. It's a 3 bedroom, 3 bath house with a swimming pool. It's air conditioned pero, kung mag-isa lang ako, okay na naka-kulambo lang ako at electric fan. There's a room downstairs for Charm and a separate servant's quarters near the kitchen."
"Wait. You have a farm?"
"Yes. And I want to show you yung 'pagsisilbi' ko. Nagppractice na ako magsibak ng kahoy.."
"Talaga lang, ha?" Maine chuckled, raising her eyebrow.
"I'm serious!"
"Fine. Pero wow! You have a farm.." Maine repeated. She still could not believe what Rj was saying,
"Yes, and it will be yours, too... soon" Rj smiled.
