Gorgeous

Challenge # 01

Punyeta

Cinderella's

Dad and mom were in the gazebo that Monday afternoon. I just came home from school and it was Eli who picked me up. Gusto ko sana si Daddy para aayain ko siyang sa mall at manood ng sine pero hindi naman siya ang sumundo sa akin. I told Eli about this, he asked me naman pero ayoko sa kanya ngayon kasi wala siyang pasalubong. I went to my parents. I kissed mom and then I sat with Dad. They were having their afternoon tea – as usual, nagpapaka-plastic na naman si Daddy kasi hindi naman talaga niya gusto ang tea, pero iniinom niya just to please mom – and I think that beautiful.

"How's school, Leona?" I rolled my eyes. Dad likes to call me by my second name. I am Leona – not to be mistaken by the coast.

"It's fine. Ay, Daddy! Mommy! Acquaintance party namin! Dahil wala si Belle, ikaw na lang ang sumama sa akin, Dad! You can be my date!" I clapped. I saw Mommy's reaction, napapailing siya habang nakangiti at nakatingin sa amin ni Dad. Dad made a face, he smirked after. Bakit feeling ko ayaw niya akong samahan?

"Kailan ba iyan?" He asked me.

"Ahhh! Next Saturday na po. Sa Subic Bay raw iyon, Daddy. Marami daw kasing yatch doon. Alam mo naman, bawal ngayon sa Manila Bay. Rehabilitation kasi."

"Bakit hindi na lang ikaw ang pumunta?" Mommy said. Napanguso ako. Tiningnan ko si Daddy.

"Bakit hindi niya ako sasamahan?" Tukoy ko sa Daddy ko.

"Anak, malaki ka na." Sabi pa ni Daddy. "We permitted Belle with her first party at seventeen, Ate Sam had a boyfriend when she turned nineteen, Ate Aurora dated Red when she was nineteen. You're nineteen, you can have your party. Plus, school naman iyon, it's legal." He sounded so sure. Humawak ako sa braso niya.

"Dadd! Remember, Bubut broke Ate Samsam's heart, sinaksak mo si Kuya Red, si Ate Belle na-rape!"

"Cinderella!" Pagbabawal ni Mommy.

"K. Sorry for the rape part. Pero Dadd sabi mo sasamahan moa ko sa lahat ng pupuntahan ko bakit ngayon ayaw mo akong samahan?"

"Kasi nga, anak, malaki ka na. And if you worry about those things you said that happened to your sisters, there is a big possibility that it will never happen to you."

"And why is that?"

"It's because you're a lion." Mommy said smiling. "We know you more than anything, Cindy, and we believe that you can be that lion, if you are to be placed in the wild."

Hindi ko sila maintindihan. Basta ang main point ng mga magulang ko, hindi na ako sasamahan ni Mommy at ni Daddy sa mga parties na pupuntahan ko. Ihahatid daw ako ni Daddy sa school, kung saan iyong bus na magdadala sa amin sa Subic tapos uuwi na siya. Hindi pa man ay binilinan nila akong mag-text every hour para alam nila ang nangyayari sa akin. It's so unfair, bakit ganoon?

Parang wala naman silang pakialam.

"Paano ako magte-text, wala akong phone? Diba nakwento ko naman iyong umapi sa akin, Daddy, Mommy, iyong boyfriend ni Rochelle – pero hindi taga-sexbomb?"

My parents laughed. Mayamaya ay nilabas ni Mommy ang box ng bagong Iphone X. Alam kong akin iyon pero parang ayokong tanggapin kasi gusto kong sumama si Dad sa akin sa party namin. It wouldn't be the same if his not there. Lagi ko siyang kasama sa lahat ng pinupuntahan ko – sa lahat ng school fieldtrios, school play, recitals, he's always there tapos ngayon biglang wala na lang.

Inaamin kong medyo masama ang loob ko. Dad put his arm around my shoulder.

"Oh, come on, Leona, cheer up. Hindi naman ibig sabihin na hinahayaan ka namin, hindi ka na namin love. Ikaw pa ba? Ikaw ang baby ko..."