ENSHROUDED

Bong

Bastard. Richard Hinolan was fated to be such.

His mother, Luisa Hinolan, feard the day that his son would ask her who his father was. She loathed him, her son’s father. It was a memory not deserving of recall.

“Nay, my classmate was fetched this afternoon by his Dad at school,” her son finally asked Luisa when he was in kindergarten. “What about my Dad? Do I have one?”

Damn! I never thought he would ask this early. “You have, Bong…” Shall I tell him that the son of a bitch is dead? “Uhmm…your father is…” No, he might get mad at me when he learns the truth. “…He’s just around.” Sighs.

“Around?” Bong said curiously.

“Uhoh...he’s just waiting for the right time…he’s shy you know…”

“Shy?”

“Yes, Bong. Some fathers are shy to show up to their children. They fear they might not look like the same with them.”

“His name?”

“His name is Jose.”

“Okay.” And the young Bong never asked his mother again.

Two years later, when Bong was about to enter Grade 1, he asked his mother again about his father.

“Nay, is my Tatay shy so much? I won’t be mad at him if we don’t look the same.”

Damn! He’s getting curious. But I’m not yet ready. “Uhmm…your father is…” If I tell him he’s a bastard, he might become his classmates’ laughing stock. “…Well…he’s uhmm…he’s a abroad-”

“Abroad?”

“YES. Sorry Bong, I wasn’t able to tell you earlier…I thought you wouldn’t understand…”

“But Nay, if Tatay is abroad, how come I don’t have chocolates and huge robots…just like Rey…his father is in Taiwan…”

Stupid child! Think Luisa…alibis…alibis… “You will have soon! Your father went to Dubai just last month…he might not be having his salary yet.”

“Yehey!” And Bong jumped liked he had won in a marble game.

The next month, Luisa’s salary was drained from buying Toblerones and original Transformer toys. Damn! For the sake of lying. But I have to do this…

She showed Bong a picture of his father for the first time. That picture belonged to her diseased relative.

Six years later, Bong finished his elementary education. He got to ribbons on their commencement exercises: Most Helpful and Boy Scout of the Year.

“Boy Scout of the Year, Richard Hinolan…” the emcee called. Bong went up the stage with his head turning from side to side. He was expecting his father. Where is he? Nanay said he would come and pin me the Boy Scout of the Year ribbon.

To Bong’s disappointment, it was his mother who went up the stage.

“Nay…where’s Tatay? I thought-”

“Bong…sorry…” Luisa explained as she pinned the ribbon. “The airplane was delayed…your father might not come…”

His special day was ruined.

Later that night Bong had no appetite when he and his mother were having a dinner at Nibble’s Snackhaus.

“Bong? Anak, what’s wrong? Finish your spaghetti…it’s getting late.”

Bong remained silent.

“Bong! Be happy…tis your graduation…” Luisa knew why her son was sad. She was trying to cheer him up without opening a topic about his father.