"If tomorrow comes and I forget about this, and I forget about you, will you still love me?"
Yesterday. Love. Nothing else matters to Lee Gabriel than Odyssey Lee. If love was a manifestation, iyon ay ang pag-ibig ni Lee. At unti-unti rin yong naram...
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August 16, 2014
"Happy birthday! Happy birthday! Happy birthday to you!" Sabay-sabay ang pagkanta ng mga matatanda at iba pang mga care-givers and nurses kay Lee na ngayon ay nagdiriwang ng kanyang ika-18 taong kaarawan.
They're inside the plaza where the usual activities of the elderlies are held. Nasa loob lang din 'yun ng Dela Cerna Aged Care Nursing Facility at palaging pinagdadausan ng mga okasyon, pero ito yata ang unang beses na may nagdiwang doon taga-labas at hindi isang naka-admit.
Maya-maya, lumapit ang mga ibang matatanda at nagbigay sa kanya ng mga simpleng regalo. She received some boxed cookies. Ang iba naman ay mga maliit na laruan, just from their stores.
Tinanggap ni Lee lahat ng 'yun pwera na lang sa sobre na ibinibigay ng isang matandang lalaki.
"Hindi po, sir." Ibinalik niya ito sa kamay ng lalaki at umiling. "Salamat po.
Lumapit na lang si Lee sa kanyang ina para halikan ito.
"Batiin mo ako ma, it's my birthday." She whispered. Nakangiti lang ito habang kinakantahan siya ng lahat kanina. Kristina looks happy, but it was an empty smile.
"Happy birthday!" Sumunod naman ito kay Lee.
"Eh... Kilala mo ba ako?" She playfully asked.
"I-ikaw 'yung may birthday!"
"Tama... Tama naman." Hinagkan niya ang mommy niya. She would always remind her that she is her daughter, but right now she wouldn't push it. As long as her mother's fine, she will be, too.
As she steps into adulthood, Lee vows to be more mature than she already is. That although there will be more heartbreaks and tears every time her mom forgets who she is, she commits to give more understanding. More empathy. And less moping. Especially now that she's the only person her mom is holding on to.
She can only look forward and wish for the best. That even though it will be especially hard, being of age will help her, even at least psychologically, be strong enough to be a breadwinner.
Pero kahit pa naman noon, these two years were survived by the thought of Odyssey. Siya nga, he did manage to provide for his younger brother and for himself even before high school. She had only these kinds of thought for the couple of years she has been living for herself. Kahit alam niyang hindi niya mapapantayan 'yun.
Because she can't anymore study.
Hindi niya kaya ang ginagawa dati ni Odi. Dahil bukod sa napakamahal ng matrikula ng kolehiyo, her mom's fees for the nursing home, and also for the medicine were sky high.
Hindi pa nga sapat 'yung kinikita niya sa mga reflexology services ng mga matatanda, pati na rin sa mga ibang sine-service-an niya sa labas. Kaya malaking pasasalamat niya na tinutulungan pa rin siya ni Aldrin at ng pamilya nito.
