It was so late at nigh yet the streets of Bonifacio High Street just started to gain it's life. Nagsimula ng mapuno ang mga parking lot, umingay na ang paligid dala ng mga nagtutugtugang DJ sa mga kabubukas pa lang na bar.
Bridge was there, trying to cope up. She was so tired from two of her part time jobs but she had to do another one if she wants to be enrolled by the coming semester.
Patatlong taon niya na sa Law School. One sem after the other because her tuition fee is riddiculously expensive. She was one hell of a student, on top of her class. The University offered her a scholarahip but that would mean she have to study full time. Sadly, she can't afford to do that.
Mag-isa niyang itinataguyod ang sarili kahit pa nagsimula na sanang umunlad ang buhay. Two years ago, her mom luckily found a job overseas. She was hired to work as a housekeeper at some expensive hotel in Canada, Quebec to be exact.
Dalawa lang sila ng ina sa buhay magmula ng iwan sila ng ama noong sampung taong gulang siya. Mayaman ang tatay niya, kahilera ng mga Ayala, mula sa isa sa pinakamayamang pamilya sa buong bansa. Anak ng kasambahay ang nanay niya na nakilala nito sa paninilbihan roon.
As far as she knew, they were good friends, best friends to be exact until one drunken night, they had a one night stand. Her mom was seventeen when she got pregnant. Galit na galit ang lola niya noon, pero nakumbinsi ito ng tatay niya na itago na muna ang lahat sa pangakong hindi sila nito pababayaan. Her dad manage to support them with his allowance. Not long after, he graduated from college and was trained for a possition in their company. Her mother couldn't ask for more, she loved him with all her heart and she was contented with anything he could afford.
Bridgette's grand mother would always say she's the most beautiful thing that came out of her mother's stupid love for his father because it was never reciprocated after all.
Bridgette was ten when her dad's father knew about the family he was hidding, he made her dad choose between them and all the money and priviledges that comes with his surname, her dad choose the later. After that, she never saw him again, well if the society magazines isn't counted.
After her dad left, her mom showered her with all the love in the world. Kahit mahirap ang buhay, hindi siya naging mag-isa kahit na kailan. Kahit pa marami silang naging utang para sa placement fees nito at sa pag-aayos ng papeles papuntang Canada, hindi ito nakalimot na unahin siya. She saved all the money her mother gave her and used it to enroll to Law School. She can never forget the joy in her mother's eyes when she mention that someday, she'll become Attorney Bridgette Araneta.
But just six months ago, her mother found love again. A hotel guest in the name of Aaron Smith. She met the guy a few times through snap chat. Her mom seems so happy, there's a spark in her eyes everytime she talks about the guy, it was magical. She can't help to realize it's been a really long time since she saw her so happy like that.
Wala siyang naging pag-aalinlangan. Mr. Smith, or as he preffered her to call him, Uncle Aaron seems to be a really nice guy. May dalawa itong anak. Ikinabahala niya iyon noong una dahil teen ager daw ang dalawa. Lalaki ang panganay at babae ang bunso. She knows how rebellious teen agers could be, pero parehong magalang ang mga ito at mainit ang naging pag tanggap sa nanay niya. Nakilala niya ang mga ito thru video chat. Maayos ang mga itong nakisalakuha sa kaniya at mukhang genuine naman iyon. The man also helped her mother paid all the balance from the debt they had for placement fees and such.
Pinatigil din nito ang ina sa pagtatrabaho. Nangako ang nanay niya na tutulungan pa rin siya sa tuition fee sa law school pero sinugurado niya ditong kaya na niya iyon. Sapat na sapat na sa kaniyang maayos ang kalagayan ng ina at masaya ito. Hindi siya nito kailangang sustentuhan kung manggagaling lang din kay Uncle Aaron ang pang-tustos. Hindi siya kailanman naging kumportableng magkaroon ng utang na loob. Pinadadalhan pa rin naman siya ng ina buwan-buwan kahit hindi kalakihan na siya niyang ipinangbabayad sa bills gaya ng kuryente, tubig at kung anu-ano pa. Malaking tulong na rin iyon sa kaniya.
