Leni was still dumbfounded even though they are already home. She still can't get over about what happened and she thinks that she needs to talk to her daughters about it.
Aika observed that her mom isn't herself since the moment that they left the venue for Risa's engagement party so she ran to her.
"Ma, are you okay?" Aika asked
"Not really." she replied
"Is there something wrong?" Aika asked again
"Maybe? Aiks, pakisabi sa mga kapatid mo na after nila mag-ready at magbihis, diretso kayo sa room ko kasi doon kayo matutulog lahat." Leni said
"Sige po." Aika replied
Then she left Leni and went to her sisters and relayed their mom's instructions to them.
After preparing and changing their clothes, they all went to Leni's room and found her sitting on her bed.
"Hi ma!" they all greeted Leni and sat down beside her
"I need to talk to all of you, mga anak." Leni said
"Tungkol po saan?" Tricia asked
"About yata sa health ng heart niya." Jorge replied
"Oh my god ma, may sakit ka sa puso?" Jillian worriedly asked
"Kailangan bang operahan? Ano po sabi ng doktor?" Aika asked
"Hindi naman kasi sakit sa puso na karamdaman. State ng heart niya, as in love. Ganun." Jorge replied and her sisters looked at her confused
"May alam ka tungkol sa lovelife ni mama tapos kami, wala?" Jillian asked
"Opo kasi ako lagi niyang kasama at very observant ako." she replied
The three other girls turned to Leni and Aika asked
"Ma, is this about tito Kit?"
Then Jillian added
"Is he courting you?"
And Tricia butted in
"Ma, you know my stand about you being in a relationship again."
Leni raised her right hand as a sign for her daughters to stop asking questions.
"Pakinggan niyo muna ako, okay?" Leni asked and her daughters became silent
"Unang-una, hindi ito tungkol kay Kit. Pangalawa, hindi niya ako nililigawan at mag-best friends lang kami. Lastly, Trish, alam ko kung ano ang stand mo regarding sa pagiging in a relationship ko ulit pero wala kang dapat ipag-alala." she continued
"Ma, naguguluhan ako." Aika said
"Di ko rin gets." Jillian added
"Ako rin. In a relationship ka pero hindi kami dapat mag-alala?" Tricia also added
"Ako, hindi ako nagugulahan. Gets ko lahat." Jorge replied
"Bunso, hindi ka naguguluhan kasi alam mo lahat." Aika told Jorge
"Diba sabi ko pakinggan niyo muna ako?" Leni asked and her daughters went silent
Her daughters looked at her and listened attentively.
"Hindi ako in a relationship. Im in love pero she can't be mine. Ikakasal na siya sa iba." Leni said
When Leni paused, her daughters butted in again.
"She?!" Aika, Tricia and Jillian simultaneously exclaimed
"Ikakasal?" Tricia asked
"Ma, in love ka sa babae?" Jillian added
"Ma, bading ka rin kagaya namin ni Jorge?" Aika asked
"Oo." Jorge replied and her sisters looked at her with eyes widened
"Ito na. Iku-kuwento ko na." Leni said
"Nakilala ko siya noong kasagsagan ng EDSA 1, 36 years ago. Graduating student ako noon sa UP and she was a 3rd year student at Ateneo. Sa 3 days na rebolusyon na yun, magkasama kami at hindi ko namalayan na unti-unti na pala akong nahuhulog sa kanya. Doon ko lang na-realize na mahal ko na pala siya noong huling nagtagpo ang aming mga mata pero pagkatapos noon, hindi na kami nagkita. Nagtapos ako sa UP, umuwi sa Naga at nag-trabaho sa BRBDP at ikinasal kami ng papa niyo in less than a year. Nagkita kami ulit noong mayor na ang papa ninyo sa Naga dahil taga Naga rin ang kanyang napangasawa pero namatay ang asawa niya, si Frank kaya na-biyuda siya. 7 years after mamatay ni Frank, nawala rin ang papa ninyo. Sa loob ng 36 years na yun, minahal ko siya pero natabunan lang iyon ng pagmamahal ko sa papa ninyo." Leni told them
"Mahal ko si Risa." she continued
Aika, Tricia and Jillian's jaws dropped upon hearing their mom's confession.
"So, hindi pala si papa ang una mong minahal?" Tricia asked
"I'm sorry anak, hindi pero gusto kong malaman ninyo na minahal ko nang totoo ang papa ninyo." Leni said
"Alam namin ma. Pero alam po ba ni papa?" Aika asked
"Alam ni papa ang tungkol kay Risa at tinanggap niya ako. Tinanggap niya ang buo kong pagkatao pero sa loob ng 36 years, hindi alam ni Risa yun." she replied
"Ano po ang sabi ni papa?" Jillian asked
"Bago niya ibinaba ang telepono noong huli kaming nag-usap bago bumagsak ang eroplanong sinakyan niya, sabi niya sa akin na kapag wala na raw siya, hanapin ko raw si Risa at sabihin sa kanya ang nararamdaman ko." she replied
"Ano po ang sabi niyo?" Jorge asked
"Sabi ko na there is no need kasi I have had enough love from him to last me a lifetime." she answered
"Ano po sabi niya?" Aika asked
"Sabi niya, it is true that I have had enough love from him to last me a lifetime but he wants me to experience love that would last me a lifetime for the second time around." she replied
Her daughters became speechless and they could not find the words to say.
After a few moments of silence, Tricia was able to ask a question.
"Pero bakit hindi niyo po sinabi sa kanya yung nararamdaman niyo? Nagkasama na po kayo noong 2013 tapos naging close kayo noong 2016 hanggang ngayon?"
"Hindi ko nasabi sa kanya dahil natakot ako. Natakot ako na hindi kami pareho nang nararamdaman para sa isa't isa." she replied
"At ngayon? Ma, alam ko na nag-confess sa'yo si Mama Risa dahil narinig ko iyon noong Labor Day Event sa Araneta." Jorge asked
"Nandoon ka?"Leni asked
"Nakabalik na po ako nun from Starbucks and hindi po ako pumasok kaya nakinig po ako sa usapan ninyo. Sorry." Jorge replied
"It's okay. Huwag mo nang alalahanin iyon. Noong araw na sinabi ni Risa na may nararamdaman siya sa'kin, sasabihin ko na rin sana sa kanya kaso bigla niyang sinabi na ikakasal na siya." Leni told them
"At yun po ang dahilan kung bakit hindi na ninyo sinabi sa kanya?" Aika asked
"Ang totoo, mga anak, sinabi ko na sa kanya kanina." she replied and all her daughters looked at her with shock
"Ano po nangyari?" Tricia asked
"Hindi siya sumagot. Nag-sorry lang siya dahil nasaktan ako pero ang totoo, ako yung dahilan kung bakit ako nasasaktan ngayon pero –" Leni replied and paused
"Pero ano?" her daughters asked
"Pero we kissed. A soft but passionate kiss kaya nararamdaman ko na mahal din ako ni Risa." Leni replied
"Then why don't you ask her?" Jillian asked
"Ayokong masira ang buhay niya. Masaya siya kay Jomari kaya kailangan ko rin maging masaya para sa kanya kahit masakit ito para sa akin." she replied
"Maybe, in another lifetime ma?" Jorge asked
"Maybe but in this lifetime, she is the one that got away." Leni replied
Then they all moved towards their mom and embraced her.
YOU ARE READING
I CHOOSE YOU (sequel of The Fourth Robredo Daughter)
Fanfiction"May it be here or in another lifetime, I will always choose you." Published: July 2, 2022 ~~~~~~~~ DISCLAIMER: This story was written out of the writer's wide imagination. Names of people dead or alive were used for this story but it does not refle...
