The first time I had laid my eyes on her she was wearing a tiara and a pair of pink wings. It was a Saturday morning and I was playing by myself in front of our house when she arrived.
"Hi!" she had happily greeted.
"Hello, prinsesa!"
"Hindi ako isang prinsesa."
"Eh, ano ka? Bakit meron kang korona?" I had asked.
"Fairy godmother mo ako."
"Ano 'yun?"
"Fairy godmother, 'yung tumulong kay Cinderella?"
"Hindi naman ako si Cinderella, eh."
"Malamang kasi lalaki ka. Anong pangalan mo pala?"
"Ako si Isiah. Ikaw?"
"Sophia. O, sige na, lumuhod ka na sa harap ko."
"Ha?" I had asked in confusion.
"Ang sabi ko ay lumuhod ka sa harap ko."
"Bakit?"
"Para ipakita na tinatanggap mo ako bilang fairy godmother mo."
"Bakit?"
"Ay, ayaw mo?" she had sounded so disappointed that I immediately heeded her instruction and dropped to my knees. "'Ayan!" she had said clapping her hands before putting the end of her wand on top of my head. "Simula ngayon ay ako na ang fairy godmother mo at magmula sa araw na 'to ay tutuparin ko ang mga wishes mo—bakit ka ba tumatawa?"
"Wala naman kasi akong wish."
"Bakit naman?"
"Lahat naman ng gusto ko ibinibigay ng Mommy ko."
"Eh, 'di mabuti wala na akong gagawin," she had cheekily replied.
"Ia! Sophia!" a woman had called her name out. "Oh, my God, anak, what are you doing? Why is that little boy kneeling?"
"Hi, Mommy! His name is Isaiah and I am his fairy godmother!" she had chirpily replied.
"Naku, naku, don't make him kneel, Anak," her mother had said helping me to my feet.
"Bakit po, Mommy?"
"You shouldn't be asking people to kneel in front of you."
"Why, Mommy, when I can?"
Oh, I should have taken that as a warning.
Her mother had laughed. "No, you shouldn't do that. It's rude and mean to ask someone to kneel, Anak," she had said before smiling kindly at me. "Hello, Isaiah. We are your new neighbor. I am Sophia's mom and my name is Ana."
I had smiled shyly in reply.
"O, sige na, Anak, pasok aa tayo sa bahay at nang makapagbihis ka na. Bye, Isaiah—"
"Mamaya na po, Mommy. Nag-uusap pa po kami ni Isaiah, eh. Hindi pa po n'ya nasasabi sa akin kung ano ang wish n'ya."
"We are about to eat lunch. Sunod ka na kaagad." her mother had told her before leaving.
Ia had looked me up and down with a thoughtful expression on her face. "Dapat siguro maligo ka..." she had commented. "Mukha kang madungis. Ayokong maging fairy godmother ng batang madungis."
"Mamaya pa ako maliligo..."
"Bakit?"
"Kasi ayaw ni Mommy na masyado akong maagang naliligo. Inuubo ako."
"Oh, you're weird," she had offhandedly remarked before she gave me a bright smile. "Pero, pwede ka na. At bilang fairy godmother mo, tutuparin ko ang isa mong kahilingan ora mismo!"
