Issa has been working as her personal assistant for a weeks now, Imee was amazed of how Issa handle her job. She did not regret that hiring her.
After a long day at the Senate, it was 7pm when Imee finished her works. She heard her stomach suddenly growl, she immediately remembered that she hadn't eaten dinner yet and didn't get enough lunch earlier due to her busy schedule.
Issa, on the other hand was about to go home. She knocked at the senator's door and slowly opening it, there she saw Imee standing beside her table fixing her things.
"Senator, mauna na po ako sainyo" she said
Imee stop from what she was doing and looked at her, "Uy, Teka! samahan mo muna ako, kakain tayo" she said, Issa shook her head, she was also hungry because she also didn't get enough food earlier. She help Imee in her on ways because that's her job. She wanted to go home and eat as she doesn't have enough money to buy fast foods on the reason that she's saving her money.
"Hindi na po senator, di pa po kase ako gutom" she lied then smiled.
Imee raised a brow at her "Nakapag reserve na ako eh and none of my children replied to my texts so halika na, my treat" she said as she was trying to convince Issa to join her but she's still declining her offer.
Imee stopped on insisting Issa as she didn't want to prolong their conversation, she suddenly felt sad that she was going to have dinner alone again because her children now have a life of their own.
She start to put her things in her Hermes Birkin 30 Brown Noisette Hand bag. Issa was about to step out on the door when her stomach started to growl. Imee heard it and chuckled "Ay apo... Ang batang ito!" she thought.
Imee looked at her, "Sigurado ka bang hindi mo ako sasamahan?" she asked her again and was trying to stifle her laugh. Issa slowly lift her head and looked back at Imee and met her eyes, "Nakakahiya naman po kase senator eh" she said shyly
Imee smiled at her and didn't speak anymore. She immediately finished putting her belongings in her bag. She walked towards the door when she reached where Issa was standing, she gently pulled her hand causing Issa to follow her behind.
When the two got out of the room Issa noticed that Imee was still pulling her arm. She shyly bowed her head because everyone in the hallway was staring at them. They got into the elevator, she still holding her wrists.
⋆⋅☆⋅⋆
They are now at Imee's favorite restaurant, Imee called the waitress to order what they were going to eat tonight. Issa, who is eating at an expensive restaurant for the first time, looks ignorant and doesn't know what to order on the menu.
"Is that all, ma'am?" waitress asked, Imee looked at her and noticed that she was having a hard time to choose what to order. "First time?" she asked Issa, the girl looked at her and nodded shyly.
Imee smiled and looked back at the waitress, because Issa didn't know what to order, she decided to just order what Issa was going to eat. When the waitress left the two became silent.
Imee's cellphone suddenly chimed so she looked at it and saw her oldest son just replied to her message earlier, she took it to reply.
To: Borgy // 7:04 P.M.
Kuya, where are you?
Can you join me for dinner?
From: Borgy // 7:23 P.M.
Hey mom! I'm still at the studio
pa eh. Sorry, I promise I'll make
it up to you next time. Enjoy your
dinner, Love you, mom!😘
To: Borgy // 7:24 P.M.
Oh.. Okay, no problem!
Ingat ka pauwi, borgs! Love you too😘
Issa, on the other hand, was amazed at the look of the restaurant. She wandered her eyes around the room and then suddenly she sees a seven year old girl and her mother having fun enjoying their meal.
Issa smiled weakly when she saw that. For several years she had been seeking the love of a Mother, she just thanked the lord for giving her the most loving father who's always there at her side but she sometimes felt that there was something missing from her and that was her mother. She had always hoped and longed to have a mother.
1999
It was three in the afternoon when the class was dismissed. A seven-year-old Issa, was walking down the corridor towards the school gate.
She stop for awhile as she saw her classmates being picked up by their mothers, she can't help but to envy her classmates. She bowed her head, took a sighed and continue walking.
"Lou-lou!" A man shouted. Issa slowly lifted her head, her eyes widened as she saw her father, Mariano. Her father is the one who give her that nickname and only her father calls her that.
When their eyes met, Mariano suddenly dances, wiggling his hips and that caused Issa to laugh. Issa run towards her father, "Papa!" she exclaimed and hugged her father. After a minutes of hugging, Issa's father pulled out of the hug.
Surprised to see Issa frowned, he noticed that, "Ang lungkot naman ng prinsesa ko" he said and slowly held up Issa's chin, "Bakit ka malungkot?" he asked and scrunched her nose. Issa smiled weakly, she looked at their side and saw a schoolmate of hers sitting at the bench, the mother wiping the sweat of their child and kissed her child's forehead.
"Ay sus, naiinggit ang prinsesa ko" Mariano said, touching Issa's cheeks. He took the Tulip that he tucked in at her back and a small box, "Para sa iyo, anak" he said as he handed him his gift to Issa. Issa's eyes sparkled as she saw the gift from her father.
"Ayan, wala ka mang mama nandito naman si papa para sayo at handa akong ibigay lahat mapasaya lang kita. Mahal na mahal ng papa, anak!" he said as he pinched Issa's nose and hugged her tightly.
Issa chuckled and pulled out because she was excited to open her father's gift, She giggled as she smelled the tulip before she proceed on opening the small box. After she opened the small box her eyes widened as she saw the handkerchief with her nickname embroidered. It was just a simple handkerchief but for Issa It's a treasure that she will cherish forever.
"Salamat, Papa!" she said and kissed her father's cheeks.
~
Imee had something to ask on her, "Issa?" she said but Issa didn't reply nor heard her because she was busy staring at the other table.
Imee noticed that and decided to look at it too because of curiosity, she found the Mag-ina being sweet with each other. She suddenly remembered her daughter if she had not lost her when she was a baby, would they have a bond like that?.
She's jealous of the two because they ate happily and loved each other dearly. She thinks if her daughter was here, she wouldn't always be eating alone and be alone at their house all the time. She would always be with her when shopping for women's accessories not with Borgy but she was still thankful at her panganay for always being at her side not just on her panganay but to all of her sons. A sad tear fell from her eye.
Imee's phone chimed again but now it was Issa who heard it which brought her back to reality. She looked at Imee and noticed that she was in tears, she was confused why Imee was crying she thought maybe it was personal so she decided not to ask anymore. She took her handkerchief in her bag, the same handkerchief that was given by her father when she was seven years old.
"Senator?" she called her but Imee didn't hear her so she called her again "Senator Imee??" on the second call, Imee came back to reality. When Imee looked at Issa, Issa handed her a handkerchief and she accepts it.
"Hmm?" she said as she was wondering why Issa was giving her a handkerchief, Issa pointed her eyes to tell her that she was crying.
She wipe her tears and as she was wiping it their food finally arrived. Issa's eyes widened when she saw how much Imee had ordered.
"Hindi naman po halatang gutom na gutom na kayo ano?" she said and softly laugh as she turned her gaze to Imee, Imee laughed at what Issa said.
Imee cleared her throat, "Hindi lang naman para sakin yan, sayo din" she replied.
"Kamusta na pala ang Papa mo?" she asked. "Medyo bumuti na po ang kaniyang sitwasyon, salamat po talaga" Issa said
"Ano ka ba! that's why I became a senator to help others, mabuti naman at nasa umayos na ang kalagayan niya" Imee said, "Mahal na mahal mo talaga Papa mo, no?" she added.
"Opo, sobra" Issa answered, Imee smiled at her as her heart melt on what Issa just said. "the parents of this child are very lucky, I hope that wherever my baby girl is, she is in a good family" she thought.
"You know what, I see myself in you" Imee said as she began to put food on her plate. Issa's eyes widened when she heard that, "True po ba?" she asked. Imee nodded, "Oo, i was exactly like that when my father was brought into the hospital because his condition is getting worse." she said. Issa nodded as she listened to her attentively.
"That's why i helped you, i don't want you to experience the same thing as mine. Tsaka pala I heard din na a lot of people in the senate says we have similarities daw" she said
"Parehas tayong maganda!" she said jokingly with her baklang babae voice. Imee raised her hand for a high five, Issa also raised her hand to reciprocate the high five, then the both laughed together.
"I remember on my first day, natapunan ako ng kape tapos po pinahiram niyo po sakin ung KB shirt niyo" Issa telling the encounter she had with the staffs inside the senate, Imee on the other hand began to put some food on Issa's plate.
"Daming nagsasabi sakin nun if I somehow related to you, they even said that i looked like you. funny pero ang weird po and awkward, di ko naman po kase yun nakikita." she said.
Imee chuckled "Talaga?" she asked as she start to put her spoon into her mouth, "Yes po, pati din po si Ivy. She showed me your picture before I think that was in the 70s, you're wearing the same shirt." Issa said telling another story, Issa did a lot of talking and Imee was happy to see that Issa was so comfortable with her.
"Sabi niya magkamukha daw po talaga tayo, tinanong niya pa nga po if anak mo ako. Gulat nga po ako sinabi niya po sakin yun kasi i tried to get some infos of you sa google and tatlong lalaki lang po ang anak ninyo" she continued, Imee's expression changed "Actually there are four of them, sadly, the youngest was taken away from me" she said, voice cracking
Issa noticed the sudden change of expression and Imee's cracked voice, Issa doesn't know much about Imee's private life. She may have said something that hurt Imee's feelings. "Pasensya po Senator, masyado po ata akong madaldal" she apologized, Imee smiled weakly "Huy hindi naman gusto ko nga yun para di kana nahihiya sakin" she said and continued eating.
A few minutes after the two ate, Imee called the waitress earlier to pay the bill. "Maraming salamat po ulit, Senator" she said, Imee smiled "Ano ka ba, ako dapat magpasalamat dahil sinamahan mo ako ngayong gabi"
The two got up from their seats and started walking towards the door and Imee's car was waitng outside, "Taga san ka ba? hatid na kita" Imee asked Issa. Issa shook her head "Hindi na po Senator, malapit lang din naman po ang tinitirhan ko dito" she said politely.
"Delikado na maglakad at gabi na, something bad might happen to you along the way" Imee insisted, but Issa refused. She keep on telling Imee that no one will do that because she was friends to her ka-barangays.
Imee stopped on insisting. "All right, I won't force you anymore pero mag-ingat ka ha" she said, Issa nodded. "Kayo din po Senator, baka hindi ka na makalabas ng Mandaluyong" Issa said jokingly.
Imee chuckled, "Loka-loka!" she said as she got into her car. Issa waved her hand and watched Imee's car leave. Imee, on the other hand, was about to look at her phone in her bag when she saw Issa's handkerchief. She forgot to return it to Issa earlier.
"Lou-lou" she read in her mind.
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