***
There was a man named Julian de Guzman.. He was in his mid 40's, he has a wife and two kids... He loves his family so much, specially his 6 year old youngest daughter..He was an example of a caring husband, a loving father and very good provider... Because of the love he had for his family, he have decided to work abroad and landed a job in Saudi Arabia as an skilled construction worker..
It was Friday morning... Julian was packing his luggage together with his wife, Julia.
"Honey, you take care of the kids, ha? specially Jilian our youngest daughter,. Just tell her, i will be back soon.."Julian said to his wife with a sad voice!
"Don't worry hon, i will take care of them,. dont forget to call us as soon as you arrive in Saudi.. Take care of yourself there, dont skip meals, and dont forget to take medicine when youre ill..!"
"I love you, honey... dont worry about me, i take care! i have to go now, taxi is waiting outside!" Julian hugged his wife with full of love!
"Dad, where are you going?" Jilian asked her Dad with tears in her eyes while looking at his luggage!
Julian, smiled at his daughter and touched her face...
"Jilian, my daugther, i love you... Daddy will be away for some months, i need to earn money for your future! Be good girl ha? Study hard!" Her Dad spoke to her while wiping her tears with the tip of his thumb!
'Dad, dont go! I need you here by my side! Who will take and pick me up in school..? Jilian, spoke to her Dad with a shaken voice as her tears dripped from her eyes..
"Princess, dont cry na, okey? Its hard for Daddy to go seeing you like that!" please Jilian..! Understand Daddy, okey? Im doing all this for you and your Kuya Julius.. I want you to finish studies.. so i need to work and earn much money! Dont worry, Mommy will be the one to take you to school while im away..!" Julian hugged his daughter and kissed her on his forehead... and ride the Taxi!
"Daddy, dont go!!!" she shouted.
Jilian had nothing to do than to watch her father go... Her eyes was filled with tears as the taxi disappeared from her sights, wondering when she will be able to see her Dad again.
Working abroad was not a joke,. Julian had to endure his home sickness, feeling of being alone, enduring his loneliness of being away from his family. Theres no moment he would not think of his family...as days turn to weeks and weeks turn to month and months turn to a year.. Every hour being away from his loveones was like its killing him..
Years past, Julian's job contract in Saudi was extended and that prevented him to come home during his children's important school occasions.
One day he phoned his wife...
"Hello hon, how are you, how are the kids? I miss you so much honey!" Julian told her wife..
We miss you to hon, dont worry about us hon, we are okey! Two kids are okey and doing well at school...!
"Did you received the money i send to you?"
"Yes hon, thank you... I bought Jilian and Julius a new shoes for their recognation day!" Julia happily told him.
"Mommy, is that Dad, can i talk to him?" Jilian asked her mom full of excitement in her eyes!
"Okey baby, come here!" her mom gave her the phone.
"Hello, Dad! Daddy!!!! Jilian here! I am first honors in school.. I have studied hard just for you Dad, because i want you to be proud of me!" Jilian happily spoke to her Dad.
"Oh really???? Wow! Conngratulations my princess, Daddy is so proud of you!"
"Thank you Dad and i want you to come home and be the one to put medal on me, pls Dad! I studied so hard while youre away, because i want you to come up the stage for my medal!" Jilian happily told her Dad.
There was a 10 seconds silence between their conversation over the phone..
"Hello, Dad, are you still there?"
"Jilian, im sorry! Daddy cant come home.. I really want to but i still have to finish my contract before im allowed to go back home to Philippines.. Dont worry, i have already gift for you, i will send it tomorrow..!"
"But, Dad, your gift is not important to me... I want you here! You had promised me before that if i make it to the top, you will come home and be the one to come up the stage for me!" Jilian told her Dad with a shaken voice.. Tears dripped down from her eyes, feeling disappointed..
"Im sorry my Princess! Dont worry, when you graduate in High School, evenif you dont have medal, i promise you, i will be there! Okey!"
Teary eyed, Jilian turned to her Mom and gave the phone and walked to her room and locked the door.
Their life continues...
Jillian silently studied hard and graduated as Valedictorian in High School, again her father broke his promises and didnt come home.. She celebrated her 18th birthday and again she patiently waited for her father on that special day of her life...but no one showed up..
"Mom, do you think Daddy still care for us?" Jillian asked her Mom that night after her debut party!
"Of course! He cares! If he didnt care about us, you should have not continued your studies, and he should not have send us money for our needs!" replied her mother.
"I don't think he really cares.. I dont believe, Mom. How many times he broke his promise! He cant keep his promise! He always make excuses!" Jillian angrily raised her voice!
"Jillian, understand your father! He sacrifices to work abroad for you! He wants to give you good future! Look, its not that easy to take a leave!" explained her Mom.
"No!" I think, he love his work more than us! H can't even manage to come home even once! Mom, its been long years!!!" Jillian became more emotional and burst into tears!
That night Julian called her family! He told them that his employer didn't allowed him to take a vacation because he has no substitute on his job...
Jillian felt so angry with her father and didn't talk to him on the phone... That night, she slipped the house and went to her friends to eased the pain in her heart!
As time goes by, Jillian slowly changed her attitude! She learned to go out with her friends, hanging out in the bars, sometime she come home drunk! Her studies was affected and lead her to have a failing grades... She didn't think of her father anymore, until one day...
Someone knocked at their door...
"Knock! Knock! Knock!!!"
"Daddy!!!!!" Julius hugged his father tight!!
"Yes, son! Im back! Wow, youre tall now, huh!" said his father in gladness while rubbing his head.
"Mom, Daddy is back!!!!!! Yahooooooo!!!" Julius shouted in great happiness!!!
That day was the happiest day of Julian's life! Julian missed so much his family and to be with his family again, was his greatest dream! And it was fullfilled! Everyone was so happy except Jillian.
"Wow, brand new Apple Laptop? Is that for me, Dad?" asked Julius with excitement as he quickly grabbed it.
"No, Son, its for your sister. Its my gift to her on her 18th birthday!" said his father.
"Wowwww!!!!
"Jillian, come here, and look what Daddy has for you! Be quick or i will steal it!" joked her big brother..
But Jillian still have no feeling of interest, she don't even come out on her room to meet her Dad who have just arrived from Saudi.
Julian's happiest moment with his family was replaced with great disappointment and great despair whe he learned that his beloved Jillian was bearing a child on her womb without a father..
"Pak!!!!!!!!"
Julian slapped her daughter so hard!
"How dare you??? Jillian, how could you do this to me?? I worked in a far away land to give you beautiful future, and this is what you gave to me???"Julian shouted at her daughter in so much anger.
"Im sorry, Dad!" Jillian sobbed, as she rubbed her chin, easing the pain in her face.
"Now, you get off my face before i kick you out of here!!! shouted his father angrily.
Julian was so devastated! He felt useless! All his dreams for his only daughter were shattered! Because of his disappointments, he decided to go back to his work in Saudi, bringing with him all the pains in his heart.
Their life continues...
Jillian gave birth to a cute kid, and she named him Angelo. She have stopped in her studies and just focus on her son... As time passed by, her father slowly accepted and forgave her for failing his dreams..
In Saudi, Julian worked so hard. Even holidays he would still went to work until his health was slowly affected..
"Julian, you're working too much already...! Just take it easy, Pare! Sometimes, give yourself a break!" said Mike, his co worker..
"Thanks for your advice, but i really need extra money, Pare! I have already my grandson and i really need to send more money to my family!" said Julian as he made a continuous coughing!!!
"Okey, i understand you, Pare!" said his friend tapping his shoulder..
Months past, Jillian and her boyfriend decided to get married to gave name to their child..
Julian, promised again to his daughter that he would come home for that special day of her life...her wedding day! Jillian was full of excitement to be reunited again with her father, and she promised herself that she would pay all the moments she had wasted before... Jillian already missed that precious moments to be with his father...
On the day of her wedding ,she felt so restless...
"Mom, i felt nervous! My hand is shaking up... I can't understand myself!" said Jillian with full of tensions in her voice.
"Jillian, its okey! Avoid yourself to be stressed... Relaxed! Smile! Enjoy this moment!" said her Mom trying to calm her...
Where's Daddy! Its already late! The priest is waiting!!!
"Relaxed, Jillian, maybe he is just stucked up in traffic! I'm sure he is on the way!"
Jillian, patiently waited for his Dad, bearing all the worries in her heart, until the answers to her questions were finally revealed!
"Are you Julia de Guzman?"
A man, wearing a business attire appproached them. He was holding attaché case on his hand..
"Yes, i am Julia de Guzman, im the wife of Julian de Guzman.., who are you?" she asked him.
"Im Atty. Suarez, legal council of the company your husband is working for!'
"Where is my husband, Atty.?" asked Julia with a shaken voice.
"Mrs.de Guzman, i am sorry to tell you...... that your husband had just passed away... He was diagnosed of lung cancer stage 4 in Saudi... He have decided not to tell you about his real condition, to keep you from worrying! Your husband handed me a cd when he was confined in the hospital and he told me to give this to you..!" he said with full of sympathy as he handed to her the cd.
Everyone became very emotional about the bad news...specially Jillian... she was in deep shocked, he couldn't say any words as her tears slowly dripped in her eyes! She felt like the whole world exploded on her like a bomb! Regrets and fears was creeping down to on her knees as her loud cry echoes through the crowd!
When they played the cd, sudden sadness filled their hearts... Jillian watched the video of his father confined in the hospital in Saudi. He looked so weak, attaching to him was medical apparatus...His body became very thin, he was lying on bed helpless! Its like he was in deep pain and couldnt take anymore...! Gathering all his force, he moved his body and tried to spoke on video...
"Honey, sorry if i didnt tell you about my condition! I just dont like you to worry about me! I made this video for you, im sure when you play it, may be im already gone! Honey, i love you so much! Thank you for taking care of our kids while im away! I was blessed by God for giving me such a beautiful wife.. I want you to know that i never loved another woman... Youre my only love! I hope you wont cry too much when im gone!"
"Julius, son! When im gone, i want you to take care of your mother and your sister... Take care of them the way i take care of you! Thank you for being a good son to me...!"
"Jillian, my beautiful princess! Daddy is leaving soon! Im sorry, for not keeping my promise again on your wedding day! Sorry, im really sorry! I want you to know evenif you failed me, still, Daddy is so proud of you for being a strong woman.. Jillian, i want you to know that... Daddy missed you so much, but i can't be there anymore! I regrets the time i have just wasted away from you... Hope you will forgive me, for all those years i should have spend with you! I love you, my princess... Im tired already, im so tired... I want to sleep....!"
It was the most painful and saddest moment of the De guzman family... specially Jillian... Her father had left her not just for a day, not just for a month, not just for a year but FOREVER! No matter how much she cried, her father won't come back anymore!
.
.
.
the end!
___________
A/N:
To all sons and daughter's out there, i hope you have learned a lesson from this heart piercing story! Sometimes we have to think broadly and understand everything that happens i our life... Our parents won't always be there for us! someday, wether we like it or not, they are going to leave us. So, while they are still with us, lets not waste time to tell them how much we love them, and show them how much we care!
Guys, i hope you like this inspirational story, A FATHER'S UNFAILING LOVE,. This story happend in real life and its the story of my friend, Jillian, who happens to be my neighbor! Her story really made me cry and motivates me to write it in my Inspirational Stories and share with you...
marwa angela enrique