Chapter 1:The Real Me
Ako'y natutuwa at marunong na akong mag-Tagalog. It's one of my best triumphs in my life --ang makapagsalita sa language ng mommy ko.
My mom na mahal na mahal ko na kahit anong pagsubok namin in life ang dumating, as long as we're together, I'm positive enough na makakayanan namin iyon.
Ako si Kayleena Ayla Therene Eleanor Hughes. Kaylie for short. >.< I hate my surname! It's a reminder na anak ako ni Anderson Calthorpe Hughes.
Si dad na parating nagpapaiyak sa mom ko and me but I never showed them that I knew what was happening between them.I can remember, at such a very young age, I'm always sulking and crying silently. I did pretend that I don't know what was happening between them.
It's almost 10 years na since we left him. Did we left him? I was raised in London though and he's always in New York (my dad is American). So apparently, we never left him because he's not with us in the first place. My mom and I lived in London before we came to the Philippines. It's so distressing that I left my prep school in Wembley, Greater London without even bidding farewells to our headmistress, our teachers and to my classmates, even though I don't know them by name.
Bad memories. (Wait, why am I still speaking in English?????....I should talk now in Tagalog! Ayoko nang mag-Ingles! Ayoko iyong mga may connections sa past ko!)
I wanna F-O-R -G-E-T!
Ooooops!
(Ingles na naman!)
9 YEARS AGO (London, England)
*Riiiiiiiing
"Hello?"- When I look at my digital clock, it's still 12:10 am.
[Happy Birthday my princess!]
O_O Dad's voice. I'm awakened. Is this really my dad? My authoritarian father (yah severely strict) whose aim is to make her daughter flawless, he wants me to be perfect. Sometimes, it's suffocating. I'm still young and I'm tired.
"Oh, that's nice of you dad. Thank you."- Thank God I managed to hide my anxious shaky voice. His greetings gave me chills actually. There's this five-hour time zone difference from London to New York, and he greeted me on my big day and he's the first. Knowing him as a cold vicious man, this is SOMETHING! I wonder what is his deal again today.
[It's been eight years since I saw the existence of an angel!]
"I'm eight now dad and?"- What's the thing that he wants me again to do? He never gave me options. It's always his choice. I never made a decision for myself; it's always him who has the last say in everything I do. Everyday, I always follow a timetable, made by him. I also have a body guard who checks on me if I'm following my schedule or not. Mr. Hanssen is loyal to my father. Every detail, he reports it to my father. I'm like a prisoner at such a very young age.
[I am now lifting up my strictness in raising you. Eight years is enough. I'm gonna be lenient now. No more timetables young lady, however, Mr. Hanssen will always be there to keep an eye on you for me.]
Am I in a good dream? Where are the unicorns? The rainbow? The fairies? It's still my room though. I'll pinch my left cheek to wake myself up. That's an OUCH! So it's real.
[Are you still there Kate?]
"Yes dad"- I really don't know if I'm happy or not. Am I ready for the big change? Or will I miss it? The way my father raised me for eight years?
[Say 'Hi' to your mom for me. Bye~]
*Beeeep~beep
As simple as that?! He's always busy. What's with his businesses? He has LOTS and what will he do to the "excesses"? I'll be happy if he will donate it to the UNICEF. My mom is always busy too but she always allots time to be a hands-on mother to me. My father assigned mom to manage the family's businesses based here in London. What's with the separation? Huh. I still don't know.Or should I mean, I don't want to accept what I know.
*Yawns
The dawn is fast approaching, I'm going to continue sleeping.
*Morning
This is my first weekend being in the third grade. Five days passed swiftly, yet I still don't have any friends in my school, there at Buxlow Preparatory School (a 30-minute drive from our residence). My fault though because I'm not friendly at all. According to a LOT of people whom I met, they always insist on telling me that I'm thinking like an adult, that my mental age is of that of a twenty-four year old.
A fresh start. I stayed for almost an hour there on my bathtub.
My dad's voice is still echoing in my mind---"Eight years is enough. I'm gonna be lenient now"
It's my birthday today so I'm going to wear something appropriate for an eight year-old. I opened my wardrobe place and the Tye Dye Sequin Butterfly Top with a matching Dress by RUUM caught my eye. This was a present by mom when I topped my school's annual Assessment Test (I will never ever forget that time when I outdone those students in the sixth grade when I was still in the second grade). The dress is kinda thin for a chilly weather so I decided to wear also a white coat by monnalisa as my outer garment.
When I opened my room's door~
"You surprised me Mr. Hanssen!"-I nearly shrieked in shock. I'm not that type though. I am a reserved type. My brain is always talking inside yet never converts those thoughts into words. Mr. Hanssen is already 68 years old and as far as I can remember, he's always with me, since birth I think.
"Where do you like us to go today Miss Kate?"- He asked me with a curtsy.
Oh my. I'm always lecturing Mr. Hanssen not to attach any honorifics to my name because it's awkward. The fact that he's older and I do respect him a lot, it's just not right.
"Mr. Hanssen, omit the 'miss' please, it's undesirable."-He smiled. I always love his crooked smile.
"Where's mom Mr.?"-I noticed that mom's is nowhere to be found.
"She went to meet an invest--" I interrupted Mr. Hanssen. Yup investors. Pfuut business, business! Not again! It's my birthday. How sad.
"We will go to the archery field today Mr. Hanssen."- I gave him my perkiest smile. Like what my father told me this very early morning, I'm free from his customized timetables!
Hello REAL hobbies. Hello to my REAL favorite places.Hello to my REAL favorite books.Give a warm welcome to the REAL KATE- Kayleena Ayla Therene Eleanor Hughes!
~END OF CHAPTER 1~