PATINA 1:

PATINA 1:

"Mom! Look! Do I look pretty?" I turn around while showing the barbie dress I am wearing. This is really what I chose when Nanny Moire and I went shopping.

"Mommy! Mommy! This is what I will wear for my birthday!" I said smiling.

"Wear whatever you want..." Mommy replied to me.

Little by little, my big smile disappeared when I saw that Mommy didn't even look at me.

I slowly approached her to see what she was looking at. My eyes were shining when I saw the beautiful dresses in the book.

"Mommy! Mommy! I like it!" I said.

"Gosh Patina! I almost had a heart attack!" She said angrily and touched her chest. Mommy didn't seem to realize that I was behind her.

When Mommy put the book on her desk, I immediately picked it up. As I flipped through its pages, I saw many dresses.

"Patina! Give me that!" Mommy yelled at me angrily when she saw me holding the book.

"Mom-" I stopped speaking when she suddenly slapped me. Before I realized she quickly took the book in my right hand.

"Get out of my room! Now!" I was crying as I walked out of my Mommy's room.

When I entered my room, I immediately locked the door. I lay down on the bed and buried my face in my pillow.

Mommy is like this. She always scolds me. I even ask myself why she treated me this way.

I cried for hours and locked myself in the room. I got up and opened the door a little, speculating that there might be a maid outside so I could ask for some food. Furthermore, I saw just the quiet hallway. I just closed the door and was about to go back to bed when I saw myself in the mirror.

My hair is a mess. My eyes and eyebrows are also red from crying. I slowly raised my right hand to touch the large mole on my face. It is very large and black.

Ever since I was a child, I have noticed that it is gradually growing. I looked down at my foot, which also had a dark mole.

Why do I have this thing in my whole body?

"Patina!" I heard Nanny Moire's voice at the same time, I heard three knocks on my door.

I immediately fixed my face on the mirror and after that, I opened the door.

Nanny Moire even asked me why I was crying, so I told her everything that happened earlier.

"Don't get mad at your Mommy Patina, she's just in a bad mood and she didn't mean to slap you." I nodded at what Nanny Moire said.

_

"Wow! Our Patina is so beautiful!" My smile widened even more as I went down the stairs.

Today is my birthday, and today we are also going to my birthday party!

I didn't know what my reaction would be when I saw that the other maids started to talk to each other when they saw me in the dining hall.

Mommy and Daddy didn't let me go down to the first floor, I don't know why.

"Where are Mommy and Daddy, Nanny Moire?" I asked when I could go downstairs. Nanny Moire immediately approached me and fixed my hair. She smiled at me before pulling my hand away. I was surprised at what Nanny Moire did as we started to climb to the second floor of the house.

"Nanny Moire, why did you send me back to my room?" I asked when I saw Nanny Moire open my room.

"Stay here. The party will be held later on." She replied and pushed me into the room. She was about to close the door but I blocked it.

"The party will be held later? But I heard Daddy say that the party is supposed to start?"

"Honestly Patina, there isn't a party." I started to tear as I stared at Nanny Moire.

"N-no party?" I asked to be sure of what she said. When she nodded I cried even harder.

Nanny Moire knelt and wiped away my tears.

"Don't worry. Even if there is no party, we can still celebrate your birthday." I immediately smiled at what Nanny Moire said.

There was a simple celebration on my birthday. Nanny Moire and I were in my bedroom and there was a cake and other dishes ready on my mini table beside my bed. Uncle Zapf also participated in my simple birthday celebration.

I was sitting on the bed and smiling, looking at Nanny Moire and Uncle Zapf as they started singing happy birthday.

"Blow the candle Patina."

_

That was my 9th birthday.

For my next birthday, the celebration is still in my room. I also started asking Nanny Moire why we were always in my room when we were celebrating my birthday, but she always changed the subject.

I also ask her why Daddy and Mommy don't want me to go outside. I could always just stare out the window while watching our helpers working in our garden.

"Nanny Moire..."

"Yes, Patina?" She smiles as she placed the tray of food on the side table.

"Can I go to the garden?" I asked then looked out the window where I could see the beautiful flowers over there.

"I'm sorry Patina. Your dad tells me that you can't go outside..." She said sadly.

"Why?"

"I don't know either, Patina"

I sadly started eating. I kept asking myself why they didn't let me go outside. Furthermore, I was always lonely, and the only way that can accompany myself was through my beloved books.

They didn't even let me go to school. Nanny Moire just only gives me all my homework and when the examination day, my private teacher is in my room and lets me take a test. I was so happy because I always get a higher score on exams.

"Wow! You got a higher grade again, Patina!" Uncle Zapf was smiling when he gave me my card.

"Do you think Uncle Zapf, that Mommy and Daddy will be proud of me?" Uncle Zapf nod.

When Uncle Zapf left. I was smiling when I was walking to my dad's study room.

"Daddy! Daddy!" My smile fades when dad looks at me so badly. Ever since, I didn't even see Mom and Dad smile at me. "D-daddy, I got a higher grade this year..." I nervously said and lend him my card. He just stared at my hand with a card to it.

He looks at my card before looking me back.

"Even though you got a higher grade's Patina, your beauty doesn't fit in our company."

I don't get it. I don't understand what my Dad said to me! My beauty?

My mood changes when I go back to my room. I was thinking all over and over about what my dad said to me. I don't understand at all. Furthermore, I don't understand why they treat me this way.

I also tell my mom about my grades, and she just stared my card and tell me to go back to my room. I was clueless...

_

These past few weeks, I've always been in the hospital. Uncle Zapf and Nanny Moire accompany me. They were so worried when I tell them that I can hardly breathe.

They take several tests on me. I was staring at the doctor when he touches the big moles on my face.

That time I heard that I have Melanoma skin cancer. I don't understand at all!

Melanoma skin cancer?

Again, I watch my face in the mirror. I've seen through the mirror that I have a lot of black moles all over my face. Also, in my whole body, I have this thing.

I was clueless. I was asking them why I have this kind of thing in my body.

"Uncle Zapf. Can I go to the garden?" I said while pointing to our garden. We were heading back to my room when I said this to him. Uncle Zapf stops for a moment while staring at me.

"No Patina. You need to rest." He replied.

I was so mad. I was thinking of a way to make myself feel good. I was reading fictional books and I read a scene where a girl secretly go out of the house and didn't tell her parents about her leaving.

Our house is so quiet, probably all the maids are already sleeping. So this is my chance to go outside.

I was watching every corner of our house and even though, it's quite older and looks like a modern house.

I was carefully walking down the hallway. I take off my sleepers so that they didn't make any sounds while I was walking.

I was so happy because the back door of our house isn't locked.

I don't know how many hours I stayed outside. I was running in the garden and every time I've seen attractive flowers I always picked them.

I was curious when I've seen a bright light far away. When I was walking through our gate, I was passing our parking lot where I smiled so big when I see a bicycle. The owner of this bicycle is one of our maids.

I tried so many times to ride it. And a few months, I already mastered riding a bicycle. I always do this every night. When the night comes, I sneak into our house to go into our backyard and did all the things that I want to do.

Nanny Moire keeps asking me why do i have a lot of scratches on my feet and hands. I lied to her, but she didn't believe what i said, that's why I tell her the truth. Though, she said she will never tell to my parents. She also lets me go outside when the nights come.

I was still curious about those bright lights far away. I was thinking to go there, so I open our gate. I was also wondering why I couldn't see a bodyguard anywhere. Though I was still thankful because I get out of our house safely.

I was riding a bicycle. I ride those highways where it was so dark that I couldn't see anything. Furthermore, I was so thankful that I brought a flashlight in my pocket.

I stop riding when I saw the house. It wasn't a house at all. It looks like a mansion. It was so big and yes, it was so beautiful. The main gate was so big and high. I can say that the owner of this mansion is so rich.

I hurriedly get back on the bicycle and start riding back to my house when I saw two bodyguards coming in my way.

These past few weeks I always did this thing. I stop riding when I can see the mansion. Furthermore, I always ride this bike to go to different places. Though, I get scared easily when I saw big trees everywhere.

Again today, I was still sightseeing the mansion when I've saw a car coming on my way. I hurriedly take my bike and hide in the tall trees beside the highway.

I saw the car.

It's the same car of my dad. I wasn't wrong at all because I always saw him riding that through my window. I also heard last time in our maids that dad didn't let any driver ride that car.

I wondered...

what did he do to that mansion?

Nanny Moire tell me that Dad and Mom was going on a business trip, that's why I didn't see them this last few weeks.

But why now?

Is it possible that someone else's riding my dad's favorite car? or It was a different car??

_

"Congrats Patina!" My private teacher greeted me with a smile. She takes the medal and put it on my neck. She was still in my room and bring me the good news, about my academic achievement. I fake a smile at her.

I wasn't happy at all, because Mom and Dad didn't appreciate my achievements.

_

I was in the hospital. Because my moles over my body are so itchy and sore. Then it's bleeding and becoming crusty.

Today, I heard from the doctor that Melanoma is skin Cancer. Last time, I didn't understand it, but I think now I understand what is skin cancer.

So this is a skin cancer looks and feels like?

Since when I was still a baby, I already have this mole. That is what Nanny Moire said to me when I ask her about the moles in my body.

Every part of my body has a mole. I was so thin. I tried to eat a lot, but I notice that I didn't get any changes in my body. My chest is aching, and i feel like I couldn't breath well, then I was always coughing.

I cried a lot tonight when now I understand my situation. Where this Melanoma can kill me. I thought before that this mole is just normal.

I was already 12 years old. I am now a high school student. Though, nothing changed when I was still in elementary. Even now that I am a high school student, I still have a private teacher that will teach me a lesson in my room.

Also, I am here again in the hospital. The private doctor has to check my health.

"Stay here for a minute, Patina." Nanny Moire said before leaving me alone in the hospital room.

I don't like waiting, and I don't have anything else to do in this room that's why now, I was walking the hallway in the hospital. I've seen a lot of people looking at me with a disgusting look.

Does it because of the moles in my body??

I didn't expect that Dad was in here in the hospital. Did he come here because she was worried about me? Did Nanny Moire tell Dad that I can't breathe well, that's why he hurried to go to the hospital to see me??

"Daddy!" I shouted while running towards him. I hugged his hips so tight.

I didn't know that daddy cares about me.

"Excuse me, kid. I'm not your daddy..." I couldn't believe what he said just now. He was smiling at me but behind that smile, I saw his dark look like he was saying that I should let my hand go away from his hips. I was going to do that but he did it first.

"I was so surprised, Dr. Gonzalo, I thought you also had a second daughter-"

"Dr. De Vega..." Dad said in a warning tone to the doctor that approach us.

I was staring at dad when he walks away until I didn't see him in my sight.

I don't know this kind of feeling in my chest. Like I was suffocating. I don't understand why he said that.

Why did he say that I am not her daughter??

End chapter 1: