I - La Familia

'Lady of my life, where are you?'

An old black and white television soap opera of a broken family, drama, and death tunes its mellow outro, sung by one of The King of Filipino Romantic Songs, Ric Manrique Jr.

The suave in singer's tone and soft strums of the guitar start so smoothly and then flows with dramatic intervals. A folk song like no other, his song makes an impact, telling its story through music about losing his love.

The sounds are left undisturbed through the wall-mounted TV, as it's being binge-watched by a sick elderly bound in her hospital bed. The resting patient, pale and scrawny from aging and heart disease, was treated to be pinned onto tons of strict medication. The television's minimized volume and the beeping heart monitor machine combined are all the things that kept the gloomy but luxurious suite room depressingly busy.

It was quiet until a tall, hooded lady visited the room.

"I'm so sorry, lola, I should have arrived a week earlier," she says, who also sat by the bedside and gently held the sick elderly's hand. "I had a 20 hours and 7 minutes flight from Miami to Manila, I'm even an hour late from traffic." She added in disappointment. Her grandmother, carefully looked up at her grown granddaughter, still covered in a gray hoodie and a cap underneath. Soaked head to toe from the storm outside and seemingly forced her way in hurriedly even during the typhoon.

Coming to that realization, the grandmother just smiles. She carefully lifts her hand, soothingly brushing it onto her granddaughter's head before removing the hood and cap off "It's alright, dear child."

Even in her hoodie and sweatpants, the grandmother already knew it was really her just by looking at the granddaughter's dark blue ocean-tinted eyes and underneath her drenched black hair tied in a lazy bun, there dangles an eye-catching pair of earrings. Modernly designed the hereditary family emblem in the unique shape of an angel wing. It's made of gold and accentuated with a Sodalite stone on the front base. Every memory flashed before her eyes, the nostalgia of remembering the young sweet grandchild she took care of 22 years ago.

"Naria, remember this, whenever you wish to see me I am forever grateful you came." the granddaughter, Naria, nodded in response as her eyes twinkled. She's almost on the verge of tears but wiped off dry by the grandmother's soft fingertips.

"How are you, lola, how was home?"

"We're all doing just fine, how about you?"

"I'm happy to be back here. Are you really sure y'all are doing fine?"

"Of course we are." The answer still did not satisfy the concerned granddaughter, furrowing her eyebrows in doubt. "The doctor did say you'll be sent home, but..." Naria fails to continue, as she might bring much more discomfort to both of them.

The grandmother tightens her grip around her hand, easily empathizing with Naria's feelings "Naria, don't worry about us. Soon when I'm healed, things will be in great condition once I return home."

She knows her grandmother tries to make a positive remark, but hearing that somehow worsens her mood. The disappointed look on her face is not changing the slightest as she sighs deeply, resisting that 'feeling' that keeps her anxiety awake. "I'm glad to hear that but, lola, please I want to remind you that I'm not a child anymore." the grandmother listens intriguingly yet confusedly to Naria's 'random' response. "What do you mean, dear?"

Naria shifts a bit closer, answering the question in a whispery manner, but still enough for the ill grandmother to hear "I don't believe our home is doing well at all, ever since mom had been taken away."

The old woman gaped her mouth open wishing to speak furthermore out of confusion, but incredibly speechless from her granddaughter's words.

"So please, no more lies. I want everyone in our home to be comfortable telling me the truth now. I swore that I shall keep our family's legacy, I swore to give all my efforts to be the best successor and I did, I achieved it." Recognizing the intense gaze of hope in Naria's eyes, the grandmother barely gave it a second thought, so she agreed with a nod.

Finally sets both in the state to be aware of the truth, the truth that will keep them living safely "That's my girl," she chuckles. "Our family truly lives up to our greatest strength. To survive through big and small obstacles for 133 years." Before she proceeds, the grandmother glances at every corner of the room before looking at the television above. "Do you hear that national anthem?" She asks, Naria looks where her grandmother is pointing at.

'Land of the morning, child of the sun returning...'

Every Sunday, morning and night, the National Anthem airs before the live church sermon begins. Just right after the old soap opera show was broadcasted. The TV screen transitions from a church to a priest and his people gathered with their hands on their chests, paying respect to the hymn.

'It's still there.' The granddaughter thought to herself upon seeing the channel never changed. She briefly studied the room afterward, she must remind herself again that it's a hospital. "Oh no, this is one of the moments, isn't it?" She makes a jest cracking up a smile, reminding herself as well this scene is similarly dramatic to a telenovela "Isn't this a little too cliche we start a conversation so seriously with this?"

Their shoulders rhythmically shake giggling as they understandably humor each other, no negativity around the room shall let them down, "I do think so," Her grandmother grins "But I must recall one important thing."

Their hands are held together firmly before she proceeds with the explanation "Your great grandmother surely reached the era of the creation of the anthem, the era when she sacrificed fighting along the war" She slowly zones out deeply in her thoughts, remembering detail every detail as she tells those out with ease.

"It motivated her because it symbolizes the beauty of the country, it also embodies the struggles and glory of the Filipinos battling for Independence. This was heard by the soldiers for the first time during the war; the same manner that we're experiencing it right now." She added, focusing back now on her surroundings giving an eyeful to the taller girl, who appears to be listening attentively.

This is more to take in, but it's now or never.

The grandmother huffs, her expressions softened but her lips twitched struggling to prepare hardly what to confess.

"I'm afraid we'll face another war, a war that is greater than fighting unknown enemies, a war worse than fighting in bloodshed. This is nothing but an unfortunate war we fear between families we trusted and relied on the most."

Naria, bewildered by the truth she did not expect to hear. There is more than what she found. She gently clings her hand to her grandmother's "I don't understand.."

"You will, you'll see it."

At this moment, her whole body trembles, kneeling on one knee on the ground, to kiss her old lady's hand. Bless, or known as 'Mano' is a Filipino tradition, a cultural honoring gesture that involves kissing an elder's hand in respect or greeting.

Naria remains in her position. "Trust me, our home shall improve in much better progress with me, I know everything, I figured it all out myself."

The proud grandmother watched her granddaughter bow as she spoke tenderly "Once again you're exceeding my high expectations from you, my angel."

"But I failed to seek for you when I should have done that a long time ago."

The grandmother just hushes, gesturing to let Naria lean closer. She obeys as the grandmother places her palm onto Naria's cold cheeks, the dried tears crisping onto her granddaughter's skin from the chilly air of the melancholic room. But it did not matter, both had to stay until one of them listened to one other.

"I'm sure you were busy, you studied, you worked so hard. Instead of celebrating after what you have accomplished, you chose to stay here."

Naria replies holding onto her grandmother's delicate hands as she shakes her head "Who else would I celebrate with? You, nanny, mom, and dad are the only family I have." Both share a burst of good light-hearted laughter. Lightening up the mood within the room little by little. Even if this means to be a bittersweet reunion.

But abruptly stop when they hear the door slammed open, behind there's a chubby middle-aged woman, dramatically dressed in a black outfit, matching with a wide-brimmed hat in the same color. "Do I not belong in this family?"

"Aunt Amber.." Naria gasped as she recognized the guest in one look, who seemed to overheard their conversation.