Individual identity is defined by being yourself:
Learning to home your intrinsic abilities can lead to incredible results because your method of expressing yourself and accomplishing things is unique.
Because you don't have time to satisfy others, you focus on what you want, and that is authority. The moment you focus on the goals that will bring you to success, you've already learnt to be yourself.
I was true to myself, but most of the time, I am lying to myself. It really sucks pretending to others that you are happy. It was like my whole life was a lie that I even hidden my own daughter from her real father.
"Punta tayong opening ng Magayon Festival!" pag-aaya ni Ken na aking kaibigan kaya naman ay napatingin kami sa kaniya.
"Ayan ka na naman, paano naman itong si Rina?" I asked her, then rolled my eyes.
"Ay oo nga 'no? Isama natin ang anak mo, nandiyan naman ang Tito Ralph niya para kargahin siya. " she said, pointing to Ralph, who was silently watching television.
"Ewan ko sa'yo, kung anu-ano na lang ang pinaplano mo." maarte kong tugon sa kaniya at pinuntahan si Rina na naglalaro ng kaniyang mga little ponnies na stuff toys.
"Are you not yet tired?" I asked my daughter.
She looked at me with her sleepy eyes and nodded. I smiled at her and carried her.
I really love my daughter that much. She is my life.
I don't think I can survive the struggles of life without her. I know that I made a mistake by being pregnant at an early age, but I can't do anything about it. I was careless at that time.
I didn't know that I was going to be pregnant by means of doing such a thing. I was carried away and I felt sorry for myself, but then as years passed by, I accepted my daughter and loved her so much, just like how I loved her father.
"Mommy, I want milk." she softly uttered.
Inilagay ko siya sa sofa at saka pinabantayan muna kay Kennedy para bantayan siya at huwag mahulog. Pumunta akong kusina para pagtimplahan siya ng gatas.
Yes, I made a mistake, but that mistake made me stronger. I planned to abort my daughter way back then after knowing that I was pregnant. But thanks to my friends because they stopped me.
Imbes na ipalaglag ko ang anak ko dahil sa katangahan ko ay sinuportahan na lang nila ako na tanggapin ang bata. They made me realize that I need to embrace my mistake and face reality. Estudyante pa lang naman kasi ako noong nabuntis ako kay Sabrina Reginald kaya 'yon ang unang pumasok sa isip ko.
Natakot ako sa taong nagpapaaral sa akin dahil alam kong ikakasuklam nila ang pagkakamali ko. Pero malaki ang pasasalamat ko dahil kalauna 'y natanggap rin naman nila. I returned to our home in Visayas to care for myself while pregnant with my daughter .I even stopped my studies and continued right after I gave birth to her.
"Here's your milk, baby." I smiled and kissed her cheeks.
"Sleep well, Rina. We will go to Magayon Festival later." sambit naman ni Kennedy sa kaniya kaya kaagad na pinikit ni Rina ang kaniyang mga mata.
Ganiyan siya ka-masunurin kapag may pupuntahan kami. Lalo na kapag nandito ang Tita Ken niya dahil palagi siyang pinagbibigyan kung ano man ang gusto niya.
Hindi naman kasi lahat ng kagustuhan ni Rina ay naibibigay ko dahil hindi pa ako rehistradong Engineer. I tried the board exam last year but I failed it. Kaya ngayon namang taon ay susubukin kong muli.
Wala namang masama kung susubukin ko ulit eh. Ang importante ay ginawa ko ang lahat na aking makakakaya.
Nang mag-alas sais nga ay pumunta kami sa park para makisalubong sa opening ng magayon festival.
Daragang Magayon Festival is a month-long province-wide festival held in May that resurrects the mythology of Mayon Volcano through threatrical displays, street dancing, and a variety of special events.The festival, which literally means "beautiful," is a month-long summer celebration that depicts the mythology of "Daragang Magayon," the source of Mayon Volcano.
Ito ang panahon kung saan ko siya nakilala. This is where our love story all started. Meeting Octavius Reggie is an incident that I will never forget in my life. I owe him for staying by my side whenever I doubt myself, but then I eventually let him go.
I let him go because I didn't want him to lose the profession that he reached before he met me.
"Wow!" sambit ni Rina nang mag umpisa na ang fireworks display.
The fireworks display reflecting on her eyes made me smile. My daughter's innocence in such things is fluttering.
"Mommy, look! Ang ganda! "sambit niya na puno ng galak kaya niyakap ko siya.
Sabay ng aking pagyakap sa kaniya ay ang pagkuha naman sa amin ni Ken ng litrato.
"Ang sweet niyo namang mag-ina. Sana magka-baby na rin ako, "tugon sa amin ni Ken kaya napangiti ako sa kaniya.
"Ni-wala ka ngang boyfriend, Ken tapos nangangarap ka pa ng anak diyan." tugon sa kaniya ni Haisely kaya inirapan niya ito.
"Kayo ni Ralph, gawa na rin kayong baby." pagbibiro niyang nakatanggap ng masamang tingin mula sa dalawa naming kaibigan.
Ralph is bisexual, which is why he and Haisely split up years ago. Nalaman lang naman no 'n nang makita siya ni Haisely na may kasamang bakla na akala ni Haisely ay babae.
Noong una ay nagalit kami sa kaniya kasi hindi naman deserve ni Haisely ang lokohin pero tinanggap na rin namin. He doesn't deserve the hate because, after all, he is still a human. And the fact that Ralph is bisexual does not diminish his worth as a person.
Pakatapos ng fireworks display bigla na lang tumakbo si Rina sa gitna ng maraming tao. Hinahabol niya bigla ang isang lalaki na may hawak-hawak na mga lobo.
Naku naman talagang anak kong 'to!
"Rina!" tawag ko sa kaniya pero hindi niya ako narinig hanggang sa huminto siya sa tapat ng isang lalaki.
Nang maabutan ko sila ay kaagad ko siyang kinarga. "Ikaw talaga! Sabi ko naman sa'yong huwag kang tatakbo basta-basta. Mabuti na lang at naabutan kita! " saway ko sa kaniya pero natawa lang ang anak ko.
"Thank y---"
I paused when I recognized the man who stopped my daughter from running away from me. Dahil sa muli naming pagtatagpo, ako napamura sa sariling isipan.
Shocks! Kailan pa siya bumalik rito sa Pilipinas?
"O-Octav?"