"NANA, I have good news for you," when Mia caught up with her mother Rosita who was busy watering the ornamental plants in their yard.
Just like before, the girl pushed the iron gate and kissed her mother’s hand when she got close to her.
“I knew it already. Your classmate told me about it,” replied Rosita as she stares at her with so much affection.
Mia's beautiful eyebrows met. "Classmate? Who is that classmate you’re talking about?" she asked in surprise.
"That handsome boy? Son of Fidel and Aurora?" answered her mother.
That's when Mia fully understood what her mother meant. And at the same time, she quickly felt a thrill that she couldn't stop because of the beautiful smile that broke her lips.
"Ah, are you talking about Erik?" even though she already knew that was what her mother Rosita was referring to, she still felt good about saying that.
"Yes," she said, returning the hose and accompanying her to the terrace of the house. "Very handsome boy. You know sweetie, if you will have a boyfriend someday, I want someone as handsome and as smart as that boy. Wait, isn't he courting you?"
At her mother Rosita's last question, Mia couldn't stop herself from laughing softly.
"Oh no, as a matter of fact, I am so sure that he will not like me. Erik is popular at school, and most of the girls like and have a crush on him. They are all beautiful and so much better than me so he will be far from noticing me," she said with what she thought was really happening.
"I cooked a snack in the kitchen. Eat, rest and later at six o'clock get dressed. We'll leave and eat dinner outside," Nana Rosita said when she saw her entering the house.
Mia had taken off her shoes then place them on the rack and put on her inside slippers.
"Okay," was her short answer.
She was already in the kitchen and was currently eating a sweetened banana when her mother joined her at the table.
"What are you saying Erik won't like you when you're such a beautiful girl?" she started while taking a small bowl to eat a sweetened banana as well.
That's when Mia sadly sighed.
"I don't even know who my real parents are, do I? Do you think a man will truly love me if they find out about my past?"
"Maybe I don't have a husband but I also had a boyfriend before. We were not lucky because he died early, and that's the reason why I never fell in love again," she said while chewing a banana.
"Really, Nana?" Mia asked, suddenly feeling curious about what her adoptive mother had said.
"Yes, that's why I also know something about such talks. And I believe that true love does not look at a person's shortcomings. Because true love is always ready to overcome all those shortcomings."
"What do you mean?" Mia asked confused.
"I mean, maybe that's how you think of yourself. But it seems to me that your flaws are what will make you find a man who will truly love you one day. You know, he'll give his all if you don't have it. Everything he knows you should have; he'll try to get it to give you all that. And if I'm the one to ask, I want it to be Erik," Rosita, her tone serious but full of anticipation.
Mia can’t help but blushed when her mother said that. It's nice to think that she wants Erik for her. Especially since she knows that as a teacher her standard is naturally high. So, she was grateful that she liked Erik, even though the truth was that there was nothing between that young lad except for being of the same class.
"After you finish here, get dressed, rest and we'll leave," Nana Rosita repeated what she told her earlier when she was just entering the house.
"Why are we eating out?" she asked.
Her mother smiled at her. "Celebration for you being the top one of course. Well, I guess I'm the luckiest mother in the whole world because from kinder to up until now you've been consistently number one," the pride in her tone made Mia very happy.
Mia nodded with a smile. "Wow, okay, Nana," she said.
When Nana Rosita left her, Mia remembered how she ended up under the guidance of Nana Rosita. Because before her, two families had already adopted her.
That was not very clear in Mia's mind, but she was three years old when her first adopter and that was how it all started.
All she remembers is that they were wealthy because she had her own room, and their house was big. They also own a car. They had no children so when she was given to them the couple immediately accepted her.
But in the end, unexpectedly, the couple got pregnant and had a child. In the beginning, it was fine, but in the end, they didn't stand up for her and ended up being adopted by others. That was because she has always been ill and ended up being in the hospital.
The couple said they have no plans to spend more money on her since they are not blood-related.
They also said they would rather spend the money on their own child.
The next to adopt her were a couple with four male children.
They hurt her physically and in the end, one of them tried to rape her when she was five years old, so she ran away.
In front of the church subaltern by their village, she then saw Nana Rosita.
She was buying bottled water and banana fritters. And she was there.
She was hungry then. She hadn't eaten in a few days which is why even though it was embarrassing and didn't want to, she still couldn't stop looking at the banana fritters the lady was holding.
Mia didn't notice that lady saw him. Nana Rosita talked to her, gave her food, and eventually went home with her, to her big house.
That's when her life started to improve.
Nana Rosita treated her like a real family. A daughter.
She is a teacher that’s why she’s strict. but that's okay. Because she learns a lot from her.
Her Nana Rosita is the reason why since she started school, she strives to be number one in the class and the whole school. Because she wants to show her that everything, she gave her will never go to waste. Because she wants to prove to her that one day, she will give her a wonderful life, which she knows a loving mother like her deserves.