The D Spot

She’s now 18 years old, until now it still does not sink in—not with her, not with her friends, not with us her family. A quarter of an hour before the strike of midnight, there I was just watching her playing with her pet in Pet Society, with a smile on her face—a simple pleasure. I thought that when we hugged at 12mn, something would change, just about something. Nothing. But she’s 18 already, there must be something, I thought. She’s still the same Chato, or Angela. We just hugged tightly, and and then she said, “I am 18, Ma, I am 18!” And yes, it mattered, this is another milestone in her life.

Seems like she cannot ask for anything more at this stage in her life.We did not plan a coming out party for her, just like how it was with her elder sister, Monica, now 25. With Pauline now 16, they plan to have a debut party all together—the 3 of them, even if they are not really 18 years old. And they look forward to it, it would be fun they all agreed earlier.

But there will be something waiting for her. She has planned a small party with her friends—she’s 18 and will be graduating from high school next week. I have booked a 3-bedroom unit for her at the Discovery Suites, one of her favorite places. There will be a party, it has all been planned and arranged. Ahhh, teenagers.

Since she has passed UPCAT , USTET and was wait listed in ADMU, Chato’s confidence level has increased so much. She has already registered in her dream school—the University of the Philippines. Until now, 2 months after, she still luxuriates in the idea that she will go to UP for her college. Her achievements, and that of her siblings, make us all proud of them “seven” and happy. Each passing day makes me pause at the end of the day, take a look at them and heartily say, “Thank you Lord, are they really all mine? I can’t contain my happiness, I am super blessed—I feel fulfilled as a mother.” That was what hit me hard on that early morning of Chato’s birthday, when I lingered for a while in her room. Chato and I have a bond so strong that sometimes we feel so alike, write alike (how we love poetry, too—writing and reading them).

As my grandmother (bless her soul) would always say, a birthday of each child is equally my birthday, another new beginning, I say, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHAT! Happy Happy Birthday! (Happy birthday to me, as well!).

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