> Portrait
I always dreamed of having a perfect family picture.
My mother had a family portrait in my grandparent’s house which for years constantly awed me. They’ve got nice dresses, pimple-free faces, nice jewelries and great smiles. Later on, I realized it’s an oil painting made in such a way that they’ll look like rich hacienderos/as and my grandparents powerful senor/a.
At five, we left Marinduque and tried our luck in Bicol. My two elder sisters, who are in school that time with my aunt have no idea we’ve actually moved. It’s better, what you don’t know won’t hurt you.
Except for Christmas and summer vacations, our family has never been complete. Everday, me and my younger brother counted days before the BIG day came, when we can have our sisters again. I knew my sisters have their own countdown too.
And then came Jeff. I thought he’s ours completely. Not until he reached three-month old and we have to let our grandparents took care of him. I can’t understand WHY yet the endless tears in my mother’s eyes are enough explanation. Soft as I am, I cried with her.
That day I learned the art of crying hideously. Every night, when the lights came out I will grab my pillow, and started selling my own drama. Tears are good for the eyes, they said, which I agree less. I have poor eyesight ever since. Or maybe I had enough of bad & sad memories.
Ten years later, I realized lady luck is not sleeping. We became complete. That time, we are building our own identities. And we have Jeff to guide, motivate and inspire. We became instant parents, we shared the common goal of molding Jeff to be like us. We all loved and will never forget that experience.
I remember we laughed together, teased each others, watched TV/movies all the time, sung lot of songs. We fought several times, hurted other’s ego, cried and hated each other momentarily, yet never forgot to be responsible and sensible as well. It was one of the best days of our lives.
When we’re complete, we always made attempts to have a PERFECT family picture. We usually failed. Either bad camera, overexposed film, low battery, or that Papa, was not smiling like we did, Mama looked tired, Ate Joyce was sleepy, Ate Queency had a bad makeup, J-an’s a bad lighting, and Jeff focused elsewhere.
I admit we might not achieved perfect family picture in our lifetime yet our memories together are more than enough.
