Chapter 3: We meet again

Kasalukuyang nanonood ng T.V. si Sera ng katukun siya ng kanyang papa. 

Mr. Madrigal: May bisita ka anak. 

Sera: Sino po yon, pa?

Mr. Madrigal: Some girl named Serena.

Sera: Sige po, papa. Salamat.


Pagbaba ni Sera ay agad niyang nakita si Serena na naglilibot sa loob ng bahay nila.


Sera: Rena?


Rena: Sera! Kamusta ka na?


Sera: Rena, ikaw nga! okay lang naman ako, ikaw, kamusta na?

Rena: Eto, okay pa rin. Ang ganda ng bahay ninyo, ah


Sera: Salamat. Ano pala ang ginagawa mo rito?


Rena: Dito na raw kami titira, Sera! 


Sera: Mabuti naman. Halika, pasyal tayo. Pa, mamasyal muna kami ni Sera.


Mr. Madrigal: Okay, hija


Nagkakilala si Sera at Rena one year ago. They were both having their summer dance workshop. Kabilang sila sa iisang grupo kaya naging close sila. Sera was shy while Rena was outgoing. Minsan nga, nagtataka siya kung bakit sila nagkasundo kahit magkaiba ang kani-kanilang ugali. They never had a big fight. Tampuhan lang. Minsan nga ,nauuwi sa cold war. Pero, bukas na bukas rin, nagbabati na sila. Umiyak siya ng umiyak nang malapit ng matapos ang workshop. They promised each other na hindi pa rin mawala ang communication nila. 


Rena: Sige Sera, uuwi na ako


Sera: Sige, bye!


Rena: Bye!


Kinabukasan.......


Teacher: Class, we have a new student. Come in, introduce yourself


Rena: Hi, I'm Serena Rodriguez, you can call me Rena. I came from Tagaytay City.


Teacher: Rena, you can sit in the vacant chair over there.

Chapter 2: Crossroad

Sera: Haaaayyyyyy, salamat. Tapos na po ang klase.

Audrey: Mahal na reyna, gusto niyo po bang mag ice cream na muna tayo doon sa kanto.

Sera: Maraming salamat, tapat na tagapaglingkod, ngunit ako'y uuwi na sapagkat mayroon pa akong gagawin

Audrey: Walang problema iyon sa akin, mahal na reyna. Hahahahahaha!!

Nahawa si Sera sa tawa ni Audrey kays natawa na rin siya. Wala silang pakialam kung pinagtitinginan na sila ng kanyang mga kaklase. Sapagkat nakabawas iyon sa kalungkutang nadarama niya


Sera: Ahahahahaaaa..... Para tayong mga baliw. Pero, thanks for cheering me up a little bit.

Audrey: Naku, wala yun. As long as you're happy, I'm happy


Sera: Aaawwwww. Thanks you're the bestest friend ever.


Audrey: Aaawwww. You too

                                                   ***

Pagdating ni Sera sa bahay, nakita niyang marami ang nakahandang pagkain

Sera: Pa, what's with all the food?

Mr. Madrigal: We're having dinner with them, hija

Sera: With who, papa?

Mr. Madrigal: The one that bought half of this house and the company and his son. So get dressed, hija.

Pagkatapos mag-ayos ni Sera sa kanyang sarili ay bumaba na siya kaagad.

Sera: Are they here na Papa?

Mr. Madrigal: Malapit na silang dumating hija.

Wala pang one minute pagkatapos nilang mag-usap ay dumating na ang mga bisita. Sinalubong agad sila ng kanyang Papa

Mr. Madrigal: Kevin! Mabuti nalang at nakarating ka.

Kevin: Sino ba naman ang tatanggi sa isang reunion, Bernard?

Bernard: Wala naman siguro. Tuloy kayo, ipapakilala kita kay Serafina.

Sera: Papa, are they our guests tonight?

Bernard: Yes hija. Come, meet your ninong, Kevin Castillo, and his son, Kenneth Castillo. 

Sera: Good evening po ninong Kevin, Kenneth

Kevin: Good evening rin, hija. Such a bright girl, right Kenneth?

Bahagyang namula ang mga pisngi ni Sera dahil sa sinabi ng Ninong Kevin niya

Kenneth: Right. Yeah, I know

Sabi nito sabay ngiti sa kanya.

Sera: Salamat. 


Bernard: So, let's have dinner?


Kevin: Yes, yes, let's have dinner.

Pagkatapos nilang mag dinner, ay hindi muna umuwi ang mag-amang Castillo

kaya nagpasya siyang ilibot si Kenneth sa bahay nila

Sera: Mind if I tour you around the house?

Kenneth: Oh, I don't mind but, let' have proper introductions first. I'm Kenneth Castillo. 

Sera: Pleased to meet you Kenneth, I am Serafina Madrigal.  You can call me Sera

Saka niya tinanggap ang nakalahad na kamay ni Kenneth.

Kenneth: Okay, Sera let's tour around your house.

Sera: Let's go the garden first

Kenneth: Okay.

Sera: So tell me about you.

Kenneth: Well, we came from Cebu, but my dad had sudden job transfer so we decided to transfer here.

Sera: Where's your mom?

Kenneth: She already died 4 years ago..

Malungkot na sabi nito

Sera: Oh, sorry to hear that.

Kenneth: No, it's okay

Sera: So what school are you going to?

Kenneth: We're just new here so, I don't know what school I'll be going to.

Sera: It'll be nice if you went to the same school with me.

Kenneth: Yeah

Kevin: Kenneth! Uuwi na tayo

Kenneth: Yeah, Dad, I'll be right there.

Sera: Mukhang uuwi na kayo. Sige, paalam na

Kenneth: Sige, bye Sera!

Sera: Bye, mag-iingat kayo ha?

Kenneth: We promise!

Chapter 1: I can't believe it

Pagdating ni Serafina sa bahay nila, nakita niya na parang may problema ang kanyang ama


Sera: Dad, what's wrong


Mr. Madrigal: Anak..... we're bankrupt........

Hindi makapaniwala si Sera.

Sera: H-how....?

Mr. Madrigal: Marami nang utang ang kompanya natin. Kaya I decided na ibenta ang kompanya natin. But that was not enough to pay all our debts. Kaya...ibinenta ko na rin ang half ng bahay na ito...With that, all our debts our paid

Sera: So what is going to happen to us?

Mr. Madrigal: Napagkasunduan namin ng bumili ng half ng bahay na ito na tumira nalang tayo with them. Total, sa atin din naman ang half hindi ba?
So, what do you say hija?


Sera: I'm not quite sure.... So, saan ka na magtatrabaho ngayon?


Mr. Madrigal: That's not a problem hija. I'll be working at our company from now on.

Sera: You can't do that!


Mr. Madrigal: Why, hija?

Sera: Hindi ba parang nakakahiya sa lahat ng employees natin noon? I'm sure pagtatawanan ka nila.


Mr. Madrigal: I sure they will not hija. I may not be the president anymore but still, They were with me for 10 years.

Sera: If you say so. Goodnight dad.


Mr. Madrigal: Goodnight too, hija

                                                 ***

Kinabukasan, Pagdating ni Sera sa classroom nila, sinalubong siya ni Audrey

Audrey: Sera, tawag ako ng tawag sa'yo hindi ka naman sumasagot

Sera: You did? Hindi ko napansin ah.

Audrey: Tell me, what's bothering you?

Sera: Huh? Wala naman ah?

Audrey: Come on Sera, Matagal na tayong magkakilala. Ngayon ka pa ba magsisinungaling sa'kin?


Sera: Really Audrey, there's nothing bothering me.


Audrey: I insist. You have a problem.


Sera: Alright, alright I'll tell you. Pero, later na.


Audrey: Okay

Pagsapit ng lunch, pumunta sila sa kanilang paboritong lugar.

Audrey: So, spill it out.


Sera: Auds...We're bankrupt..


Audrey: Why?


Sera: Don't ask that question...

Audrey: Paano na kayo ng Daddy mo?

Sera: He said na ibinenta daw niya ang half ng bahay namin. And, magtatrabaho daw siya sa kompanya namin...


Audrey: As what?


Sera: I don't know, I forgot to ask him


Audrey: It's okay Sera. You will get through this.