glorious friday morning
i dont know what it is about this morning that found me smiling; a light, calm, even happy feeling inside. i am Amelie, basking in an unnamed state of bliss both beautiful and pure. i don't even catch myself suspicious of some conspiracy the cosmos is setting up for me. this is good. there are so many things to do and i like it.

thank you, universe.thank you, God.





i love you, terenggoy

dear tere,

it's almost your birthday. last night when i got home, the lights were already off and you were deeply ensconced in your pillows and sheets. as usual, i tiptoed my way about the room because you hate it when your sleep gets disturbed even by the tiniest of my movement. i guess you heard the ruffling of the plastic bag i brought inside and you woke up, feigning annoyance but i knew,really, that you wanted to know what was inside that bag. i told you
this and you didn't try to hide it, we laughed. oh i know you very well, tere.

you are my baby. i dont exactly remember how it was when you were still in Mama's womb. i was a baby myself then. i didn't care about you; i even hated you because you kept making Mama's trips to the hospital more frequent than when she was carrying TJ. i hated you because i thought Papa wanted to leave us because he didn't like you coming. and i hated you
because Papa did leave us and the money was never enough after he left and after you came.

oh but Tj loved you. he kept asking if he could play with you when you get home. he kept squealing everytime your little fingers would curl around his. he beamed when Mama told him he would from then on be kuya. everyone thought you were very pretty. they kept taking your pictures. Tatay even bought you a dress for your first birthday party and Nanay always slept with you tucked beside her. you had the softest curly hair and the cutest dimple, you know. and how you could dance! you were very pretty, i have to admit.

i took care of you and Tj. Mama said i am your ate but you didn't really like me then. we would always fight over the silliest of things; you always wanted to have my dolls, my roller skates,even my lunch box. soon enough, Tj, you and i would be screaming at each other but at nights, we would still end up with our i love you's and kisses. but it was you who always got to sleep beside Mama because you were the baby.

do you remember that we used to call you baho? you didn't like taking a bath, combing your hair or brushing your teeth. all you wanted was to play. and you did just that by yourself, talking to yourself, being all the characters in whatever scenario was in your little mind then.

i don't know how it happened,how i've become the Most Important Person in your life as you now claim. i hated you, see. but now, everything that i work for is for you, because of you.

people marvel at our closeness. they say it's a wonder how sisters can be really good friends. oh, you are my best friend, tere. nobody knows my heart and my mind like you do.

i know that you sometimes feel "alone" because a number of persons dear to you have gone: some to a place better than this world, some to seek happiness, and some just simply left. but i will stay. remember what i told you once? you yourself will go and live your life but i shall stay.

i'll be the proudest ate in the CHS Auditorium when you graduate in March. i'll be prouder than any mother or father there is. God gave you to me and i'm so thankful for that.

happy birthday.

love,

achi