While waiting for my blasted ex-webhost to migrate my domain and restore my old web posts, I’ve been doing a bit of spring cleaning. My Pa had said that in many ways, I’m my mother’s daughter because I also have this tendency to hoard things. Wanting to prove him wrong, I told myself to let go of the clutter that I’ve accumulated over the years – old school books, school reports, used clothes and a lot of paperback titles from various authors. I plan to keep some of the titles from the authors that I still love, like McNaught and Rice…while sell the ones written by writers whom I’ve already outgrown.
While sorting the books into piles, I found an old folio containing the first chapters of the very first romance story I ever submitted to a publishing house (the now defunct VR). The manuscript was all yellowed from the passage of time. I cannot help but smile as I recalled writing the piece using an old manual typewriter. Well, VR rejected it. I remembered abeing a bit hurt by this at the time but the editor was encouraging enough to tell me that I got “potential”… but I need to tone down the sensual bits (an advice I didn’t take, sorry). Still, it was a good learning experience for me…how to handle rejection and all. It made me more determined to continue writing. After that particular incident, I did some creative writing at the university and later on went to do technical writing gigs and filler articles for some publications.Yes, yes…I was once a “ghost writer” 
.
I went on to read the first chapter and tried not to grimace. I dunno ..but compared to what I write nowadays, it was too melodramatic…and written in mostly in an archaic Tagalog voice, too!
Iniabot kay Von ng abogado ang isang pakete. Naglalaman iyon ng kopya ng testamento ng nasira niyang inang si Mercedes Robredo Escaler. Nagulat siya nang makita ang isang microcassette na nakapaloob doon.
“Sinabihan ako ng iyong Mama na ibigay sa iyo ‘yan kung mawala na siya,” sabi ni Atty. Delgado, ang abogado ng kanilang pamilya.
Tumango si Von sa sinabi nito at pinindot ang “play” button ng microcassete. Pumailanlang ang boses ng kanyang ina mula dito.
“Von, if you have this…it only meant that I have died,” narinig niyang sabi ng ina bago natigilan ng ilang segundo. Dinig niya ang malalim na paghinga nito. “I am leaving everything to you, the company and the properties. Alam kong magiging mabuti kang pinuno. I have followed your achievements abroad and despite what you think, I am very, very proud of you.”
Again there was a pause before her mother continued.
“I know my time’s limited already. Hindi na ako magtatagal pa. I know I have a lot of faults as a mother. I did a lot of things that I later regretted. Anak, may nagawa akong napakalaking kasalanan sa iyo and I want to come clean this time. It’s about Julia.”
Natigilan si Von nang narinig ang pangalan ng estraged wife niya. The child bride he married six years ago. The wife who betrayed him with another man…
“I hated her. I thought she was not good enough for you. And I want to destroy her in your eyes. And I did, anak. Nagawa kong paghiwalayin kayo. Akala ko’y magiging masaya na ako sa aking nagawa. But my victory was hallow…dahil nawala ka rin sa akin.”
“Hindi totoong nagtaksil siya. Gawa-gawa ko lang ang lahat. Pinagsisisihan ko na ang nagawa ko. I deprived you of your wife and also in the process, I also deprived myself of my own grandchild. Yes, Von….she bore you a son.”
Very soapy indeed! Hahaha.
