Foolish Hearts – part 8

A/N: This is a continuation to Foolish Hearts – part 7

Author: Hanah6181

~*~

Chapter 8 – The Drive

Saturday, 7:45 a.m., Richard and Maya were at the condo unit of Ysabel pressing the doorbell. As agreed a week before, they were to travel to San Nicolas together using Richard’s car. He suggested using only one car since he doesn’t know how to get to their hometown. Logistically, it would be easier and cheaper for them to be in one vehicle. However, that Saturday morning, Ysa wasn’t responding to Maya’s phone call so they decided to go up to her unit to check on her.

Richard and Maya had been waiting for almost 10 minutes when finally, the door opened. Ysa obviously had just woken up since was still in her robe when she peeped thru the door.

“Hello Ysa.” Maya greeted her friend.

“Hi Maya.” She answered lazily and opened the door wider. Then, she saw the figure beside Maya. “Ay, good morning Sir Richard.” She tightened her robe closer to her body.

“Naku, sorry, kagigising ko lang. We have to go na? Teka, teka.” There was an obvious panic in Ysa behavior.

“Oo, ano Ysa, ligo ka na hihintayin ka na lang namin. Hindi mo ba kami papasukin?” Maya gave her friend a strange look. They were still in the doorway having conversation.

“Ah… eh… kasi…na late kami umuwi kagabi. Ikaw naman ang aga aga mo umuwi.” Ysa stammered; her thoughts in disarray.

It appeared to Richard that Maya and Ysa were together the previous night. Before he could ask what Ysa was referring to, they heard a man’s voice coming from the bedroom. “Babe, what’s taking you long?”

Ysa blushed as she looked at Maya who seemed surprised. Maya recognized Lino’s voice. Richard who has been observing the two was unaffected by the girls reactions.

Richard took over the conversation. “So, Ysa makakasabay ka ba sa amin sa pag-uwi sa San Nicolas?” He plainly asked.

“Ayy, Sir, okay lang ba na mauna na kayo ni Maya? Kasi alam n’yo na, maghahanda pa kami.” Ysa was a bit apologetic in her request.

“It’s fine. Can you manage to go there later?”

“Kami na lang ang mag-da-drive pauwi.” It was Lino who responded to his question. He joined them at the door. He was still in his pajamas. “Hi Maya.” He winked at her.

Maya took the cue and introduced the two men. “Ricky, si Lino ang boyfriend ni Ysabel. Taga San Nicolas din s’ya.”

Lino extended his hand to Richard. “Hi Ricky, nice to meet you. So, ikaw pala ang boyfriend ni Maya.” After saying that, Ysa elbowed him. Maya blushed at the assumption.

Richard grinned as they shook hands. “Nice meeting you too, Lino.” Then, he glanced at Maya who was uneasy after Lino’s comment . He turned his attention back to the couple. “So, I guess we’ll go ahead of you. Magkikita na lang tayo doon later.”

“Sige, sir. See you later.” Ysa bade them goodbye.

~*~

A few minutes later, Richard and Maya were in SLEX on their way to San Nicolas. Maya noticed that Richard was grinning while he was driving.

She couldn’t help but ask him. “Ricky, bakit naka-smile ka dyan.”

“Well, natawa lang ako kay Lino. He assumed that I’m your boyfriend.” He stole a glance at her.

Maya didn’t respond to his comment but instead talked about what they saw. “Ah, ang akala ko eh yung dahil naabutan natin sila together. Hindi ba parang ang awkward ng situation?”

“What’s awkward? Aren’t they in a relationship?” He clarified.

“Oo, pero kasi di ba… ano… alam mo na… since they are in her place and early morning… we already know that…ganu’n..” She said intermittently as if she was embarrassed by her own judgment.

“Ah, you mean they’ve slept together. Were you affected by that?” He momentarily took his eyes away from the road to see her reaction. One of his eyebrows was raised.

“Not really, ano lang, parang awkward. Alam ko naman na that can happen for some couples even outside of marriage. Kaya lang parang hindi ko inexpect sa kanila, ewan ko ba.” She explained.

“Maya, I think they are in love with each other. When a person is in love, that person expresses his or her love for the other person. It’s normal. ” He faced her and saw that she was thinking. A thought of kissing her flashed in his head. He wondered how it would feel if he kissed her. Then, he had to remind himself that he hasn’t declared his feelings for her. For each day that he spent trying to get to know her better, she was becoming more special to him.

Richard remembered Ysa’s comment about the previous night. “Anyway, ano ‘yung sabi ni Ysa na umuwi ka ng maaga kahapon? Did something happen?” He sounded concerned.

“Ah yun? Kahapon kasi, we went out with our friends. By 11:00 p.m., umuwi na ako kasi nag-iinuman na sila. Di naman ako pwede makipagsabayan sa kanila, so I decided to go home.”

“That late? So, is it normal that you guys go out on a Friday?” Richard asked. He has the same routine with his friends so he wanted to check with her if she has the same practice. He didn’t like the idea that she was out that late without him.

“Sila madalas. Ako naman kung available lang or may occasion lang.” She responded.

They talked about their friends and activities they do with their friends. Eventually, Maya got tired of talking that she dozed off. They have been driving for 1 ½ hours and they still had 2 hours more before they reach San Nicolas.

After 30 minutes Maya stirred. She just opened her eyes when she saw a piece of GI sheet flew out of the big truck that they were trailing. The sheet almost hit their car, causing Richard to quickly swerve the vehicle to the right. This sudden movement triggered Maya to exclaim in fear as she thought they met an accident.

“Oh my god! Rickyyyy!” She shrieked on top of her lungs at the same time holding Richard’s arms. It was good that Richard had good grip on the steering wheel and a presence of mind as it could have really caused them an accident.

“Maya, calm down. Nakakagulat ang reaction mo.” He said as he pulled over on the right side of the highway. “Are you okay?” He noticed that Maya’s hands were still holding his right arm tightly.

“Ah, I’m okay. Nagulat lang ako kasi akala ko tatama sa car mo ‘yung yero. Then, you swerved.” She explained her reaction. She removed her hands from his arm but he quickly grabbed her left hand with his right. He pressed it lightly.

“I’m sorry, I swerved. That was the only way I could avoid that GI sheet. Anyway, we’re okay now.” He looked at her tenderly as he remembered her facial expression earlier.

Her heart thumped when she got conscious of his warm touch. She didn’t pull away her hand. She just smiled back. “Okay. Ingat na lang sa byahe. Or, if you want me to drive, I can do it too.” She offered.

“No need Maya.” He intertwined their fingers as they continued on with their trip to San Nicolas. They occasionally glanced at each other with secret smiles on their faces.

Their hands remained locked for a long time until Richard’s fuel gauge signaled they were running out of gas. As he stopped at next gas station, he had no choice but to release her hand when he turned the ignition off and took his wallet from his pocket.

At the gas station, Maya suggested they take a snack at McDonald’s. Richard volunteered to order food for them while Maya waited in their table.

After a few minutes, Richard was on his way to join Maya carrying a tray with their food. He paused when he saw her talking to man. He couldn’t see the face but he saw the side view of the guy. They have the same height and body built.

However, what struck him was the way Maya smiled at him. He noticed that there was a twinkle in her eyes too. It was a familiar expression that she exhibits recently whenever they were together. It was that expression that makes him happy. He felt his heart ache a little when he realized that she bestowed the same smile and gaze to another guy.

As he joined her on the table, he asked. “Who was that?” He didn’t have the chance to meet the guy face to face but he saw him hug Maya before he left.

Maya was still smiling when she answered. “Si Eric, kaibigan namin, taga San Nicolas din. Pauwi rin s’ya today.”

Although he only saw Eric from a distance, Richard knew that he didn’t like the guy.

~*~

After taking a light snack, they were back on the road leading to San Nicolas. Richard became quiet. Maya noticed that Richard only had short responses to her questions and his attention was focused on his driving.

“Hmmm, parang tahimik ka na? Are you tired?” She checked.

“No” He tried to smile. He was still thinking of the scene at McDonald’s. “So, what’s our plan this afternoon?” He asked to divert his attention to something else.

“Mamasyal tayo after mong mag check-in sa hotel. There are places in San Nicolas that I’d like you to see. Pero, mukhang tayo lang dalawa ang makakapasyal dahil sila Ysa malamang gabi pa dadating.” She responded.

“That’s good.” He got excited at the prospect of spending the rest of the day with her.

“Huh?” She gave him a quizzical look.

“I meant, it’s good we can spend time together, as in alone.” He took his eyes off the road to look at her. Then, he reached out for her left hand. She didn’t refuse him. Their fingers were interlocked again.

At one point he commented, “Okay talaga pag ang sasakyan ay automatic transmission.”

“Dahil?”

“My free hand can do this.” He slightly raised their hands to emphasize his point.

“Ricky… unsafe naman ‘tong ginagawa mo.” Referring to holding hands while driving.

He laughed. “Yeah, unsafe sa puso ko.” He whispered but enough for Maya to hear it.

Again, Maya almost died of giddiness with his utterance.

~*~

It was almost 1 p.m. when they stopped at a two story traditional house in San Nicolas. They’ve reached Maya’s home. At the first floor was a small eatery while the 2nd level was the main house.

Maya excitedly got out of the car when she saw one of her grandmother’s sweeping the yard.

“Inang Kosang!!” She greeted her grandmother. She took the elder lady’s hand for the customary greeting. “Mano po.”

“Ayyy, apo, Maya. Umuwi ka? Akala ko ba sabi ng Nanay mo ay hindi ka uuwi?” The old woman was happy to see her.

“Dapat po sana, pero nagbago po isip ko.” Maya responded in a slightly louder voice since her grandmother has some hearing issues. Then, she turned to Richard who just joined them.

“Good afternoon po. Mano po.” Richard greeted Maya’s grandmother. He was smiling.

“Inang Kosang, si Ricky po ang kasama ko.” It was a short introduction.

The old lady was momentarily stunned evidenced by the widening of her eyes. Her eyes shifted back and forth from Maya and Richard. When she opened her mouth, she called out names in strained voice as she began to cry.

“Isang! Conching! Isang! Conching!” She took a handkerchief from her chest to wipe away her tears. “Mag-parine kayo! Si Maya, nag-asawa na!”

“Ano po?” Maya and Richard exclaimed at the same time.

Foolish Hearts – part 7

A/N: This is a continuation of Foolish Hearts – 7

Author: Hanah6181

Chapter 7 – The Moves

Maya arrived at the office Monday morning with all her officemates in the HR department teasing her. She came late as she overslept due to tiredness from all the packing activities they did the previous day. She didn’t understand what the commotion was about until she reached her workstation and found a large bouquet of flowers on top of her table.

The message was simple. “Hope you have a good day today. I’m looking forward to dinner later. Will be there by 6:00 p.m. ” He signed it in his distinct style, RL.

She couldn’t control her giddiness. She was smiling broadly as she examined the pink long stem roses. They were so beautiful. When she carried the bouquet in her arms later that day, she felt like she was a beauty queen.

Maya was at the lobby at exactly 6:00 p.m. and found Richard waiting for her. He stood up from where he was seated and smiled at her. The moment she saw him, her heartbeats raced. In her thoughts, “gosh, why is this guy so good looking that I could just die seeing his dimple and eyes.”

“Good evening, Maya.” He took automatically took her computer bag. Since she had her flowers on her other arm, she didn’t protest when he took her bag.

“Shocks… napaka gentleman pa.” Another thought in her mind.

“Hi Ricky, thank you again sa flowers ha.” She already sent him a text message earlier but it was the only thing she could think of at that time.

“It’s good that you liked them. I wasn’t sure what color you preferred.” He looked at her enigmatically that caused her to blush. She hurriedly entered the lift as soon as it opened.

On their way to the building’s parking lot, he asked. “So, where do you want to have dinner? Any food preference?”

“Wala, eh. I can eat anything. Why don’t you just decide.” She could skip eating and just look at him the whole time and still be satisfied. “Shocks… kahit walang kanin okay na, ready to eat meal na.”

She was embarrassed by her own thoughts but she couldn’t help but heave a sigh of excitement.

Richard noticed her reaction that he grinned. They’ve already reached the spot where his car was parked. He opened the passenger door and let her in the car.

While still holding the door, he asked. “What are you thinking about?” She only shook her head. So, he closed the door and walked around the car.

“What?”He was still grinning. He followed up his question the moment he sat on the driver seat.

“Wala, may naalala lang ako. It’s nothing. Let’s go. Baka ma-traffic tayo. Minsan pa naman traffic dito sa area namin especially the area going to Megamall.” She tried to divert his attention to his driving.

Then, he suddenly leaned over to her side that startled Maya. With their faces near each other, his eyes shifted from her eyes to her lips, then back to her eyes. She couldn’t breathe. He took the seat belt on her right side and fastened it for her.

“Alright. I was just curious kasi kanina ka pa pa ngiti ng ngiti d’yan. I’m beginning to suspect that whatever it is, it’s about me.’ He returned to his position and finally started the car.

Maya soon resumed her normal breathing. “Nope, it wasn’t you. Let’s go sir.” She smiled at him sweetly. Unknown to her, Richard’s heart skipped several beats when she smiled at him.

Dinner that night went well. It was another opportunity for them to get to know more about each other. Each day, they’ve become more comfortable with each other. They shared stories, laughed and even sat on the opposite side of the table sipping coffee in silence when they seemed to have run out of conversation topic.

~*~

Maya was working on the customization of her training material when her mobile phone rang. It was Richard. She wondered why he was calling when they just had dinner the previous night. Since the time he sent her flowers, they’ve been having dinners almost every other day. It was like a routine for them. But in school, they rarely saw each other.

“Hi Maya.” Richard greeted her as soon as she picked up the call.

“Good morning, Ricky. Ano napatawag ka?” Maya asked. She is now very comfortable calling him by his nickname.

“Kausap ko si Ysa kanina sa school. I dropped by PUS to get some papers and she mentioned to me that Dec. 8th is a fiesta sa barrio n’yo sa San Nicolas. Nag-iimbita s’ya. I said I will check my calendar first. What do you think?”

“Ha? Anong what do you think? Ehh… inimbitahan ka, so you decide if you want to go or not.” She responded. She wondered what was Ysa thinking for her to invite Richard to their hometown. Are they that close?

“Of course I’m asking you, kasi taga doon ka rin. The truth is I’ll only go if you will invite me or you’ll be going too. So, ano? Should I go or not?”

“Hmmm, eh Ricky…bakit napunta sa akin ang burden ng decision making? So, if I won’t go, you will decline the invitation of Ysa?” She asked.

“Well parang ganoon na nga.” It was a matter-of-fact reply from him.

“Hmmm, sige na you accept the invitation. So, dalawa kami ni Ysabel na mag-e-entertain s’yo. I’m actually don’t have plans to go home for the fiesta. Plano ko sa Christmas vacation na lang. But anyway, I can adjust my plans. Sayang din naman, it will be a good opportunity for you to see and experience ‘yung fiesta sa amin, masaya dun. Di ba kasi, city boy ka.” She chuckled.

She was surprised and got nervous with Richard’s response. “I’m more excited in meeting your family, Maya. I hope to meet your mother and your grandmothers.”

~*~

It’s been almost two months since they’ve started going out for coffee or dinners. Richard had sent her flowers three times in that span of time even if there was no occasion. Maya somehow had an inkling that he was interested in her but a part of her was cautious. She warned herself not to assume too much. So, she dissuaded herself from assuming that his actions were romantic in nature. She would rather wait until he declares his real intention but she wished it would be soon.

Even when Richard was in Singapore for a business meeting, they didn’t lose contact. It was a week before their trip to San Nicolas when she got a friend request in skype. She knew he was out-of-the country. When she saw his invitation, she immediately accepted it.

A few minutes after accepting the skype connection, there was a message that came from him.

“How are you, Maya?”

“I’m fine Ricky.”

“I lost my mobile phone here so I’m connecting to you via skype. But I can’t seem to get a voice connection to you.”

“Ah ganuun. Anyway, ingat ka dyan ha.” was her gentle reminder. That started their exchanges of messages.

“Have you eaten dinner?”

“Yes, I did. Thanks for asking. How about you?”

“Hmmm, sandwich lang. Not much of an appetite.” Richard’s response got Maya wondering.

“Are you sick? Did you bring any medicine?”

“Nope, not sick. But actually, there is someone I wanted to have dinner with.” He replied with a smiley face icon included in his message.

“Ah really.” Was her short reply.

“Yes, but unfortunately, that someone is in Manila.” Richard answered.

When Maya read it, she didn’t know how to react. Was he referring to someone else or was she imagining it was her. She got her answer a few seconds later.

“I’m missing you Maya. I hope you are with me right now.” There was another icon in message, this time it was a single red rose.

Maya shrieked in delight after reading his message. It was the first time he expressed his feeling for her directly. “Ayieeeeee. Lord, ito na ba ‘yon?” She fanned herself as she felt herself getting warm. Then, she thought the appropriate response to him. She panicked because she couldn’t think straight.

“I feel…” She was typing on her computer when suddenly it hanged. Then, it blacked out. She immediately stood up and shook her computer in frustration. A few seconds later, she realized that she forgot to connect her laptop to the power charger , hence, its battery was fully discharged.

If her computer didn’t lose power, her message would have been. “I feel the same way.”

By the time she came back on line after 5 minutes, Richard was already offline. But he left a message for her, ‘I’ll see this Saturday. I miss you.”

Palusot 43

Palusot 43

5 years ago…

Nag check in si Maya sa Shanri-la gamit ang ibang pangalan para di siya matunton ni Richard.

Alam niya may tracker ang celphine niya. Kaya pinatay niya ito para di siya masndan ni Richard. Pagkapasok niya sa room niya, tinawagan niya agad si Tin-tin.

Tanging si Tin-tin lang tinawagan niya sa mga kaibigan niya. Pinapunta niya ito sa hotel na kanyang tinutuluyan. Nagpabili din siya ng bago celphone at sim card.

Ding…dong…ding..dong…

Pagkapasok ni Tin..umiyak agad si Maya dito. Kinuwento niya kay Tin-tin ang kanyang nasaksihan. Tsinek-up na rin siya ni Tin-tin pati na rin ang sanggol na nasa sinapupunan niya.

“Maya, huag ka na umiyak…makakasama sa anak mo yan. Alalahanin mo na crucial sa isang buntis ang first trimester.”

“Tin tulungan mo ako. Next week pumunta ka sa bahay tapos pumunta ka sa kuarto ko, sa drawer ko sa side table ko. Meron ako doon purple envelop. Kunin mo naman iyon please. Sa ngayon ayoko muna magpakita kahit kanino, kahit sa ibang kaibigan natin. Sa yo lang, kasi ikaw ang nakaka-alam ng tunay ko kalagayan ngayon. Hindi naman sila maghihinala na nagkikita tayo eh.”

“Eh ano sasabihin ko pag punta ko sa nyo?”

“Hanapin mo ako kunwari. Sabihin mo di mo ako macontact sa celphone. Na kalangan mo ulit hiramin iyon maleta na lagi mong hinihiram sa akin, kapag may pupuntahan kang conference. Alam naman iyon ni Manang eh.”

“Sige gagawin ko iyon , kung sasabihin mo sa akin kung ano ang plano mo.?”

Huminga muna si Maya saka nagsalita….”gusto ko muna mag-abraod at lumayo. Pag nandito ako di ako makakapag-isip ng derecho at matino.”

“Yan na ba talaga ang gusto mo?”

“Oo…buo na ang desisyon ko.”

Napabuntonghininga si Tin-tin

“Tin please promise me na hinding-hindi mo sasabihin kahit kanino kung nasaan ako at ang plano ko. Please mangako ka.”

“Ok I promise….”

“Thank you….

Babalik na lang ako bukas ha, kumain ka at magpahinga huag kang magpapalipas ng gutom at huag umiyak.”

Tumango lang si Maya.

Kinabukasan medyo ayos na ang pakiramdam ni Maya. Nagbago na ang desisyon niya. Hindi na siya aalis…makikipag-usap siya kay Richard.

After lunch noon muling dumalaw si Tin-tin. Dala na nito ang envelope na pinakukuha niya. Ngunit bukod doon sa envelope na pinakuha ni Maya ay meron pang binigay si Tintin na isang box.

“Ano ito?”

“Kanina noon dumating ako sa inyo, meron ako nakasabay sa gate. Hinahanap ka. Sabi ko bakit, meron daw siyang ibibigay sa yo. Sabi ko ako si Maya, kaya yan binigay sa akin.”

“Sino kaya iyon.”

“Baka kasi importante ang laman kaya binitbit ko na. Hindi ko na lang sinabi kay Manang. Buksan mo na para malaman natin ang laman.”

Binuksan ni Maya ang box. May laman iting isang cd. Kaya dali-dali niyang sinalang sa dvd player sa room niya.

“Ganun na lang ang pagkamakha ni Maya sa laman ng cd….isa itin video nina Richard at Tiffany. May date ang video, ito iyon date na cancel kasi bigla nagpasama si Tiffany.

Nilakasan niya ang audio….kaya malinaw na nadinig nila ni Ton-tin ang usapan ng dalawa….

TIFFANY: mukhang nahuhulog na talaga ang loob mo kay Maya ah.

RICHARD: imposible mangyari iyon

TIFFANY: di ba pagmamahal ang pinakikita mo sa kanya?

RICHARD: Love? LUST kamo….hahahaha

TIFFANY: poor Maya…

RICHARD: ang tanga niya eh, nagpadala sa charm ko.

TIFFANY: hahahaha…

RICHARD: isa lang naman ang nagmamay-ari ng puso ko.

TIFFANY: sino

RICHARD: IKAW!!!!

pagkatapos ay hinalikan ni Richard si Riffany. Pinatay na ni Maya ang video. Di na niya kaya…..

“Maya, please calm down. Alalahanin mo ang anak mo. Tatagan mo ang sarili mo. Gusto mo bang pati anak mo ay maapektuhan dahil sakakaiyak mo. ”

Ngunit ayaw tumigil sa kakaiyak si Maya. Kaya tinurukan na lang ito ni Tin-tin para makatulog. Binantayan muna ni Tin si Maya.

Kinabukasan muling nagbago ang desisyon ni Maya. Aalis siya ng bansa. Ayaw pumayag ni Tin-tin dahil wala itong makakasama doon. Di naman niya puedeng si Maya dahil madami din siyang trabaho.

“Saan mo balak pumunta?” tanong ni Tin

“Sa Cambodia….noon ka pa naman balak magpunta doon eh. Huag ka mag-alala. I will be fine. Mamasyal lang ako doon at mag-iisip-isip.”

“Sigurado ka ha?”

“Oo naman.”

Kaya after a week lumipad si Maya patungo Cambodia.

End of Flashback

“Hindi ako iyon nasa video. Maaring kumuha ng isang artista si Tiffany para makahawig ko pati na rin ang boses ko.” galit na sabi ni Richard. “Damned that woman. I will wring her neck.” sabi pa nito sabay suntok sa pader ng kuarto ni Maya sa mansyon nina Maya,

Umalis na rin kasi agad sila sa opisina kanina at nagderecho sa bahay nina Maya.

Dahil sa pamimilit ni Maya, napapayag din niya si Richard na sabihin ang niya ang nangyari sa kanya 5 years ago. At sinimulan niya noon nahuli niya ito at si Tiffany….

“PI niya talagang babae siya. Huag na huag na siyang magpapakita sa akin. Dahil baka mapatay ko siya. Siya ang dahilan ng lahat. May gana pa siyang humingi sa akin ng sorry at nangakong hahanapin ka niya.”

“Hinanap naman niya talaga ako eh. Para patayin…. She is sick.”

“What? Ulitin mo nga ang sinabi mo?”

“Sabi ko hinanap niya ako para patayin.”

Daddy Chief Tiger Mode ON! Facebook, Twitter, Internet Connection OFF

A/N: The December 16 teaser is up. It has been two weeks since the month after and life inside the Lim mansion is not at all the fairytale we imagined it would be. And we’re not about to complain. 🙂

Author: iamgarie

*******

Also from this author:

Why Maya Is The One – Part 2

One Month After

Disclaimer: I do not own the creative minds behind ABS-CBN’s Be Careful with My Heart TV show. This creative endeavor is just for fan fiction purposes. The characters are ABS-CBN’s BCWMH TV show’s sole property.

Allow me to acknowledge and thank BCWMH’s brilliant Creative Team as some of the scenes and lines mentioned in this piece were taken from the TV series.

~*~

Daddy Chief Tiger Mode ON!
Facebook, Twitter, Internet Connection OFF!

By iamgarie

The December 16 teaser is up. It has been two weeks since the month after and life inside the Lim mansion is not at all the fairytale we imagined it would be.  And we’re not about to complain. 🙂

Life happened. Richard and Maya, both excited at the prospect of having a baby, have yet to be blessed with one. Luke is not doing so well in school and is mighty scared to tell his Dad. He asks his Tita Mommy to help him talk to his Dad about it, but for some reason, his Tita Mommy decides to keep his low grades a secret from his Dad, as well. (Correct me if I’m wrong, but in one of the flashback scenes, I do remember Luke clearly asking Maya to help him talk to his Dad about his low grades. He never meant to keep his low grades a secret from him. Should we fault Maya for this then?) Nikki is so caught up with thoughts about Nicolo and keeps using every social media available just so she could keep in touch with him, and in so doing, has somehow gotten involved in an online courtship with Nicolo. Worst of all, Abby has just learned to lie! She secretly opens a Facebook account, spends every moment using her iPad in the guise of playing games, and then forgoes schoolwork in favor of FB! Ooooh, here come TROUBLES…

Daddy Chief finds out that Abby has opened a Facebook account and questions her about it! (Abby is obviously aware she’s not allowed to open an FB account, but she still opens one, anyway! Feigning sleep while Doris sleeps with her in her bedroom one night, Abby secretly opens an FB account. What has gotten into her?  Why does she seem to be in such a hurry to grow her own network of  friends and gain admirers?  Could it be because she’s not getting as much attention at home  as she used to given that her parents and siblings are too caught up with their own concerns at the moment?  I wonder how Abby will be once little brothers and little sisters come her way.) One after another, secrets are revealed and Daddy Chief is suddenly on EXTREME TIGER MODE! And we are all too suddenly scared for Abigail Ruth, Nikki Grace and Luke Andrew Lim (!), and for Mrs. Lim, too! Seemingly at a loss for words after talking with all three of his kids, Richard stands up, storms out of his office, and announces to one and all, “From now on, no more gadgets, no PSP, no TV!!! And I’ll have our internet connection cut off!” Maya’s appeals against cutting off their internet connection fall on deaf ears.

Internet connection and social media

Funny how Nikki’s major concern at the moment is not even about her Dad getting angry at her because of what she did. She does not even think of ways on how she can apologize to him. She puts the blame on Abby. Nikki comes off as shallow and trivial when we hear her rant, “I don’t believe this! No internet, no gadgets! No FB, no Twitter, no Instagram! It’s true, Kuya! This is gonna be like the worst Christmas ever! … This is heartbreaking!”  Doesn’t Nikki somehow remind us of some teenagers we come in contact with every single day? Those whose life depend on wifi connections and social media? Sad but true. Without either, some kids, teenagers (and even adults like us!) no longer know how to have fun and enjoy life.

Glad to know that BCWMH is tackling this issue now. The internet, in its aims to keep us connected with the people we love, to make research work easy, and to keep us entertained at all times, has its downside, too! It has become a venue for some people to VENT their anger, to RANT on and on about mundane concerns other people don’t really need to know about, to LIE (even about one’s age just so they can join various no longer seems to be a big deal for some) and to HURT and MAKE FUN of other people.

Cutting off the internet connection inside the Lim mansion seems to bring a strong message to those addicted to the internet. Using the internet entails certain responsibilities. Our life and our happiness should never be dependent on it. Even without it, we can be happy and live meaningful, extraordinary lives…

Parenting 101

Inside their bedroom, we see the Tiger immensely hurting, as well. Maya, his beloved wife, kept Luke’s and Nikki’s concerns a secret from him. He even tells her that had she known about Abby’s FB, he is certain Maya would have kept it a secret from him, too! He has every right to get angry and hurt. We feel his pain when he tells her, “Look, Maya. When it comes to our children, we need to have a firm hand. I know you think my methods are harsh, pero I won’t do anything to harm our relationship. At least not anymore. I’ve learned my lesson with Luke, diba? All I’m asking is, pagdating sa mga bata, united tayo. Hindi yung isa kakampi, isa kalaban. We’re supposed to be partners, right?”

(Whoever said that Richard Yap doesn’t deserve an acting award is insane!  Last December 12 and 13’s BCWMH episodes alone proved that he’s an amazing actor, one to reckon with in the years to come! He played the different emotions required of him effectively.  He was an angry and scary dad one moment and then a hurting husband the next.  He was both a daddy and a husband in every sense of the word.  Yikes!  Didn’t we all get scared of him when he started calling the kids and questioning them one by one?  Didn’t we all feel his pain when he realized that Maya kept things concerning their children from him?   I am quite sure you’ll agree with me then when I say that Richard Yap’s scenes with his TV kids and Jodi Sta. Maria inside his office were ensemble acting at its finest, too!)

Although Maya is right in reminding Richard to talk with the kids and explain why he has to cut off the internet connection and why he has to take away their gadgets from them and not just to storm out on them, Richard also does have a point and I AM WITH HIM ON THIS A HUNDRED PERCENT. He and Maya are a team! They should make decisions together especially when it comes to the kids. They should never show Luke, Nikki, Abby and their future kids, that they have varying thoughts and methods when it comes to disciplining them, as they would only confuse the kids even more. Maya should not have kept Luke’s and Nikki’s concerns from him. As much as we all felt Abby’s’ fear of Richard, Maya should not have shielded Abby from him, making her feel that her mistake is not a big deal to Tita Mommy at all, even if it is such a big deal to Daddy! Abby committed a big mistake (she lied, after all!!!) and she has to face the consequences.

December 16 Teaser

It seems that Richard and Maya still have various issues to address before the writers grant our wish for them to have a baby. Differences in parenting style is a major concern for one. In the teaser we find Maya hoping to find the easy way out by asking Richard to bring back the internet connection so the kids will stop arguing and blaming each other for the lack of it. Christmas is coming soon and she doesn’t want to see them arguing. Richard is clearly irritated. Maya doesn’t seem to understand why he had it cut off in the first place. If they don’t talk about this now, more and more problems could crop up in the future.

Here’s a possible kiss and make-up scenario I hope to see soon. (I don’t know if you’ll agree with me, but I still feel that it is Maya who  is the one at fault in the misunderstanding that will happen between them his week.) Richard is all alone at the porch, that place in the mansion where he and Maya have shared countless memorable moments together over cups of coffee.  He is in deep thought as he gazes at the night sky. Maya sees his lonely form from their dining area, as she herself longs for him.  Totally keen on making peace with her Ricky, Maya prepares coffee for him and joins him at the porch. She stealthily approaches him, hugs him from behind, says sorry, and asks that they talk to reach a better understanding of each other…

Ahh!  I’m pretty sure I am not the only one missing the Lim porch, the all too silent witness to Richard and Maya’s sweet moments together for the longest time.

Happy Christmas and New Year

I am excited to see how the writers would resolve this issue between Richard and Maya, and among Richard, Maya and the kids. Christmas and New Year are just around the corner, and it will be their very first as a family to celebrate Christmas and New Year together. We can only wish that they find a resolution to their issues soon, and celebrate the happiest Christmas and New Year together! It would also be such a bonus for all of us if we could also hear that Maya is finally heavy with child come Christmas Day, too.

I can’t wait to see what the show’s wonderful Creative Team has in store for us this week and the weeks to come!  We truly have so much more to look forward to when it comes to this show we have all fallen in love with and can no longer live without.

BCWMH, you are truly the show to watch forever! 🙂

~*~

Written: 15 December 2013