“What do you mean month? No! I want you to stay here for good. End your jetsetting days. Take life seriously. You should get yourself a decent girl and settle down. I want lots of grandchildren.”
Cameron didn’t expect that kind of discussion with his father. “Whoa! Hold it, Pa. You want me to settle in the Philippines for good and have a family?”
“Yes! It’s high time, right?”
"Pa, it was not that easy.”
His mother almost rubbed her face on the webcam. “And you think what you’re doing to me and your father was easy? You parade different women in magazines but you never take any of them seriously. Then you were all over the place. And you almost lost your life because of that. You can't even spread our family’s good genes. You won't even leave us grandson? That's not the life I dreamed of for you. ”
He raised both hands. When his parents are in this mood, he can do nothing but agree. “Alright. I'm coming home but don't rush me into marriage. I believe that the right girl will just come at the right time. Okay? ”
Her Mom smiled and wiped away her tears. “Son, don't worry. I know this girl who is pretty. Remember your first girlfriend. ”
"Uh oh!" He slowly stood up. “I have to go, Ma. I still have to take care of some things before I come home. See you soon. I love you. ”
After the webchat with his parents, he immediately went back to the hospital. His assistant Marvin and cousin Shei immediately met him up.
“How’s Mitos?” he asked and turned to Mitos, still lying on the bed.
The guy was lucky he was not part of the ten people who died at the yacht explosion. The tragedy was big news and Reyli's camp did an intense damage control. Cameron was not blaming anyone. It was not Reyli’s fault and no one could really anticipate an accident sometimes.
Shei shook her head sadly. “There is still no change in his condition, Kuya (big brother). Still no response from him. But his body seems to be okay. It’s just his brain that is not responding.”
Shei was not on the yacht then because she had a meeting in Oslo, Norway. She immediately flew to Belize upon learning the news. That's why his parents didn't follow because Shei was already there.
He squeezed his cousin's shoulder. “Just stay with him. I need to go back to the Philippines. Mama wants me home.”
“Don’t worry. I will take care of him. ”
Mitos and Shei really were close friends. His cousin stayed by Mitos’ side to look after him. She almost didn’t leave the hospital for him.
Cameron approached Mitos and squeezed his hand. “Don’t worry. I will look for her. ”
He made a promise to Mitos. He would look for Lovellia for him.
“UMIIYAK ANG AKING pusong nagdurusa. Ngunit ayokong may makakita…” (My suffering heart is crying but I don’t want anyone to see.)
Lovellia's voice echoed around inside a busy mall in Cubao, and was accompanied by instruments from her companions. She was happy when, one by one, people gathered to hear them play. Beneath her thick shades she could see the fun and admiration in their eyes for the group of blind people like them.
That part of the mall was reserved for them. On one side were the blind masseuses. People enjoyed going there because they could relax with a massage while listening to music.
A man approached them with his friend. They dropped a tip in their donation box. They stared at her with a grin.
“You are beautiful, Miss! You also have a beautiful voice. If you weren’t blind, I would want you to be my girlfriend,” said the man and left.
Lovellia felt no sadness when he shared that. Such comments were not new to her. Quite a few men have approached her when they were performing, but those men got frustrated when they realized she was blind. No man would want a blind person to be their partner especially when people viewed those who have disabilities as a burden.
She just ignored such comments. She just felt sorry for her disabled companions. Sometimes they were being underestimated. But she cheered for them when their talents were being recognized and honored. Many people who have disabilities have talenta. Probably others were more intelligent and useful than normal people. Unlike other people who were considered normal but just wasting their lives for useless things.
“Ang pag-ibig kong ito, luha ang tanging nakamit buhat sa iyo. Kaya sa Maykapal tuwina’y dalangin ko…” (This love of mine only received tears from you. That’s why I pray to God....)
Suddenly, Lovellia had this strange feeling that someone was watching her. She knew many were watching her but the energy that feeling was giving her was really different. It seemed to penetrate every fiber in her body. She secretly looked in the direction from which that strange energy was coming. Her eyes darted to a tall figure of a man. He had a nice face, looked handsome. If only she could stare at him for a long time. But she shouldn’t. Or someone might have noticed her true physical condition.
Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw him talking to her manager and friend Bham. When the man smiled, her voice almost cracked.
Bham smiled as she approached Lovellia. “A handsome man has requested a song. Till I Met You by Kuh Ledesma. Show him what you got.”
"How much?" she whispered, asking about the amount Bham had slipped to Lovellia’s side as her manager walked past her.
"One thousand." That's a big fee for the request. "He’s handsome and he smells nice too.”