Adna missed so much her Mom Rona. She kept shedding her tears silently, hiding from Papa Mar. She made sure they would not notice her so that they would not worry. ‘’Mom, I miss you so much’’ Adna just kept it only in her thoughts and feelings. Every day, she went to the grave of Mom Rona telling her about what she did during the day, believing Mom Rona listened to everything she said. Many times, Adna noticed that she was the only person inside the cemetery, but she was not afraid. She knew Mom Rona was with her.

When Adna was 17 years old, she met a gentle young man named Al who was almost 4 years older than her. Al was her classmate in the University. They were also workmates when Adna took some part time jobs. Papa Mar made sure Adna was safe in coming home from work. When Al visited Adna in their house, Papa Mar told Aunt Felip ‘’he is a good young man, he can be trusted with Adna’’. ‘’That is my assessment, too’’ replied Aunt Felip. They like Al, except Aunt Feliz. Al is good looking and the perception of Aunt Feliz was a half-hearted trust.

She did not like Al. When Al visited Adna,at night, Aunt Feliz brought water from her room upstairs and intentionally poured water to Al. The young man just did not say anything when he heard the loud sound of the door of the room of Aunt Feliz, when she closed it.

All of them were kind to Al, except Aunt Feliz. During eye check up of Papa Mar, Al accompanied him to prevent Adna from being absent from her work. He also assisted Mom Rona at home when he found time. Al and Adna started their relationship in 1981. He promised Adna, ‘ I love all the persons you love’. Their relationship focused on the same intention serving Mom Rona, Papa Mar, Aunt Felip, Uncle MIke, and including Aunt Feliz. Giving to them unconditional love. For over five years, Adna had seen that Al’s intention was genuine. Al successfully passed the challenges along the way, he never complained.

During examination in the University , and when Adna could not pay her tuition, Al borrowed money from her sister so that Adna could take the exams. Good enough that Adna was exempted in all her subjects, there was no need to rush for the payment. When Mom Rona passed away, Al understood the difficult times of Adna where she could no longer embrace her Mom Rona. When Al knew that Adna went alone to the cemetery everyday, he decided not to leave her. He rented a small house near Adna’s place. Al’s family favored Adna. She was loved by Al’s mother and his younger sister. From time to time, they visited Adna at her house. Al’s mother was teaching High school students, a school nearby Adna’s place. Papa Mar and Al’s family became good friends.

Al asked permission from Papa Mar, for him and Adna to get married. Papa Mar said ‘’YES’’ to him. Al had his savings in a bank, which he set aside, for the wedding. They just wanted it simple, only with family members as their guests. Al’s mother for sure would have many visitors, so they did not tell her. One time , Al’s mother asked Adna and Al, ‘’what makes you both so busy?’’ they just replied, ‘’we are applying for work abroad’’. When wedding day was close, they already told her. Al’s mother asked them to postpone and make Adna a June-bride. Adna replied, ‘’May is lucky, it is the month for flowers’’. She added, ‘’we listed only twenty five guests, mostly are family members. Al did not ask money from his family to spend for the wedding, but her sister sent Adna a wedding gown, a check, and instructed her husband to use the newly-bought white car as the bridal car for Adna. The most important for Adna was her Papa Mar who would walk with her to the ALTAR, and her groom Al excitedly waited to receive her, with Papa Mar’s blessing. Days before the wedding, Adna went to the bank to withdraw, Al’s savings for the payment of the restaurant for the reception. Al’s mother was also there. The next day, Adna learned that the bank was robbed. Adna told Al “”we should be thankful to God, we can still pay the restaurant’’. After the wedding, after opening the gifts they received from the guests, Adna told Al, ‘’We begin our married life using the check of your sister, we are debt-free, we’ll use this as a small capital for business’.

Al and Adna started a small fashion accessory business. It was made of rattan wicker. They went to local buyers . Their vehicle was just a motorcycle, a gift from Al’s late father. Adna easily gained friends from her buyer’s staff. Even the owner noticed Adna’s sincerity and honesty. One time, Adna approached the owner when she received the payment where the amount was doubled, she said, ‘’I have no money, but please do not tempt me. The price is not per piece, it is for per of earrings’’. Adna used to bring food to the owner and they became close friends. The staffs also came to the house of Adna, specially during birthday celebrations. Adna got pregnant, and when she was in labor, she told Al that she would not go to a maternity hospital but instead she asked Al just to bring a midwife to their house. Al knew, Adna had a heart problem when she was in High school, He was afraid of what would be the result if he follows Adna. He called his mother to convince Adna to go to the maternity hospital instead. When she arrived, she told Adna, “”we would go to the maternity hospital where I gave birth to your husband Al’’. They all went to the maternity hospital in the next city. Al and Adna did not spend anything in the hospital. Everything was charged to Al’s older sister through her mother.

October 30, same birthday of Al’s late father, a beautiful baby girl with two dimples was born. Her name is Lex. Al was the happiest man on earth. He is now a father. On the other hand, Adna, after normal delivery needed to recover. When they went home, among those who welcomed, specially the beautiful baby, were Papa Mar, Aunt Felip,Uncle Mike, and Aunt Feliz who proved herself wrong about her perception of Al and her unkindness towards him. They were so amazed with the beautiful baby girl, more joy at this time to see their princess now a mother, bringing another princess into their home. Aunt Feliz stayed all the time near the crib of baby Lex, Aunt Felip took charge of preparing milk, Papa Mar singing lullaby.. Papa Mar no longer plays his guitar, Adna could no longer listen to him for being so busy , this time he sings for the baby. Uncle Mike was just sitting quietly, as he was already hypertensive. Al and Adna provided him all his medication.

Baby Lex was so precious to them, even more precious than Adna. All the time Papa Mar was with her. Aunt Felip was never gets tired of carrying her. Baby Lex had a Nanny but Aunt Felip was hands-on with her all the time. Al’s mother and his younger sister came to visit every day with lots of gifts for Lex. They personally saw the love of Papa Mar to the child. Lex brought back the widest smile of Papa Mar’s face, same smile when he saw Adna bringing his boots patiently waiting for him when he arrived from work. ‘’How beautiful it is to see that the child we love so much is now a mother of an amazing child, giving another opportunity to watch this baby grow into a beautiful person like her mother, another beautiful soul’’, Papa Ma telling Aunt Felip. Aunt Felip replied, ‘’’ Yes it is true and again I would teach her the poem and song which I taught Adna when she was a child.’’ Aunt Feliz just nodded her head.

Before the first birthday of Lex, on September 12, Aunt Feliz died in her sleep. Adna and Al took care of everything. The age of Mom Rona when she passed away was 76, this time Aunt Feliz just turned 79 after her last birthday celebration which was June 10. ‘’Mom Rona has now a companion in heaven’’, Adna told Al.

Papa Mar and Aunt Felip continued to nurture Lex with much love and affection. She is now the new princess of Papa Mar. The first birthday of Lex had a lot of visitors. All of them brought gifts for her.. When she was christined, the god-mothers were Al’s older sister, who came home for the occasion, and the younger sister of Al, Lex pediatrician who later became a politician, Adna’s cousin who is a lawyer. Compared to Al and Adna’s wedding, the celebration of Lex was bountiful. Guests were not limited to twenty five people, which means it was not exclusive to family members only. Truly, a true princess in Papa Mar’s heart is born.