I am really, really worried about you…

The other day, just to see Jia’s reaction, J asked Jia if it’s okay with her if he worked overseas. We explained to Jia that it meant that Daddy would not be home for a long time because he will work in a faraway place. She replied that she did not like that. Her words were pretty specific. “Daddy, I don’t like that. I want you to work in Ortigas and then go home and then work in Ortigas and then go home and then work in Ortigas and then go home and then work in Ortigas and then go home…” We actually had to stop her. LOL! J assured that he will not work overseas.

This morning, while Jia was playing cooking, I was talking to my mom. When I put the phone down, she asked me what I did when I was a little girl at Mama’s house. I told her that when I was a little girl, Mama worked far away and she did not live at home. Jia’s expectant and smiling face slowly turned gloomy and her normally sparkling eyes started to water. She asked if I cried and I admitted that I cried every night. She started crying and then she hugged me. She told me “I am really, really worried about you being alone at Mama’s house when you were a little girl.” And then she asked me (or ordered me, to be more honest) to tell her another story, a story of the time that Mama was at home. So I told her what I did as a girl. I assured her that I was happy, that I had toys to play with and books to read. Papa and Mama took really good care of me. Her Tita Maye and Tito Dindon were with me. I had a Lolo and Lola who were always there. I had Tita Baby and Tito Mars who tutored me and read stories to me. I even grew up with my cousins like her Tito BJ and Tita Karen.

She was smiling after that. I guess she realized that I indeed had a happy childhood. But she still told me that she doesn’t want me to leave her, that she “really, really” wants to be with me always. I hugged her and assured her that I would be. And, by golly, how can I not keep that promise?