My First Love

As a child, the most usual comment that I get whenever my parents would introduce me to family friends or work mates was, “kamuka mo tatay mo!” (you look like your dad!). In fact, my mom used to tell people that I so look like my dad, they should have named me “Melchora” from my dad’s name, Melchor. Thanks, God they decided not to.haha People might actually think I was named after the Philippine hero, Melchora Aquino. No offense, there’s no denying she was a great hero. Moving on, like I said, I really do look like my dad. With that, lot of people thought that we’re really close to each other especially since I grew up as an only child. And they’re right, I’ve always been a Daddy’s girl and Mommy’s girl, actually. Hey, I was after all the only child.haha Ironically though, in our family, it’s my dad and I who get into heated arguments most of the time. And I blame it to his genes. One of the traits I got from him is his being hot-tempered when things don’t go his way. I usually get the same reaction from myself. I remember there was a time when I threw away our telephone because it was giving me a hard time. As for my dad, we used to have damaged stuff in our old home with his name on it. Anyway, because of that, when things ignite between the two of us, it will definitely be a collision. Even so, we never had any fights that lasted for days unlike with my mom. Despite his short and hot-tempered behavior, he’s also known for being a natural joker. So, by the end of the day, all he does is to crack a joke or hit me with a line, and we’re good. That’s just how things go between the two of us.

Nowadays, I only get to talk to my dad online because he’s working abroad. A former soldier, he’s now an aircraft engineer. It’s true that we’re a bit more okay than we used to be, financially speaking, but our home can never be the same without my dad around. It”s a good thing that he can go home every 2 or 3 months and stay with us for 4 weeks. It is during those moments when he’s with us that we cease every opportunity to bond with him.

My Dad knows I’m not expressive when it comes to him. I don’t do sweet words when I talk to him or every time I would send him a message. I also know, however, that he’s thankful I am not, because he’s isn’t expressive, too.haha Imagine the awkwardness. We both know, however, that we don’t need words to let each other know that we’re especial in each other’s eyes.

The first time my dad put his thoughts into words via email, I cried.haha This was the time I graduated from high school, I asked him if we can celebrate my graduation with a party; but, he asked me instead if we can just have a family dinner. God knows how I completely understood the situation, though I was not able to tell him (remember, I’m not expressive) but I knew my dad was broken-hearted for not being able to grant my wish. As I said, I understood what he meant. I knew we were tight during those times because most of our savings go to my education. They wanted me to go to private school, so I was from elementary to high school; thus, the struggle of my dad. Whew, this is getting cheesier.haha Here’s that email, by the way.

The second and the last time I got a personal email from him, I didn’t cry; instead, I laughed.haha The message was short and sweet, but I really can’t just imagine the message coming from him. This was during my 18th birthday. My dad wanted me to have a debut despite the tight budget. Again, I was an only child–an only daughter to be exact; thus, the excitement coming from my dad.

the father-daughter dance

Last June 20, Father’s Day was celebrated without him. Normally, we would go out to celebrate may it be just in McDo even if he’s not physically present. For this year, however, we opted not to go out… for a good reason. We knew we need not to celebrate without him because he’s coming home to us after Father’s Day. We knew we can celebrate his day anytime of the month. And we did.

Dad and Rish *cheers* @ San Mig By the Bay, June 26

To my first man, my first love, Happy Father’s Day!