BLACKLIST

EPISODE THREE

“Yaya.” The little boy whispered.

“Hmm, yes Charles?” the maid replied while still trying to avoid an eye contact with the little boy.

“Yaya, do you have a child?” he said.

He’s holding his tablet with his arms and hands. It looks like a little boy is trying to distract himself to forget another disappointment from his parents. His eyes are watery with a dark shadow under his eye. He bitten his lower lips and lick it then he took a deep sigh.

“Yes, I have,” the maid quickly said. “She’s months older in you.”

“Then why you’re not taking care of her? Is that means, you won’t love her?”

The maid chooses to be silent for a few moments because she’s thinking about the answer that will lessen the child’s disappointment to his parents. She’s thinking about something that will suits at the current situation.

“Let me ask you the same question, Charles.” The maid said while looking at the eye of the young child. “Your parents don’t have time to take care of you. So, is means they don’t love you?”

The little boy look at the ceiling while thinking about the question that he start asking earlier. Now, he’s dealing with his own creation.

“So, have you already thinking about the answer in that question that you told me earlier?”

“No,” he said. “I mean yes! I already know the answer and my answer is no.”

“Then why the answer is no?” said the maid while raising her eyebrow.

The young child took a deep sigh, and then he prepares a long speech for his nanny.

“Ever since when I was a child until now, I didn’t feel that my parents love me the way, how other parents love their child. Yeah, it hurts – it hurts me a lot every time I see other children experience things that I always wanted in my life.”

“So you mean you feel insecure to other children?” she said.

“Yes,” said the young child while he’s scrubbing his face with his palms. “I’m so insecure to them.”

“They are so lucky for having a parent like they have right now. And I wished that they treasured what they have because not everyone is like them.” said the little boy.

You can see the sadness in his eyes. You might get disappointed because no child deserves to feel unwanted and unloved because every child deserves the unconditional love from his or her parent no matter how difficult their situation is. But unfortunately, Charles’s situation is different.

“You know what, Charles,” the maid inhales while figuring out her next words. “Putting anger and pain is not good for you. It’s not good for your age!”

“Why? He said. “Am I too young to feel this pain in my heart?”

He took a deep sigh. He closed his eyes while he’s trying to control and stop the tears that want to fall in his eyes. He licked his lips while doing it. His nanny can’t take to see and look at him because she knows what the young boy felt at the moment and she understands it.

“It’s not what I mean, Charles!” she whispered. “I don’t want to offend you. I just want to,”

“You just want what, Yaya?” the little boy stood up and stands’ in front of his nanny who is sitting on the chair on his study table.

“I just want to comfort you.” She whispered. But the little boy didn’t hear her because he already walked out of the room.

The maid left alone, sitting in that chair. She took a deep sigh and then she stood up. She picked up Charles’s school bag and carried it in her right shoulder. She put back the chair that she used in his proper place and then left the room and closed the door.

She walked downstairs and she saw Charles who is currently sitting at the couch. The young boy is holding his cute striped kitten and talking to it. So, the maid came near at him, and she tap his left arm slowly.

“Let’s go!” she said and then she nodded at him.

The little boy glanced towards her first before he stood up. And after he did it, he left his nanny with no words.

~~~~

While they are on their way of going to Charles’s school, their car was so silent. No one wants to start the conversation. There is a huge tension between Charles and his nanny. The driver is just observing them. He is looking at the mirror in the middle front of the front seat. The driver felt that there’s something happened or happening between the son of his boss and his nanny.

The driver can’t resist the silence anymore. He wants to crack it. So he decided to start singing a Filipino song from the Filipino singer which is Moira. Knowing that her songs have a lot of high notes, the driver still wants to get it. While singing, he’s still observing the reaction of his passengers and he thinks that he caught the attention of the two.

“Your voice is too annoying. Stop it!” the maid said then she smirk while moving her head.

The driver smiled. Finally! He caught their attention.

After a thirty-minute drive, they finally reached the said school. The maid opened the door of the car and watched Charles to go outside the car and then she closed the door of the car. She knocks on the car window and the driver opened it.

“I will call you when you have to pick us up, okay?” she said with a calm voice.

The driver just nod at her and then after it, he closed the car window and started the car. The maid holds Charles’s school bag with his right arm while holding the hand of the young boy in her left. They started to walk from outside the gate up to the young child’s respective classroom.

It takes three to five minutes of walk since his room is near the garden which is located at the end of the school lot. After they reach the classroom, they saw the few students inside it. Some are playing and some are just sitting on their chairs.

The maid, guide the young child up to his chair and tell him to just behave and stay in that place. She also said that she will just wait for his teacher outside the classroom. The young child took a deep sigh then he nod at him.

While the maid is waiting outside the classroom, she’s sitting at the chair in front of the mini library on the left side of that said classroom. There are three seats and she occupied one of it. She sit down properly with her hands on her lap and her back on the chair.

She’s just watching at the students arriving together with their parent in front of Charles’s classroom. So the maid decided to make a move. At first, she’s worried because her boss might angry at her because she knows that she’s not allowed to call them while they are in their work unless it’s an emergency but she knows that she need to do it for the sake of their son.

She called Charles’s father first. His phone rings for about two minutes until he answered it.

“Hello, Yaya,” said Charles father on the other line. “What happened?”

The maid really felt nervous so she can’t even talk properly.

“Hmm, Sir,”

That’s the only word that she said.

“You know what, Yaya,” he said. The tone of his voice is a little loud. “I just want to remind you that your job is to take care of my child and the house as well. Not like this – like this nonsense conversation. You know what, before you called and waste my time, I’m supposed to be preparing for the breakfast meeting but then, you just ruined it.”

The maid felt sad because of everything that she heard from Charles’s father. She just wants to help but she just received rejection. Her intention was pure. She just wants to remind Charles’ father that his son is having recognition for today but unfortunately, the father seemed uninterested.

“I didn’t pay you to waste my time. I pay you because your job is to take care of my son, Charles and to clean my house and do the laundry. There is no other than that. And if wasting my time is not in your job description, then I think you should apply on other employer that is looking for that description that you’re currently doing.”

After that hurtful words from Mr. Concepcion, who’s Charles’ father, hang up the phone. He took a deep sigh and then inhale and exhale for three consecutive times. He closed his eyes and pointed his two fingers on his eyelid and massaged it slowly.

“That is so disgusting!” he said to himself while continuing to massaging his eyelid. “That girl almost ruined my day!”

The child’s father felt irritated after that call. He almost wants to fires his maid because of it without knowing her intention and what she really need in that moment. Without knowing that, the call is for his son.

On the other hand, the maid is still thinking if she will still calling Charles’s mother because she’s afraid that she might get the same thing happened just like earlier. She’s afraid to get the rejection for the second time today. But later on, she decided to give it a try.

After three phone rings, Charles’s mother answers her phone. Yaya Angela took a deep sigh before she speaks.

“Hello, Yaya,” said Charles’s mother on the other line. “How’s Charles?”

The maid felt the sudden relief in her chest. She thought that it is right to call her, Ma’am Christine and tell her what will happen today.

“Ma’am Christine,” the maid whispered on the phone.

“Yes, Angela?” her voice sounds calm. “Is there something that you want to tell me?”

“May I, Ma’am?” said the maid. “If you have time at this moment, then I will tell you something.”

“Okay! Then,” Christine said. Her voice stays on its calmness. “What is it, Yaya?”

The maid closes her eyes and took a deep sigh.

“Are you busy today, Ma’am? She asked.

“Hmm, not that busy! But we have important clients that will arrive later so I need to meet him. Why did you asked?”

“Honestly, Ma’am Christine,” the maid said while trying to stay calm and straight to the point. “Charles didn’t tell you this because he is afraid that both of you will just ignore him but I still want to give it a try so that is why I called you.”

“Hmm, I see!” said Christine. Her voice is still sounds calm unlike her husband earlier. “What are you talking about, Yaya? You can point it out now. I will listen so, go on and proceed.”

“It’s about your son, Charles,” said the maid. She swallowed her saliva first before she continued speaking. “His school will conduct a special ceremony for each student who gained awards for the first grading period and your son is one of them.”

“Really?” she said with a smile in her face. Her lips widen because of it. She felt proud of her son. “It is a good job, huh! Please tell him that, he did a great job.”

The maid smiled. She knows that when Charles knows it, he will probably felt happy and proud of himself. And she knows that when Charles knows it, all the pain and unsaid feelings that he felt this past few years in his parents might be disappeared.

“Hmm, Ma’am,” the maid whispered.

“Yes, Angela?”

“So, now that you know it, aren’t you going in his school to join, your son in his recognition just like what other parents will do later?”

Her voice was a bit cracked and a bit un-understandable.

“Unfortunately, not!” said Christine.

The maid felt sad after she heard the word, “not” from Charles’s mother. She thought that when she told her everything that she needs to know, it will changed her mind and she will join her son in his recognition but she was wrong.

“I can’t cancel my meeting for today, Angela. But please tell my son, congratulations.” said Christine before she hangs up the phone call.

So, Yaya Angela had no choice but to join Charles in his recognition. After a few minutes, Charles’s adviser arrived and she announced in the whole class that the recognition is about to start. Little does she knows, the present student for today is the students who will receive an award for their hard work in their studies.

The teachers aligned their students in front of their respective rooms before they go in front of the stage where there are chairs that they will use and that will serve as a guide for the students for them to know if they are called in front to receive their award. While their parents or guardians are on the other side of the stage.

The program is about to start. Just like a usual ceremony that always happen in school, they started with the prayer and followed by the speech. And the most exciting part, where the teachers are calling each student’s name and telling everyone what the students achieved for that grading period.

Since Charles’s section is section-two, the teachers on the stage called his name, next to the student from last section. His nanny is looking at him very proudly while clapping her hands and wearing a biggest smile just like how every mother felt when they are proud of their child.

The maid have no clue that Charles is also looking at her and he felt a sudden relief in his chest knowing that there is one person who is proud of him and in his achievements. He took a deep sigh and look to his nanny again who is currently looking at the stage but still wearing her big smile.

“He gets the highest grade with an average of 96.7 in his report card. The child who has a perfect attendance award, and a most outstanding student among his classmates, and the one who get the first highest grade among the lower grade, none other than, Charles Andrew Concepcion of section Rose.

Charles and his nanny stood up and walk towards the stage together. He smiled after he saw the tears in his nanny’s face.

“Why are you crying, nanny?” he smiled. “Are you okay?”

His nanny smiled at him. “It’s tears of joy. I’m happy and proud of you. I am so lucky that I am here to witness this important happening in your life just like this.”

Charles just smiled at her. They finally stand, on the stage. The principal gave three medals and an envelope with certificates inside it. The principal held his hand on Angela, and whispered congratulations. She smiled and nod at the principal. After she put the medal on Charles head, after it, he grabbed her hands and hugged her very tight.

That was so unforgettable that even Angela, who is just a nanny of Charles felt so proud in him. She can’t forget and recover that she has a special participation in one of the most important things that happened in Charles life.