Filipiniana
Chapter One
Many people would think that if you're a daughter of a president, your life will be the perfect definition for the word 'heaven'. But little did they know that being the president's daughter is hard, especially if you're an only child. Your father runs a country and what he wants for the citizens are freedom and peace, but you, the daughter, lives a life a lot like living in jail. You're friends are chosen, you can't leave the house without 3-7 bodyguards surrounding you, you can't even properly use the internet besides reading articles.
You're probably wondering why I know these kinds of stuffs that a president's daughter is having. Wanna know why I do? Because I'm the daughter of the Philippines' president.
My name is Golden Aquino, and I'm the first daughter of the Philippines.
The Philippines is a small island country located in Southern Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. If you know the famous Boracay Beach, it is located here in this magnificent country. My family has always been a part of the politics. My grandmother used to be the president in this country, she was the first female president in Asia and she is also known as the Mother of the Philippine Democracy, My grandfather is a former Filipino senator. My cousin is currently a senator.
Our family is known in our country because of our family business and politics. Some of our relatives is now also a part of the celebrity culture.
My father is the most protective father you could ever meet. His protectiveness outstood a soldier fighting for his country. But I couldn't blame him, i'm an only child and many people would exemplify me as an innocent girl; even though I take it as a harmless insult.
And also, one of his main reasons because of his protectiveness is that I once suffered from depression.
At the early age of 12, I got mentally ill. My life was just too hard for me to handle; or maybe because I was too weak to face the challenges my life is receiving. And on my 13th birthday my father had to send me to the US so I can forsake the pressure from the country I love. I stayed there for 4 years, completely invisible from the public eye. People from the Philippines wondered where I was and how I was doing. But my father had it all planned out, telling the country that I went overseas to study; when in reality I was on rehabilitation in the US. Everything went very smooth and no one suspected a thing. And after 4 years, my father told me it's time for me to go home, back to the country I love.
I know everything will turn back to the way it was before. I know my troubled pass will be forever buried in a deep hole under the earth's crust. I know my life will have a better future than I expected. I know someone will soon understand me..
But what I don't know is if i'm just lying to myself.
--------------------
"Gen, honey. It's time to get up."
My personal maid, Lourdes, softly shook me; waking me up from my sweet slumber. Her petite frame covered the ray of light that was showing through the window shades. I stayed in bed for awhile, taking a short moment to feel the warmth and comfort my bed is providing. "Gen. Get up now." She said firmly but you can still feel the sweetness in her voice. I scrunched my nose before opening my eyes slowly, taking sight of Lourdes standing next to my queen size bed. She's a middle aged woman around her 50's, her gray hair hinting her age. She's been my personal maid ever since I was born. She was hired because everyone knew I will grow up without a mother, so my father hired a woman so she can treat me like a daughter while I treat her like my own mother in return.
My mother died giving birth to me because of severe bleeding. My father was so devastated that he couldn't even look at me when I was still a newborn baby because he was so close to believing I was the reason the love of his life died. But he knew my mother wanted him to love me like he loved her, so he treated me like a princess until now. He would always tell me stories about my mother. When and where they first met, all of their firsts and lasts, the moment they got married, and the day they found out my mother was pregnant with me. The more stories my father told me, the more I wanted to grow up with my own mother. But no one could ever turn back time, and if anyone could; I would do everything to change the past.
I furrowed my eyebrows when my eyes landed on the alarm clock that was resting on my nightstand.
"It's already 9 in the morning?" I grumbled groggily. I wiped the sleep off my eyes and opened them again much more wider than before. "Your father, is waiting for you downstairs for breakfast. Hurry up, honey. He's leaving at exactly 10:30 for a meeting." Her soft hands caressed my jet black hair before turning around leaving me alone in my room. I hurriedly paced to the bathroom, taking a warm shower and doing my other daily morning routines.
I walked out of my room wearing a pink dress that fell just above my knees and a pair of nude flat sandals. I started walking to the dining room, a bodyguard following me 2 meters behind me. A silent frustrated sigh fell from my lips. "Alam mo, di mo naman ako kailangang sundan palagi." (You know, you don't have to follow me every time).
"Sorry po ma'am. Trabaho lang po." (Sorry ma'am. Just doing my job.)
I ignored his protest and continued to walk, eager to see my father sitting on the dining chair. The last time I saw him was at dinner 5 days ago before he went to Bulacan for a meeting with the governor there. And now that he's back, i'm excited to know if he has plans for us today.
"Good morning, father." My voice echoed in the large dining room in the Malacañang Palace. He was seated on a seat that was facing the entire dining table. He turned his head to face me and his face brightened in the sight of me. "Good morning, Golden. How was your sleep?" I pecked his cheeks before sitting down next to him. "I slept fine, though it would be more wonderful if there are no guards outside my doorstep just standing there listening." I uttered bitterly.
He chuckled shaking his head. "You know how important they are for your safety. We'll never know when the horrible things will happen." He continued eating the food that was on his plate. We proceeded to chat while eating our breakfast. Exchanging stories about how our days went for the past 5 days. "Uh.. Father. I just wanted to ask um.. When will you return after your meeting this morning?" I fiddled with my fingers that was resting on my lap. He paused, like he was trying to remember his schedule for the day which is very funny because he is the president of the Philippines! Of course he knows his schedule.
He looked back at me, giving me a sympathetic look. My face instantly fell when I viewed my father's semblance. I nodded and held my gaze down on my lap as my father brushed a strand of hair away from my face. "I'm sorry, Golden. But you know it is my duty to know what's happening to every corners of the country." His voice was soft and comforting, but it wasn't comforting enough to make me feel any better. "I understand, father.." I mumbled, my eyes never leaving my lap. I heard him release a soft exhale before feeling soft and warm lips kiss the top of my head. "I'm leaving now, Gold. Don't go out of the palace without my permission." He voiced, his tone was strong and deep; showing me that I should obey his rules. I simply nodded my head as he spun around disappearing from the dining room leaving me with 4 guards in each corner of the room.
--------------------
I laid down on my mattress with a loud huff. We haven't seen each other for five days and again as always, he's busy. I understand that he is the president, the busiest man in the country. But it won't really hurt making time for your only daughter. It feels like he's starting to fade away from me ever since he became the president, and it's hurting me. You're only parent is too busy with his work leaving a small amount of time for you. And that small amount of time will be divided for the whole week. It's like he only comes home to sleep or if he left something in his office.
I stayed in my bed for a good 5 minutes just staring at the ceiling and hearing the soft hum of the air conditioner. I finally got the energy to get up and retrieving my macbook that was laying on my study table across my room. I turned it on, typed my password, and immediately opened the internet excited to load my twitter account after 2 months of being inactive. I scrolled down, reading tweets on my timeline when one particular tweet caught my eye.
"One Direction going to Manila!"
I clicked the link that was shown on the tweet, letting curiosity take over.
"Juan Directioners! Your dream has finally came true! The biggest boyband is now coming to Manila!"
The first paragraph of the article said. Just below the paragraph, a video was posted. I slowly clicked play, patiently waiting for it to buff. Pia Guanio's figure stood in front of the camera with a wide grin on her face.
"One Direction, the biggest boyband in the planet is now visiting the country. After endorsing Penshoppe Philippines, the 1D boys spilled that they've always wanted to visit the country and is excited to know the country well. And now, the boys and all Filipino Directioners' dreams has now finally came true. But don't get fooled, the One Direction boys are coming to the country to participate for the "Pagasa Ng Mga Bata Charity Campaign" (Childrens' Hope Charity Campaign) and they will stay in the Philippines for 8 whole months. It may not be a concert, but the 5 boys will be helping millions of children all over the country."
I adjusted my position on my bed and continued watching.
"There's also a rumor that the Philippines' president, will personally meet 1/5 of the band in the Malacañang Palace! A few magazine articles stated that the president will invite the One Direction boys for his daughter's 18th birthday after staying in the US for 4 years. Well isn't Golden really is Golden. This is Pia Guanio for entertainment news! Back to you, Mike."
The video ended and I just sat there blinking and staring at my laptop screen. Yes i've heard of One Direction and I know they're the biggest boyband in the world. But I wasn't a fan of them. I've heard almost all of their songs, not to mention my friend is a fan of them; but i'd rather listen to All Time Low or maybe Coldplay since I could easily relate to their songs.
What confused me more is that there is a rumor that my father will personally meet all five of them and talk about inviting them to my 18th birthday.
Well this is new..
You're probably wondering why I know these kinds of stuffs that a president's daughter is having. Wanna know why I do? Because I'm the daughter of the Philippines' president.
My name is Golden Aquino, and I'm the first daughter of the Philippines.
The Philippines is a small island country located in Southern Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. If you know the famous Boracay Beach, it is located here in this magnificent country. My family has always been a part of the politics. My grandmother used to be the president in this country, she was the first female president in Asia and she is also known as the Mother of the Philippine Democracy, My grandfather is a former Filipino senator. My cousin is currently a senator.
Our family is known in our country because of our family business and politics. Some of our relatives is now also a part of the celebrity culture.
My father is the most protective father you could ever meet. His protectiveness outstood a soldier fighting for his country. But I couldn't blame him, i'm an only child and many people would exemplify me as an innocent girl; even though I take it as a harmless insult.
And also, one of his main reasons because of his protectiveness is that I once suffered from depression.
At the early age of 12, I got mentally ill. My life was just too hard for me to handle; or maybe because I was too weak to face the challenges my life is receiving. And on my 13th birthday my father had to send me to the US so I can forsake the pressure from the country I love. I stayed there for 4 years, completely invisible from the public eye. People from the Philippines wondered where I was and how I was doing. But my father had it all planned out, telling the country that I went overseas to study; when in reality I was on rehabilitation in the US. Everything went very smooth and no one suspected a thing. And after 4 years, my father told me it's time for me to go home, back to the country I love.
I know everything will turn back to the way it was before. I know my troubled pass will be forever buried in a deep hole under the earth's crust. I know my life will have a better future than I expected. I know someone will soon understand me..
But what I don't know is if i'm just lying to myself.
--------------------
"Gen, honey. It's time to get up."
My personal maid, Lourdes, softly shook me; waking me up from my sweet slumber. Her petite frame covered the ray of light that was showing through the window shades. I stayed in bed for awhile, taking a short moment to feel the warmth and comfort my bed is providing. "Gen. Get up now." She said firmly but you can still feel the sweetness in her voice. I scrunched my nose before opening my eyes slowly, taking sight of Lourdes standing next to my queen size bed. She's a middle aged woman around her 50's, her gray hair hinting her age. She's been my personal maid ever since I was born. She was hired because everyone knew I will grow up without a mother, so my father hired a woman so she can treat me like a daughter while I treat her like my own mother in return.
My mother died giving birth to me because of severe bleeding. My father was so devastated that he couldn't even look at me when I was still a newborn baby because he was so close to believing I was the reason the love of his life died. But he knew my mother wanted him to love me like he loved her, so he treated me like a princess until now. He would always tell me stories about my mother. When and where they first met, all of their firsts and lasts, the moment they got married, and the day they found out my mother was pregnant with me. The more stories my father told me, the more I wanted to grow up with my own mother. But no one could ever turn back time, and if anyone could; I would do everything to change the past.
I furrowed my eyebrows when my eyes landed on the alarm clock that was resting on my nightstand.
"It's already 9 in the morning?" I grumbled groggily. I wiped the sleep off my eyes and opened them again much more wider than before. "Your father, is waiting for you downstairs for breakfast. Hurry up, honey. He's leaving at exactly 10:30 for a meeting." Her soft hands caressed my jet black hair before turning around leaving me alone in my room. I hurriedly paced to the bathroom, taking a warm shower and doing my other daily morning routines.
I walked out of my room wearing a pink dress that fell just above my knees and a pair of nude flat sandals. I started walking to the dining room, a bodyguard following me 2 meters behind me. A silent frustrated sigh fell from my lips. "Alam mo, di mo naman ako kailangang sundan palagi." (You know, you don't have to follow me every time).
"Sorry po ma'am. Trabaho lang po." (Sorry ma'am. Just doing my job.)
I ignored his protest and continued to walk, eager to see my father sitting on the dining chair. The last time I saw him was at dinner 5 days ago before he went to Bulacan for a meeting with the governor there. And now that he's back, i'm excited to know if he has plans for us today.
"Good morning, father." My voice echoed in the large dining room in the Malacañang Palace. He was seated on a seat that was facing the entire dining table. He turned his head to face me and his face brightened in the sight of me. "Good morning, Golden. How was your sleep?" I pecked his cheeks before sitting down next to him. "I slept fine, though it would be more wonderful if there are no guards outside my doorstep just standing there listening." I uttered bitterly.
He chuckled shaking his head. "You know how important they are for your safety. We'll never know when the horrible things will happen." He continued eating the food that was on his plate. We proceeded to chat while eating our breakfast. Exchanging stories about how our days went for the past 5 days. "Uh.. Father. I just wanted to ask um.. When will you return after your meeting this morning?" I fiddled with my fingers that was resting on my lap. He paused, like he was trying to remember his schedule for the day which is very funny because he is the president of the Philippines! Of course he knows his schedule.
He looked back at me, giving me a sympathetic look. My face instantly fell when I viewed my father's semblance. I nodded and held my gaze down on my lap as my father brushed a strand of hair away from my face. "I'm sorry, Golden. But you know it is my duty to know what's happening to every corners of the country." His voice was soft and comforting, but it wasn't comforting enough to make me feel any better. "I understand, father.." I mumbled, my eyes never leaving my lap. I heard him release a soft exhale before feeling soft and warm lips kiss the top of my head. "I'm leaving now, Gold. Don't go out of the palace without my permission." He voiced, his tone was strong and deep; showing me that I should obey his rules. I simply nodded my head as he spun around disappearing from the dining room leaving me with 4 guards in each corner of the room.
--------------------
I laid down on my mattress with a loud huff. We haven't seen each other for five days and again as always, he's busy. I understand that he is the president, the busiest man in the country. But it won't really hurt making time for your only daughter. It feels like he's starting to fade away from me ever since he became the president, and it's hurting me. You're only parent is too busy with his work leaving a small amount of time for you. And that small amount of time will be divided for the whole week. It's like he only comes home to sleep or if he left something in his office.
I stayed in my bed for a good 5 minutes just staring at the ceiling and hearing the soft hum of the air conditioner. I finally got the energy to get up and retrieving my macbook that was laying on my study table across my room. I turned it on, typed my password, and immediately opened the internet excited to load my twitter account after 2 months of being inactive. I scrolled down, reading tweets on my timeline when one particular tweet caught my eye.
"One Direction going to Manila!"
I clicked the link that was shown on the tweet, letting curiosity take over.
"Juan Directioners! Your dream has finally came true! The biggest boyband is now coming to Manila!"
The first paragraph of the article said. Just below the paragraph, a video was posted. I slowly clicked play, patiently waiting for it to buff. Pia Guanio's figure stood in front of the camera with a wide grin on her face.
"One Direction, the biggest boyband in the planet is now visiting the country. After endorsing Penshoppe Philippines, the 1D boys spilled that they've always wanted to visit the country and is excited to know the country well. And now, the boys and all Filipino Directioners' dreams has now finally came true. But don't get fooled, the One Direction boys are coming to the country to participate for the "Pagasa Ng Mga Bata Charity Campaign" (Childrens' Hope Charity Campaign) and they will stay in the Philippines for 8 whole months. It may not be a concert, but the 5 boys will be helping millions of children all over the country."
I adjusted my position on my bed and continued watching.
"There's also a rumor that the Philippines' president, will personally meet 1/5 of the band in the Malacañang Palace! A few magazine articles stated that the president will invite the One Direction boys for his daughter's 18th birthday after staying in the US for 4 years. Well isn't Golden really is Golden. This is Pia Guanio for entertainment news! Back to you, Mike."
The video ended and I just sat there blinking and staring at my laptop screen. Yes i've heard of One Direction and I know they're the biggest boyband in the world. But I wasn't a fan of them. I've heard almost all of their songs, not to mention my friend is a fan of them; but i'd rather listen to All Time Low or maybe Coldplay since I could easily relate to their songs.
What confused me more is that there is a rumor that my father will personally meet all five of them and talk about inviting them to my 18th birthday.
Well this is new..
Notes
Hey guys! So this is my first story on this website and I have no idea how to use this so please bear with me. I've been working on this story for the past 2 months and i've edited this chapter a few times because i'm not very contented about it. And I suggest that you guys should read all of my chapter notes because as you can see i'm a Filipino and this is kind of a Filipino inspired story so i'm gonna use some Filipino words (but don't worry i'm gonna translate it anyway. It's usually shown inside an open and close parenthesis just like this one). And i'm also gonna tell you a few facts about my home country that's mentioned in this story like for example:Filipiniana -> A dress worn by female Filipinos (Filipina)
Malacañang Palace -> The official residence of the President of the Philippines (In America it's The White House)
So that's just for this chapter. There will be more Filipino words and other related stuff for the other chapters but don't worry cause I will explain it anyway. Hope you enjoyed it!
