Shanaia Aira's Point of View
" Baby, wake up, you'll be late for school." I felt a slightly shake on my shoulder as I heard my nanny's voice.
I woke up and looked up at the smiley face of yaya Didang who was just waking me up. Here in our country, we call our nanny, "yaya".
"Good morning yaya, what time is it?" I asked.
"It's six in the morning my beautiful princess and you need to be in your new school before eight o'clock, you have been taking so long to take a shower so you need to hurry up and get your breakfast ready." Nanny drove me out of my room.
" Where's daddy and mommy and my siblings?" I asked.
"They left early almost at the same time. You know the municipality needs to be up early every Monday. Your mommy has a taping on the tv station and your sister is in the studio for the recording of her new song." yaya's long explanation.
I sigh. Why am I not used to it? I have always been alone in this house. Today is my first day as a high school student, they should be with me because of my new environment but none of them will support me. As usual, only my yaya is with me again.
I got out of my room gloomily and followed my nanny downstairs. Our house was huge but I was always with our house helpers, they are my constant companion.
Since my elder sister Shane, entered showbusiness as a singer - actress four years ago, my life has been this way.
We used to be together a lot before and she was helping me with my school assignments but that changed when she graduated in grade school because Aunt Jellyn persuaded her to enter showbusiness. Aunt Jellyn is the youngest sister and only sibling of my mommy, she's a singer - actress and she is really into acting. And I think, being a celebrity really runs in our blood. My mom Eliza Guererro Gallardo used to be a beauty queen and is now a host of her own show entitled All About Beauty, which has been aired on television for five years.
While my dad, Adrian Gallardo, came from a family of politicians. His dad served in the province as a municipal mayor for 16 years and at the time of his death it was my daddy who took his position but eventually ran for congressman and is now in his second term in this position.
My brother Andrew is five years older than Shane. And at a young age of 22 he is already a municipal councilor in our area. He is often away from home and he and dad are always together on the streets serving people. He also intends to run for mayor in the next election.
So I grew up with a miserable life. I have all the material things that I want and everything that a teen age girl like me needed but I am not happy.
They loved me as the youngest of the family but they just didn't have the time to accompany me. I was thirsty for my own family's attention.
It is sad to eat alone. It's always been this way but I'm still not used to it. In this kind of situation, I feel like I'm an orphan.
And at my age, I still feel insecurities in life, I'm smart but I don't feel like I have anything to do with myself. My nanny says I'm beautiful but I can't see it in me.
Really? How can they say I'm beautiful when I am wearing big eye glasses and braces on the teeth? I look like a younger version of Betty La Fea. I'm not as beautiful as my sister. I'm just smart.
But who cares?
That's not what my family sees. I never felt that they were so proud of me even in my school achievements. I was the school valedictorian in my grade school and they're not there when I graduated. Only my nanny. So sad.
I am also a talented person , I can sing, dance, can play musical instruments and act like my family but I don't want to show up because I don't like the field they belong to. I don't want to follow their path, be it politics or showbusiness.
I want a simple life.
If someday, I had my own family, I would give my time to them. I would never let them experience what I experienced with my own family.
They love me but why can't I feel it? Their way of love is that they fill me with material things and money. That's not all that I wanted. All I want is their time.It's the most precious thing that you can give to your love ones but sad to say my family can't give me that.
I quickly finished my meal and rushed back to my room to take a bath in my own bathroom.
When I had finished dressing up, I invited my nanny there to accompany me to my first day of class.
I got into my car with my own driver, obviously I had never been able to drive alone even though I know how to drive.I haven't had a license yet because I am only 13 years old. So since they bought me a car, my older brother Andrew gave me his driver, Mang Simon to be my driver.
We got to the school in no time. My nanny and my driver will wait for me in the parking lot until my classes ends.
I looked around the school premises. My sister Shane is also a student here back in her high school. She is very popular in this school because of being a famous celebrity. I don't want this school to give me a special treatment because of that. I want to make my own name in this school, not as a famous celebrity's sister but as a smart student.
When I saw my room, I hurriedly went inside.I thought I am late already but it was a relief to find out that our teacher is not around yet.
I chose to sit on the right side in front, and not long before I was seated, two cute girls were smiling towards me.
"Hi! I'm Venice Gomez and this one is Charlotte Fuentes and you are?" She acknowledged as she handed me her hand.
"Aira .. Shanaia Aira Gallardo." I answered and reached out for her hand and did the same thing to Charlotte.
" Gallardo? Are you related to Shane Adriana Gallardo, the latest famas teen best actress? "Charlotte asked.
" Yeah, she's my sister. "I shudder.
" Really? So, that means, the super hot and super handsome municipal councilor Andrew Elijah Gallardo is your brother?" asked Charlotte in a high pitch tone.
I nodded. A bit amused.
" Gosh, she's my sister's ultimate crush.OMG, my sister will definitely strain me when I tell her. " said Venice. I smiled and shrugged. She's so cute when she giggled.
The two of them asked so many things about my siblings. And I gladly answered. We talked about a lot of things and before our teacher arrived, the three of us instantly became friends.
We seat side by side because our teacher arrange our seats alphabetically. We will be seatmates until the school year ends. Yey!
At lunch time my nanny came to give me the lunch she had prepared for me and since I have too much, I shared it to Charlotte and Venice. We happily ate my lunch that yaya brought me.
Later in the afternoon, when our classes ends, Venice and Charlotte went with me to the parking lot where their drivers were waiting too.
So far, my sad life instantly change into a happy one because of them. I felt giddy and excited everytime I go to school because of my newly found friends. They became my happy pill and I don't even notice what I'm missing out in my life.
Happiness is a choice. I can be happy if I want to. The time my family couldn't afford to give, I can take it with others.
Happiness doesn't come to those who didn't appreciate what they have.And I love my family so even though they don't have time for me, I just understand.They are the ones that I have that comes from God.
And the secret of being happy is accepting where you are in life and making the most out of it everyday.
Acceptance is the key.
In this state of my life, do I need to ask for more? No. definitely not. Just be happy. Not everyone is born with a silver spoon in the mouth.
Maybe one day my lonely life will suddenly change.
Who knows?