"Hey Celine, can you get me the remote?I want to watch the news," Dad scratched the sleep from his eyes as he went downstairs.
I am a much more early riser than him, so I've already taken a bath and prepared the breakfast table for the three of us. Mom, however is still sound asleep. I handed him the remote.
"Hmm, COVID-19 update as of June 19, 2020..."he droned, and then let out a series of tskssss.
"Yuh, yuh, yuh...larger numbers as of today. But I think that's yesterday's count, dad,".
Mom went down the stairs, and shouted, "Happy Birthday, Pepe!" then ran to hug Dad. I slid the birthday cake out of the ref and put it on the table. "Happy Birthday, Dad," I chimed in. I had 1, 5, and 9 number candles stuck on the cake in the exact order. "You're so old Dad, you need not worry about COVID-19 anymore.
"Marceline, Marceline, you must remember that your father is perpetually 35 years of age, " he cheerfully reminded me.
The news shifted to a tribute to the national hero, and I said, "There it goes again, Dad. They're showing your ugly portraits again. Poor them, they'll never know how handsome you are really in person"
And that is, how the day began during the hundred and fifty-nine birthday of my one and only Dad, the national Hero of the Philippines, Jose Rizal.
And I, Marceline Klair Mercado, is his only child.