The Young and the Beautiful

Chapter 38

We threw a big party for Camila's máma Esmeralda's eightieth birthday. In 1975 it was held in Manila Hilton ballroom, one of the newest and grandest in that time.

We were all having fun in the party together with the other 300 people who were our family and friends which mainly consisted of old money people and some newly rich Filipino-Chinese families.

Until when máma Esmeralda was about to be introduced, the main doors of the ballroom opened. It was the President's wife, Amanda Olivares. She was a very beautiful lady but a very mean and cruel one too. She showed up uninvited to this party like she always did in parties as if it was her own. We never accepted her but we all felt that we were all being held in gunpoint. She went with her two daughters who were the same age as Charlie and Andy.

She gave besos or air kisses to máma Esmeralda as if they're old friends and gave her a gift box. Amanda then requested to open the gift in front of everyone else. We were all shocked to see that she gave her a big South Sea Golden Pearl brooch surrounded with diamonds. We all clapped our hands of course and Amanda was successful in stealing the show like she always do.

Amanda walked around the ballroom and greeted everyone as if it was her own party. She was smiling but looked intimidating. Then she saw our family, Andres was obligated to shake her hand. She greeted me too but she looked at my son and nephew and she smiled.

"You know, Mr. Fàbregas, your son and nephew could be a good match to my daughters." Amanda said as she talked to Andres again.

"Maybe we should talk about them going on a date soon. Your sons look so handsome obviously carrying your family's genes." She added.

"It's a pity, but my son Andy, and my nephew Charlie will be both flying to Spain this summer to study like we did back when we were their age." Andres said. I rode along and agreed with him. I think Amanda is serious and is willing to do anything just to get what she wanted. She wanted Enrique Jr. and Marco to be the girls' prom dates. The young gentlemen complied as they were told to but never saw the girls again. Amanda's daughters weren't the prettiest dames of their times despite of having Amanda as a mother. Bela said that the two girls looked like Cinderella's step sisters as she was classmates with the younger sister.

"Oh yes. Shame." She replied and continued to walk. I glanced over at Charlie and Andy who were looking calm and fully composed as if they haven't met a scary woman like Amanda.

"What a pitiful pobrecita." My mom said, expressing how angry she was towards her and how she wanted her grandsons to marry her children. Máma suddenly talked on how Amanda crashed a British party one summer just for her daughters meet with Prince Charles. Of course he was polite and greeted the girls. But it was just until that.

"Máma, now is not the time. Hablamos mañana. Let's talk about it tomorrow." I said. Amanda might hear her.

The party was now ruined and destroyed the momentum of máma Esmeralda's birthday. Amanda even wore the same exact green dress that she was wearing. But the party continued as if nothing happened despite of being uncomfortable with Amanda's presence.

Andres and I knew that we should send our kids away as soon as possible. Amanda is capable of anything. She was a type of woman who always get what she wanted. The school year just ended and was a perfect time to send them abroad.

When we reached home, Andres called me saying that Olivia received a death threat and she's asking me to help her. So I immediately went to their house to see what's going on.

"Olivia, que pasa?" I asked her.

"Tio Pancho, I was just attending the seminar in school where my friends went. They're talking about this administration's wrongdoings. I saw them get one of my friends and threw one out of the window just for asking a question that involved the President's daughter. He's a good friend of mine. We managed to run away but it's too late. They knew our faces and probably our names too. My classmate Jill went missing last night her brother told me. Tio am I doing something wrong?" She said. Olivia was so scared and can't get out of her room when she received a mail with newspaper letters that says "You're next."

"Mi sobrina, there's nothing wrong with what you're doing and I admire you for standing up for what you believe in. I think we share the same sentiments. Your cousin and your brother should leave soon. Amanda Olivarez wanted them to date her daughters. We both know what that meant. You're already an adult. But we won't let this family touch anyone of you." I said.

"You are not to leave this house from now on. Pancho, can you contact some of your friends to provide us with two security men for Olivia? It's just until they leave for Los Angeles." Andres told me.

"That's what I have in mind." I replied. Andres and I talked about our plans for our wives and our kids. We contacted our lawyer and drafted our will in case anything happens to us.

When I was walking home, I saw a strange man walking a dog at this time? It's 8pm, why is he walking his dog? Then he turned away when he saw me coming towards his direction. Andres' home is being watched.

I talked to Camila about my plans. She was scared and knew that if Olivia is in danger then so are our children. She told me that her friends' sons are also being sent out of the country just to be cautious on what might happen to them if Amanda knows that they have sons who are the same age as her daughters.

The next day, máma paid a visit and was still too furious on what happened last night. She was saying that Amanda was and will never be invited over to their tea parties. I was laughing and said that Amanda can afford all the tea she wanted. She just gold plated the sink on one Philippine Airlines' plane. I wonder what Enrique would feel about this.

"Hijo. My point is that no matter how rich she becomes. She will never be a woman like me, or your wife. There's no problem with nueva rica familia. Pero, they stole half of this country's money and is a threat to freedom of most Filipinos. So no, I don't like her." My máma said as she used her hand fan and fanned herself as if the electric fans weren't enough.

She became madder when she told me what happened to Olivia, and commanded us that we must leave the country immediately. She said that she will live with her sisters when we leave because it reminded her of the war and how she survived hiding in their home there.