The sunshine seems powerless to dispel the cold and gloom that engulfs Manila Memorial Park every 20th of October. For Don Ricardo and Doña Esmeralda Montefalco, it was the most painful day of the year—the anniversary of the loss of their only child, Angelica. Ten years ago, he was in a car accident. The wreckage of the boat was found, but Angelica’s body was never found. In spite of this, they had a luxurious mausoleum built to have a place to offer their prayers and flowers. Don Ricardo, known in the business world as a tough and strict billionaire, gets weak and tears every time he goes to this place. Doña Esmeralda, on the other hand, doesn’t give up hope, even though time is trying to kill her.
They got out of their black limousine, wearing black clothes and dark glasses. The bodyguards were all around, making sure no one could interfere with their private moment. Esmeralda brought Angelica’s favorite white rose. As they walked towards the mausoleum, they noticed that the door was open. Ricardo’s brow furrowed. He gave strict instructions to the caretaker that no one could enter but them. He sped away, ready to scold anyone who dared to enter. But when they reached the door, they were stunned by what they saw. At the foot of the grave, there was a girl. It must have been about eight years old. She wore a faded dress torn at the waist, and her feet were barefoot and covered in mud. The boy was skinny, and his hair was messy.
The child was lying on the marble floor, hugging Angelica’s tombstone, and crying. “Mom… Mom, wake up… You said you were going to come back to me…” The boy’s repeated sobs between his sobs. Surprise and anger mingled in Don Ricardo’s chest. To him, the presence of a “street boy” in his son’s sacred place was a slander. “Today! “Boy!” cried Ricardo’s voice inside the mausoleum. “What are you doing there?! Who brought you in?!”
The boy was astonished. He sat down on the floor and looked at the couple with a shudder. Her face was covered in dirt and tears. “S-I’m sorry… I’m leaving…” The boy nodded, terrified of the big people in front of him. “Guard! “Shut up!” yelled Richard. “Why did you let this guy in?!” Get him out! Right now!” The guards arrived and tried to take the child into custody. “No! “I just want to see my mom!” she yelled as she slammed her head against the wall.
“Mom!” exclaimed Richard angrily. “My son is buried there!” She’s Not Your Mom! Are you crazy?!? Get rid of it!” The guard grabbed the boy’s arm. It’s been a whirlwind. In the midst of the screaming and screaming, something fell from the boy’s neck. A silver necklace, with a heart-shaped pendant, that hit the paved floor with a loud KLANG.
Doña Esmeralda stared at the necklace. It was as if his heart had stopped. Her eyes widened and she covered her mouth. “Let him go!” shouted Esmeralda. He quickly walked over and grabbed the necklace. Her hands trembled as she stared at him. He couldn’t make a mistake. This is the necklace she made herself in Italy for Angelica’s 18th birthday. It has small letters “A & E” engraved – Angelica and Esmeralda. This is what Angela was wearing the day she went missing. “Ricardo…” Esmeralda whispered, showing the necklace to her husband. Angelica’s Necklace… This kid is wearing it.”
Don Ricardo was stunned. He nodded at the boy. He had never seen it so closely—the boy’s eyes… The shape of the nose… Angela had a crush on her when she was a child. “Boy…” Ricardo asked tremblingly, kneeling down to match the boy’s face. “Where did you get it? Where is the owner?” The boy continued to cry, but he answered the older man. “My mother gave it to me… before the police picked him up yesterday… He said, “I’m going to go to this grave when I’m gone… “It looks like my grandparents are buried here.”
“Grandparents?” the couple looked at each other. “Where’s Your Mother? “What’s your name?” asked Esmeralda, tears streaming down her face. “Angel… He was called an angel in the field. Her name was “Angela.” The police arrested him for stealing drugs for me. I was sick…”
It was as if the couple had been showered with cold water. The son they thought was dead, is alive! Living for 10 years! But he lived in poverty, stole for his son, and is now in jail. Richard couldn’t believe it. “How… How did this happen? According to the police report… He’s dead!”
The couple promptly loaded the child, named “Hope,” into their limousine. They went straight to the police station where the woman Hope was talking about was being held. When they arrived, the police chief was shocked by the raid by billionaire Don Ricardo. “Where’s the girl you arrested yesterday who stole the medicine?! “Get him out!” shouted Richard. They were taken to the cell. There, in a dark, cramped cage, sat a woman. Skinny, slender, with arm scars, and looking old from the pain. But when she lifted her face, even though it was full of dirt, Esmeralda immediately recognized her son.
“Angelica!” sigaw ni Esmeralda.
Angelica’s world came to a halt. He looked at the beautiful woman and man outside the bar. “Mom? “Daddy?” she whispered softly. Richard immediately opened the door. They embraced their son. The smell of the cage was not a hindrance. A 10-year silence has finally come to an end.
Inside the station, Angelica told her what had happened. On the night the yacht crashed, he drifted to a remote island. He suffered amnesia from a head injury. A fisherman took her in, but she was turned into a slave and abused. When his memory came back a few years later, he was embarrassed to come back. He felt like he had been “tainted” and that his socially looked down upon family would no longer accept him. She found out that she was pregnant (as a result of abuse), so she ran away and hid in Manila. He lived on the sidewalk, picked up trash, and supported Hope.
“I thought… You should be ashamed of me. “I thought it would be better for you to think that I was dead than to see my life like this,” Angelica cried. “But when Hope got sick, there was nothing I could do. I stole it. And when I was arrested, I told Hope to go to the cemetery… I know you will be visiting today. He was my only hope. I gave him the necklace so that you might know him.”
Don Ricardo nodded. His pride and wealth pales in comparison to the suffering his son endured. “Son, please forgive us. We will not be ashamed of you. You are our life. No matter what happens to you, you are our son.”
Don Ricardo immediately arranged for Angelica’s release. He paid for the pharmacy, and talked to the authorities. They went back to the mansion with Hope.
In the months that followed, the Montefalco family returned home. They took care of Angelica and Hope. They lived the life they deserved. It wasn’t easy to heal the trauma of Angelica, but with the help of the love of her parents and her son, she slowly got back on her feet. Hope became the center of the fun of Don and the world. The boy they thought was a beggar in the cemetery was actually a link of their race.
The Montefalco family has proven that the real wealth is not money or the social state. The real treasure is the family. And parental love is non-judgmental, non-judgmental, and willing to accept the child no matter how dirty or complicated it may be.
The tomb in the cemetery remained a symbol—not of death, but of the resurrection of a family separated by fate but reunited by love and a simple necklace. Since then, every October 20, they have not cried at the cemetery. They celebrate “Family Day” at their mansion, with Angelica and Hope, who are alive and full of hope.
Every tear that fell on that pavement was replaced with smiles of gratitude. Because in the end, the blood will remain blood, and the heart will always find its way home