The boy’s name was Iktan.
He was 10 years old.
Iktan had no parents.
His earliest memory was from when he was about two years old, when an elderly beggar named Lolo Mateo found him inside a plastic basin drifting near the banks of the Pasig River, after a powerful storm in Manila.
He couldn’t speak.
He couldn’t walk.
He only cried until his voice was gone.
Around his tiny wrist was the only thing he had:
a red woven bracelet, old and frayed,
and a damp piece of paper, the writing barely legible:
“Please, may a kind soul take care of this child.
His name is Iktan.”
Lolo Mateo had nothing.
No house. No money. No family.
Only tired legs and a heart that still knew how to love.
He raised Iktan with whatever he could find—leftover rice, dried fish given away, plastic bottles collected for recycling.
At night, he would whisper to the boy:
— If one day you find your mother… forgive her.
No one abandons a child without pain in their soul.
Growing Up Under the Bridges of Manila
Iktan grew up among street markets, old jeepneys, and cold rainy nights under bridges.
He never knew what his mother looked like.
Lolo Mateo only told him that when he found him, the note had a faint lipstick stain
and a long strand of hair tangled in the red bracelet.
He believed Iktan’s mother was very young—
perhaps too young to raise a child.
One day, Lolo Mateo fell gravely ill with severe pneumonia and was taken to a public hospital.
With no money, Iktan had to beg for food more than ever.
The Grand Wedding in Makati
That afternoon, Iktan heard people whisper:
— “There’s a huge wedding at a luxury mansion in Makati!”
With an empty stomach and a dry throat, he decided to try his luck.
He stood shyly near the entrance.
The tables overflowed with food: lechon, rice, pastries, cold drinks.
A kitchen helper noticed him, felt pity, and handed him a warm plate.
— Sit over there and eat quickly. Don’t let anyone see you.
Iktan thanked her and sat down.
The Moment That Changed Everything
As he ate, he looked inside.
Music filled the air, guests wore elegant clothes, lights sparkled.
A thought crossed his mind:
Does my mother live in a place like this?
Then the master of ceremonies announced:
— “Ladies and gentlemen… the bride!”
The music changed.
All eyes turned to the flower-decorated staircase.
And she appeared.
A flawless white dress.
A calm smile.
Long black hair flowing softly.
But Iktan froze.
Not because of her beauty—
But because of the red bracelet on her wrist.
The same thread.
The same color.
The same worn knot.
Trembling, Iktan stood and walked forward.
— Ma’am… — his voice broke —
That bracelet… are you… my mother?
The Truth in the Wedding Hall
The entire hall fell silent.
The bride looked down at her wrist.
Then she looked into the boy’s eyes.
The same eyes as hers.
Her legs gave way, and she knelt before him.
— What’s your name? she whispered.
— Iktan… my name is Iktan…
The microphone fell to the floor.
Whispers erupted everywhere.
The bride burst into tears:
— I was 18 when I got pregnant…
I was alone… no support… no future…
I had to leave you…
But I never forgot…
I kept this bracelet for ten years, hoping to find you again…
She wrapped her arms tightly around Iktan.
— Please forgive me, my son…
Iktan cried too.
— Lolo Mateo told me not to hate you…
I’m not angry, Mom…
I just wanted to find you…
A Decision That Made Everyone Cry
The groom stepped forward.
No one knew what he would do.
Cancel the wedding?
Send the boy away?
Pretend nothing had happened?
Instead, he did not pull the bride up.
He knelt down in front of Iktan, at eye level.
— Would you like to stay… and eat with us? he asked gently.
Iktan shook his head.
— I just want my mom.
The man smiled.
Then he embraced both mother and son.
— Then from today on…
you have a mother…
and you also have a father.
The bride looked at him through tears.
— Aren’t you angry with me?
I hid my past from you…
— I didn’t marry your past, he whispered.
I married the woman I love.
And I love you even more knowing how much you suffered.
A Wedding No Longer About Luxury
The wedding was no longer grand.
No longer elegant.
It became sacred.
The guests stood and applauded through tears.
They weren’t celebrating a wedding.
They were witnessing a family being reunited.
Iktan held his mother’s hand.
And the hand of the man who had just called him “son.”
In his heart, a soft whisper echoed:
“Lolo Mateo… do you see?
I’ve found my mother.”