REMEMBERING

"Family and friendships are two of the greatest facilitators of happiness." –John C. Maxwell

Juan is writing it on his phone to post with their picture in Japan.

Now they are here in this huge house of Katsuo and Ichika Takuma for their Mom Martha Tira who was named Maketa Tamashi Takuma.

Ruthie remembers yesterday that they meet her mother as Maketa Tamashi Takuma, and even they were forgotten, she feels in her heart that we are her family. Alzheimer's has miraculously made it what they are now.

Paulo made a portrait of that afternoon. How they talk reminding her mother of the past and how she became Maketa from Martha, but in their discussion, they are putting the pieces together to complete the clear picture that everything became clear to Maketa that she is Martha.

This is portions of what happened yesterday:

Tony reminded Martha of all her sacrifices and by going back to Japan. He also talks about how Ely, Luz, Joel, and Jacky had been part of their lives because of her, how they have been a big help in their setting up a business that is growing.

Juan reminded her of the hardship they had as the typhoon destroys their rice field. Juan said it's different now. The new farm bought by her became a big food corporation exporting even here in Japan.

Ruthie told her mother that she is starting to study in college. She told her that Juan was now a graduate of Mechanical Engineering and is taking the board and also will be studying in the law proper.

They continued chatting in Maketa's office in the Palace Hotel Tokyo, Katsuo and Ichika were hearing all the truth. Then he said to confirm everything, without a doubt, he made them have the DNA test that afternoon. He called the DNA testing in charge of the Tokyo Medical and Dental University to get their samples and they have the samples checked and next week the result will be released.

They start to eat and tell stories that Maketa is forming her lost past slowly like puzzles that are being matched and complete the picture or her and her lost family.

Maketa now embraced them all, they cried, they express their emotions of missing her these years that Ruthie was just about ten years old Paulo twelve, and Juan is fourteen when she was lost in Japan.

Katsuo and Ichika invited them all in their house to sleep that night.

We are not prepared for these. But if you insist, we will go home for a while ang get some clothes, we will be reporting for work tomorrow, then The Tira family can remain for a while if you want because they are staying with us as of the moment. "Ely said.

"OK, I will let you home then Emica will fetch you. You may bring your car, Ely if you prefer but we can fetch you also. Katsuo said.

"Ok, sir," Ely said.

Maketa did not allow Ruthie and Paulo to go with them she let them stay with her.

Tony, Ely, Luz, Juan, and Jacky were allowed to go to get some clothes for the night.

As they ride the car from the Palace Hotel Tokyo, Juan who is familiar with intelligence and monitoring and observed that they are being tailed by a car then as they are near their home another car tailed them. He suspects they are being studied. But he did not say this to his father or to Jacky or to Ely and Luz.

Juan gets some clothes for Ruthie and Paulo, for him from their Travel bag and transferred to his backpack. He brings his laptop and he went down and installed some wireless solar powered camera near the gate and in the outside of their house and also in the back of the house.

Ely went to the car and all of them get in the car and they drove to Maketa's place.

Before they arrived, Paulo showed his paintings to her mother. Maketa kissed him and said you are so talented my son. Katsuo was amazed by his talent.

"What if we will make a gallery here in Japan?" Katsuo thinks.

"Mother, he painted the official portrait of the President of the Philippines." Ruthie proudly said.

"Wow! Really? Maketa said.

"Mother I will tell you a secret," Ruthie said.

"Because of you, Jacky went to study in the Philippines to find you. Not knowing that Juan was her classmate in high school in General Santos City. Later they found out that both of them know you." Ruthie narrated what happened.

"Is that not easy because of Juan's surname?" Maketa said.

"Did you also forgot that the spelling of the surname of Kuya (elder) Juan is 'Tera' not 'Tira' with an 'i'? Because of the mistake of the midwife in the form and in the birth certificate and you have not checked it. Maybe that delayed them to find out that he is your son." Ruthie said.

"Is that so?" Maketa said.

"Mother, later their feelings developed as friends but as the school year-end is coming they found out they can't live without their relationship move up to a new level, and now, they are engaged," Ruthie said.

"I'm happy for them. You know, when I see my picture in the video holding Jacky, it seems it is a switch that reminds me of the past." Maketa said.

"Mom, I had an idea, I will show you my photo album and I will show you your pictures on Facebook," Ruthie said.

"That's a good idea. Let's do it!" Maketa said.

Ely and the company arrived. Emica let them follow her car to the house.

Katsuo and Ichika welcome them and let them in, and called her house assistant to show them their rooms. We will have dinner after, we will wait for you here.

The house is huge and beautifully decorated, a luxury house for the rich.

They had dinner.

"This is a feast!" Paulo whispered to Ruthie.

"Our kitchen chef prepared this especially for you all" Ichika said smiling.

Katsuo leads the prayer.

The chef serves them,

CHICKEN-NOMIYAKI

Crunchy Big Chicken Katsu topped with a Japanese Okonomiyaki pancake, tonkatsu sauce, Japanese mayo, tempura crumbs, and onion leeks for a one-of-a-king Japanese experience.

PRAWN TEMPURA PLATTER

A classic Japanese favorite. Crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside, Prawn Tempura is served with tempura sauce.

BEEF MISONO PLATTER

A platter of the famous and flavorful Beef Misono with a side of vegetable misono, topped with red pickled radish.

YAKISOBA

A party must-have, you will surely enjoy this traditional Japanese noodle dish.

SERVINGS OF RICE

A good serving of rice to satisfy the Filipino's rice appetite!

CUPS OF SIGNATURE RED ICED TEA

Glasses of our refreshing Signature Red Iced Tea.

After eating, they went to the living room to chat.

Ruthie said, "If it OK for you all, I will present some pictures in my album and in my cellphone."

Katsuo smiled, "That would be an excellent child. Please do it."

Ruthie while in the room awhile ago, she took a picture of all the pictures in her photo album using her cellphone camera and some pictures from the Facebook she downloaded.

Then she connected it to the 52 inches Smart TV in the living room through the cast screen feature.

The screen was so clear, then she touched the picture gallery in her phone and the first picture that appeared is Martha(Maketa) in their first farm with Tony, Juan in her side embracing her and holding Ruthie in her arms, and Paulo holding her skirt. The farmhouse in the background is newly destroyed by a typhoon.

Katsuo's tear fell to see Maketa look so poor and thin and wearing a dress that seems a rug, but it is very clear that is Maketa.

The second picture shows Maketa with all of them sitting in their bamboo floor with plates on the floor eating corn rice and dried fish happily eating with all of them smiling and having jokes as they eat. Tony and Martha(Maketa) sitting beside each other, then Juan, Paulo eating while Ruthie being hand feed by Martha.

Maketa was silent, but her tears are flowing as the pictures, goes to show one by one, her memories are going back one by one.

All of them in tears of the hard life reality, of suffering, of sacrifices and now they are in Japan.

God has a plan of all the sufferings, and the pain, everything that happened. What is that verse Maketa?" Ichika said.

"Romans 8:28, that is my Mom's favorite verse. All things will work out together for good, to them that love God." Juan said.

After Ruthie's presentation, Maketa stands and embraced her husband, then Ruthie, and Juan, and Paulo joined.

They then went to their respective rooms.

During the night, they prayed, thanking God, that they found their Mom.

Ely and Luz with Jacky in one room that looks like a suite room. This is huge, I love the curtains.

Juan, Paulo, and Tony in one room that is like a suite room also. Juan opened his laptop and check his emails, his online cameras in their condominium in Makati, Philippines.

Ruthie was invited by Maketa to sleep with her.

Katsuo and Ichika talked in their room. "You know my love, I feel this family business is a blessing to us. I thank God for the day that we found Maketa in that morning in the market" Katsuo said.

"Yes, its time that we tell them also how we found her tomorrow," Ichika said.

"Yes, together with the DNA result that will be released tomorrow," Katsuo said