Athena Lewis Chen

Hey, are you free this Friday? can you please make time. were celebrating his 80th birthday. tapik ni Kristine sa kanya, Kristine is the closest cousin she has, parang kapatid niya na to, mula pagkabata ito ang lagi niyang kasama. 

Are you asking me or what? sarkastikong sabi ni Athena 

I don't any luxury to attend any gathering now. so please stop pestering me. she said coldly to her cousin. 

It's not just a gathering, its Grandpa's birthday. Athena its been 5 years, di mo man lang ba dadalawin ang matanda, ikaw ang laging hinahanap, kahit na ang daming laging dumadalaw sa kanya, di lumilipas ang araw na di ka hinahanap. Di mo pa rin ba siya napapatawad? sunod sunod na sabi ni Kristine sa pinsan niya. Kristine Marie Chen is her first cousin, anak ng tita Ingrid niya. Yes she is using the Chen family name instead of her father's family name, it's because her father messed up so our grandfather decided, na lahat ng anak ng Tita Ingrid should be Chen, regardless of gender. 

Forgiveness? never! Never in this life. if you guys already forget what he'd done, not me! its still a vivid memory for me. mapait nitong sabi.

And if you are here just to convince me to go back to that place (their ancestral house), then you're just wasting your time. So now can you please leave I still have operation to prepare and please close the door after you leave. walang kaabog abog an sabi ni Athena sa pinsan.

Come on Athena! Kristine want to say something, but stop ng makita niya na masama na ang tingin sa kanya ng pinsan niya. 

Okay! but If ever you've change your mind, here is the address of the venue, we are celebrating his 80th birthday this coming Friday. Maingat na sabi ni Kristine habang inilalapag ang invitation card sa lamesa ng una. Mahirap na kung magagalit ito sa kanya. For her Athena is the sweetest person she ever meet, pero ito rin ang pinaka kinakatakutan niya pag nagalit, and talking about family gathering is a taboo for her, because of what happened 5 years ago. 

Don't expect me to be there. pahabol na sabi ni Athena sa pinsan. While she let herself busy with the medical records.

No pressure, take your time. Take care of yourself always. Bye. pagpapaalam ni Kristine sa pinsan. 

Born in a Politician and businessman Family, she is the second child of the three children of Congressman Sean Manuel "Manny" Chen and Lynn Lewis Chen. Her father is a politician while her Mother is a American- Chinese businesswoman , they say that when her father was just pursuing her mother, katakot takot na hirap ang kinaharap ng kanyang ama, bago nakuha ang blessing ng kanyang Lolo, its not that her father was not a good man, in fact her father was the youngest politician awardee, based on his achievement. pero ayaw ng Lolo niya na makapagasawa ng Politician ang kanyang ina, its because for him politics is dirty, unfair and messy. But in the end her father earned the trust of his grandfather.

Having an influential family is not a guarantee that it can gives you happiness or the life that you want, it maybe the wish of others but not for Athena, the constant pressure is always on. Growing up she has to live up to the expectation of the elders, most especially the Chen's. The Chen's has an uptight rule, "There's no place for second placer". They needed to be always the first, In all discipline. From academics, sports, and other extra curricular activities. They are being raised to be a well rounded individual. 

It's not a bad thing actually, it helps them become competitive. The only problem is they also decide whom you are going to be in the future. They arranged everything, even marriage. they are all arrange to a certain individual and expected to marry that person in time, as the elder decided to. Yes! they have their own Fiancée's lahat silang limang mag pipinsan, whether they like it or not there going to marry to the person being arrange for them. and its been proven by her Kuya Jared. Her kuya Jared was madly in love to his girlfriend in school, but ends up marrying to the daughter of their grandfather's business partner. According to her Kuya Jared he can't go against to their grandpa or else his girlfriend will suffer. 

pero di pa na kontento ang Lolo nila, he send the girl to study abroad in disguise of giving her scholarship, and help her family, para magkaroon ng utang na loob sa Lolo niya. 

 And that's what Athena hated most. why should she follows the traditional thinking of the elders, who in earth would do that in this time around, Hello! Its already 21st century, marrying someone whom you didn't even know what he/she look like is not her thing. For her you need to know first the person whom you would spent the rest of your life with, and one must marry because of Love, not with Money. That's one of the reason why she despise her grandfather. 

She's considered as the black sheep of the family, instead of working in her grandfather's hospital she choose to work to other hospital, instead of living with her family she choose to live in her own, without relying to her family. Yes, it sound like foolish and rebelling, but that's what she do. 

She want to live freely, in her own, hindi sa kung anu ang gusto ng mga nakakatanda para sa kanya.