By Jovit D. Caballero

She grew up with a father who existed only in her mind — a shadow stitched together from hope and half-told stories. The man in her daydreams had no voice, no scent, no laugh — just a blur of a face she painted differently each night before she slept. As she grew older, the need to know him turned from a whisper into a call she could no longer ignore.

Jennie Gonzales, a 32-year-old Toll Plaza Operations Associate from Concepcion, Tarlac, was raised solely by her grandmother, who worked as a house helper. She is her mother’s only child, born during her teenage years. Jennie’s mother married her boyfriend at just 14, became pregnant at 16, and soon faced the disapproval of her own parents. Believing that Jennie’s father could never be a good husband or father, they forced the young couple to separate for good. From that moment on — even before she took her first breath — Jennie was about to be born into a home that wasn’t whole.

As the years went by, Jennie grew into a quiet, timid girl who found comfort in spending time at home with her grandmother, mother, and her aunt’s family. Everything changed when her mother met her stepfather and decided to live separately. Jennie remained in her grandmother’s care — loved and supported but never spoiled. She never felt unwelcomed during her aunt’s family celebrations, especially at Christmas, yet deep inside, she carried a quiet longing for the kind of family she’d only imagined. It was a longing that would one day ignite her determination to search for the missing piece of her life.

During her years at San Jose Elementary School, Jennie was a consistent achiever — excelling in both academics and extracurricular activities. She held the top spot in her class from Grade 1 to 6, joined various school programs, and shone as the lead majorette of the drum and lyre band, captain ball of the volleyball team, and a champion in quiz bees. Although living apart, her mother and stepfather never failed to support her in her school endeavors. Still, she could not escape the whispers — gossip about how she wasn’t living with her real father. Life seemed steady enough, until just days before her graduation as class valedictorian, when her mother abruptly left her stepfather without explanation. With her mother gone, her stepfather slowly began to drift away from her life as well.

Hopeless and with little means to continue her education, Jennie’s dreams of finishing school began to fade — until her principal personally visited her home and offered her a high school scholarship at Benigno Aquino National High School. The scholarship covered her school supplies and gave her a ₱600 monthly allowance, so Jennie pushed herself to excel, knowing her grandmother’s income was barely enough for their daily needs. On days she went to school empty-handed, her best friend would quietly share food or lend her a small amount of money. Despite these struggles, Jennie stayed active in school life. In her fourth year, just before graduation, her mother suddenly reappeared and rejoined the family. Though Jennie’s heart was heavy with anger and unanswered questions, she eventually found the strength to forgive her mother for what she had done.

With no scholarships available and her parents unemployed, Jennie was forced to put her education on hold. She immediately looked for work and was fortunate to find a job as a house helper in Sta. Maria, Bulacan, where she served for three months before the pressures of the role became too much for her young mind. Soon after, she was hired as a canteen waitress in Angeles, Pampanga, a job she held for nine months. It was there she met her future husband, Raymond — a meeting that reignited her determination to continue her studies. Using her savings from previous jobs and driven by unwavering determination, Jennie enrolled at TESDA, taking a two-year course in Commercial Cooking. Surviving on just a ₱150 weekly allowance, she persevered and graduated with flying colors.

After graduating from college, Jennie unexpectedly became pregnant. She also decided to convert to Iglesia Ni Cristo, and soon after, she and Raymond got married. In 2011, they welcomed their first child, Akisha. With a growing family to support, Jennie quickly began searching for work. She took on various jobs — first as a cashier at Jenra Supermarket in Dau for five months, then at SM Hypermarket in Mabalacat for another five months, and later as a factory operator at International Wiring System in Luisita for five months. She eventually returned to Jenra Supermarket, this time as a customer service staff, where she stayed for a year. There, she met a workmate whose girlfriend was a teller at SCTEX. Learning about the opportunity, Jennie applied right away and was hired in 2015 as a project-based employee.

In 2016, Jennie became pregnant with their youngest child, Clark. Around the same time, an unexpected change hit the Tollways Management Corporation — all project-based tellers in SCTEX were laid off. With a baby on the way and Raymond earning only a modest income as a promo merchandiser, Jennie worried they wouldn’t have enough savings for the birth. Fortunately, in January 2017, shortly after giving birth, she found work as a cashier at a Korean market in Clark. By June that same year, Sir Gerald Manalo informed her that NLEX Corporation had openings for probationary tellers. She applied, was hired, and from that moment on, Jennie has remained deeply grateful to the company that welcomed and supported her.

In 2018, when her family had finally reached a point of stability, Jennie decided it was time to search for the missing piece that had fueled her determination all these years — her biological father. Knowing only that he lived in Pangasinan, she joined Facebook groups for residents of the province. There, she posted everything she knew about him, and the online community responded with overwhelming support. Members offered guidance, tips, and possible leads until one day, a promising clue emerged. Without hesitation, Jennie and her entire family rented a jeepney and set off for Pangasinan, eager to finally meet the father she had been longing for her whole life.

When they reached her father’s cousin’s house, Jennie froze. There he was — the man she had only pieced together in her imagination for 32 years. Her heart pounded. Her knees felt weak. A thousand memories she never had flashed before her eyes. Then, without thinking, she ran. Like a lost child finding her way home, she threw her arms around him, holding on as if letting go would mean losing him all over again. It was the tightest hug she had ever given — a hug carrying decades of longing, questions, and unspoken love.

But the reunion was short-lived. Jennie soon learned that her father had already built a new life and family of his own. His wife, though courteous, made it apparent that she wanted the meeting to end quickly. In contrast, Jennie’s half-siblings from his second family were warm and welcoming. They quietly arranged for her to have a private moment with their father in another location — away from their mother’s sight — so she could say her goodbyes properly.

Before they parted ways, Jennie made a promise to her father — that she would do everything she could so they could meet again someday. Since that day, she has kept in touch with him and her half-siblings through social media, exchanging stories, photos, and pieces of the life they had missed together. Finding him didn’t erase the years of absence, but it filled a void that had always weighed on her. Her heart felt more complete, her spirit lighter, knowing she had taken the step to seek out the missing piece of herself.

The road ahead remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: she is grateful that she found the courage to search, to see, and to embrace the truth. And while this may not be the home as she imagined it, she is now building one — a home of love, stability, and togetherness — for a family of her own.

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