A school play can help mold a child. It boosts their confidence and enhances a student's acting skills. Things like that are just very beneficial to the children and are a delight to the parents. Kylie and Ruru were no different. They take pride in their theatrically active and inclined children.

"Mama, Baba! There's gonna be a school play!" Noelle announced, coming home from school with her older brother.

Kisses, hugs and manos were exchanged before Kylie replied, "Really? Would you like to audition?"

"The teachers said it's meant for the college and high school department to cast in. Something about being inappropriate for kids," Amir shrugged and took off his school bag.

"What play is it? Do you guys know?" Ruru asked, lifting Noelle into his arms.

"Miss.. Miss.. What was it, Kuya? Something like a place," the little girl tried to recall, her face scrunched up as she did so.

"Saigon. Miss Saigon," Amir filled in.

"Oh wow! That's a really good play!" Kylie commented.

"Really?" the three-year-old Silas said, just waking from his nap on the couch.

"Yes, it is really, really nice," she responded and messed up the boy's hair.

"If that's so, I don't think it will only be highschool and college students who will be in the cast then," Ruru smirked as Noelle poked his dimple out of habit.

"But, why?" Noelle tilted her head to the side.

"Because Kim and Chris, the main characters, have a little boy named Tam," he pinched her nose.

"So, they'll probably get a student from the preschool department," Amir concluded.

"Ooh! Ooh! Silas is a preschooler!" Noelle excitedly bounced in her father's arms. "Maybe he can play Tom!"

"Tam, Kikay, Tam. It's spelled with a letter a," the loving father chuckled.

"Where did they get that name?" Amir queried. His curiosity for the strange name gushing out through his facial expression.

"It's Vietnamese."

"Right! Because Saigon is a place in Vietnam," Amir laughed at himself.

"Oh, sige na. Let's talk about this over mirienda, okay?" Kylie announced as she and Silas walked to the island counter.

"How do you guys know so much about the play?" Noelle asked.

"Mama watched the rebirth of Miss Saigon on Broadway a few years ago," Kylie smiled proudly, reminiscing one of the most amazing experiences of her life. She could still see and hear Eva Noblezada's brilliance as she sang her lungs out on stage.

"What about Baba?"

"Well, princess, unlike your mother, I didn't have the opportunity to watch it on Broadway so, I watched the Philippine production instead," He smiled. "It would have been great to watch Eva Noblezada and Alstair Brammer on stage though."

"Yeah, it was," Kylie nodded and laughed.

"I heard Eva was another Lea Salonga."

"Yeah," she nodded.

"And that she's gorgeous," Ruru teasingly smirked.

"Yes, she is gorgeous," Kylie calmly replied to Ruru's dismay.

"So, Silas, do you want to try out for the role of Tam?" Amir asked.

"In the theatew?" the little one asked.

"Yeah," Noelle nodded, "You're gonna be in the theater at school."

"But, Silas can't say the letter r properly yet," the older brother teased.

"Tam has no lines," Kylie laughed and ran her hand up and down Silas's back.
-
Silas was not at all nervous and was very giddy about the whole experience of auditioning for his first school play. The boy was ecstatic when he smiled for his head shot that was to be submitted to his teacher. Kylie, on the other hand, was jittery as they waited for the results at the auditorium.

The roles of Kim, Chris, the Engineer, Gigi, and John were all sorted out including the alternates or understudies. Now, it was time to determine the actor for Tam.

"Kuting, are you nervous?" Kylie whispered, holding the boy's hand.

"Nope, I'm good, Mama," he smiled.

The director of the play got on the stage once again with a smile on his face as his eyesight hovered over approximately 30-40 little boys, "And the cutest role in this stage play is going to be portrayed by..."

Kylie wanted to rip the guts out of the man for pausing even if she knew it was to thrill everyone.

"Silas Emilio Madrid from the morning class of the preschool department!" he smiled and called the little one to the stage with his hand.

"I got the pawt?" Silas asked, confused.

"Yeah, you did, Baby! Go to Mr. Salazar, go," she slightly nudged him.

The boy ran to the stage and stood there rocking on his toes back and forth. He smiled and waved at his proud mother.

The moment they walked into their home, Silas screamed, "I got the pawt! I'm Tam!"
-
They didn't regret it. Silas was a champ with this whole Tam thing. He went to practice with no whining and he was happy with what he was doing. Kylie and Ruru loved the effect of it on their son, but now, the songs from the play blasted from the speakers everytime the children were home. Although the songs were beautiful and "I'd Give My Life For You" always gave Kylie the chills, the mantra drove them insane.

But at least, they had a choice to listen to either Lea Salonga or Eva Noblezada's version. Sigh.

"You are sunlight and I moon. Joined by the gods of fortune. Midnight and high noon, sharing the sky. We have been blessed, you and I," Noelle's soprano voice rung out from the music room alongside the piano being played by Amir.

"You are here like a mystery
I'm from a world that's so different
From all that you are
How in the light of one night
Did we come so far?" Amir's voice took over, his fingers still tickling the notes on the piano.

"Me! I wanna sing too!" Kylie heard Silas shout.

She chuckled and walked in the music room, "Hello there."

"Mama, Ate and Kuya won't let me sing with them!" he tattled.

"It's a duet. You can sing 'Why God Why?', calm down," Noelle rolled her eyes.

"Mama, look!"

"Bud, you can sing with us later. Just let us do this one song please?" Amir pleaded, being the mature brother that he was.

"But I wanna sing 'Sun and Moon'!" he pouted.

"Ate also wants to sing 'Sun and Moon'," Noelle put her arms on her hips.

"What about making your brother have a turn at 'Sun and Moon', guys? Just once," Kylie suggested.

"Nooo, Mama," the little girl pouted. "He can't even memorize Chris's part, so he always sings Kim's part."

"What's going on here?" Ruru barged in.

"I wanna sing with Ate and Kuya," Silas looked up at his father.

"Well, why don't you do so, Bud?"

"Because they don't want me to."

"Kulit, Kikay, what's this I'm hearing from your brother?" he interrogated.

"We will let him sing with us but he won't wait for his turn," Noelle replied.

"Ayun naman pala," he chuckled and kneeled to Silas's level. "Kuting, can we let Ate and Kuya finish their song first and then we'll sing with them after?"

"Okay, fine," Silas pouted again and squatted.

"You get to play Tam, anyways, Bud. It's okay," Kylie tries to blow some of her magic mom powder.

"Yeah," he smiled a little.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in the music room with the kids meddling with different instruments playing the whole Miss Saigon soundtrack. From dusk to dawn, these children would just sing their hearts out to the same set of songs over and over again if they were allowed to.

Kylie's inner stage mom took over her and she decided to secretly take a video of the three singing "The Movie In My Mind". She posted it with a caption saying:

These kids are on a Miss Saigon mantra. Everyday, it's either Lea or Eva, there is no in between.

One week later, the video went viral. It was all over the news and the internet was going berserk over the children. As usual, different opinions were heard about the topic. Others praised the children and their parents for their song choice while others bashed Kylie and Ruru for supposedly exposing their kids to such "maliciousness". But overall, it was just a positive ground for Amir, Noelle and Silas.

"Hey, kids, come here! Fast!" Kylie called them, staring at her phone with excitement for her children.

"Yes?" they asked and sat beside their mother on the couch.

"I have a video to show you, but first, you have to promise not to shout in my ears."

The three raised their right hands and nodded, "Promise."

"Okay," she smiled and showed them the video.

To the three's delight, it was THE Eva Noblezada on the screen! She greeted them, "Hey, Amir, Noelle and little Silas! I saw you guys's video and I loved it! Thank you so much for loving Miss Saigon. Keep on singing because you three are so good at it. Always be good to your parents and yeah, God bless you guys! Bye!"

She blew kisses to them.

"O. M. G! Eva Noblezada just greeted us!" Amir unbelievably slumped into the couch.

"I'm speechless," Noelle laughed and kicked her feet.

"Mama! Mama! That was Kim, right, Mama?" Silas innocently asked with a smile plastered to his face.

"Yeah, Buddy! That was Kim!" Kylie tickled him. "How do you guys feel?"

"I don't know. Kilig?" Amir replied, dumbfounded.

"Well, you guys better sleep early tonight even if you just received the biggest shock of your lives so far," Kylie chuckled and shook her head.

"Why?" Noelle asked.

"We're going somewhere special tomorrow," she smiled slyly, secrecy so prominent in her voice.
-
"Ma, where are we? What's this room for? Are we going to be interviewed again?" Amir queried, looking around the white room they were placed in.

"Kulit, you are so kulit. It's a surprise," Kylie laughed.

"Tell me a little bit lang, Baba," Noelle tugged at her father's sleeve.

"Then, your smart little butt will figure it out. No," Ruru chuckled and sat her on his lap.

In a while, the door creaked open and an elegant, goddess-like Broadway diva walked in the door, "Hi!"

Their heads snapped towards the familiar voice and received yet another shock! It was Lea Salonga!

"Hello there!" Lea cooed as little Silas slowly walked towards her still in a state of shock.

"You're also Kim, right?" Silas asked, his hand close to his face.

"Well, yes, I did play Kim a long, long time ago," she let out her adorable chuckle, her dimples making an appearance.

"H-hi, Ms. Lea. It's..it's an awfully big honor to meet you," Amir approached, his hand stuck out to shake Lea's. He tried so hard to keep his composure even if his knees were shaking.

"Hi, you're Amir, yes?"

"Yes, ma'am," he nodded and smiled. To be honest, he wanted to give himself a pat on the back for not stuttering when he said that.

"Noelle, sweetheart, hi," she acknowledged the little girl who stood dumbfounded.

"H-hello," she timidly waved. It was very unlike Noelle to be shy like this, but the girl stood face to face Lea Salonga. "I'm a really big fan of you."

"Really?" Lea's heart was touched by the adorable faces of the three.

Noelle nodded, "Yes po."

"Thank you. You know what?" she stood in their level and gathered all three of the kids.

"What?" Silas replied, basically bouncing.

Lea giggled, "I'm also a really big fan of all three of you."

"Really?" Amir's eyes were as big as saucers and his jaw dropped.

"Yes, really," she paused, "When I saw your video, I was blown away! You are all so talented."

"Thank you," they chorused.

"I wanna be like you when I'm older," Noelle blushed.

Lea was greatly touched, "Aww, that's nice, Sweetie. You're gonna be a great person, just listen to mom and dad, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Guess what? Guess what?" Silas bounced and realized who he was talking to, "I mean, guess what, Ms. Lea?"

Once again, she laughed, "What?"

"I played Tam in our school play," he grinned proudly and swayed from side to side with his hands on the back.

"Wow! That is so cool! I bet you did really well."

"My teacher said I did," he giggled.

"Ms. Lea, I am such a big fan of you and your singing. I think, you've set the bar super high for everyone in theater," Amir continuously stated.

"You are so sweet! Give me a hug, all three of you," she smiled so widely as the three kids leaned in to her arms. She drifted her eyesight to Kylie and Ruru, "You raised them well."

"Thank you, Miss Lea," Ruru nodded.

They spent some time in that small room for a while talking about anything under the sky. In their words, the three Madrid kids embedded tact and respect for the older lady and the admiration for her really floated above it all.
-
"I just met Lea Salonga and got a video greeting from Eva Noblezada in a span of a week," Amir slumped on the couch.

"Yes, Kuya! You just met my original mommy Kim," Silas joked.

"I LOVE MISS SAIGON!" Noelle exclaimed.

Same.
——————
@_kateenojas girl, we did this! Everybody, give her some credit for this one shot. I wrote this but she suggested it.

Also, please do take time to search up Miss Saigon. It's AMAZING! Theater arts in general is amazing.

Comment, vote, and leave a suggestion. Love lots!