Maalaala Mo Kaya Season 2, Episode 53: Music Box

Love Birds

After being separated from Lani for five years, her soldier-husband Noel tries to woo her back by telling her that he is resigned from the army. Lani takes him back, and they start a new life with their daughter Cristina. Everything seems to be going well for them until they find out that Noel is afflicted with leprosy.

Lason (Poison)

Quezon Blvd

Tiklado (Keyboard)

Fatherhood takes a traumatic turn for Ruben after his wife abandons him for another man and confesses that the son he raised since birth is not biologically his own. This bitter fact provokes Ruben's anger that inevitably extends to the innocent boy, Benjie. But it is through Benjie's chaste love that Ruben learns that fatherhood exceeds the boundaries of flesh and blood.

Lanseta (Lancet)

Is blood really thicker than water or is there a remote possibility that justice can still prevail in the name of friendship? Can a mistake be rectified by vengeful violence? These are the questions that continue to plague Edna, whose simple but happy life shatters when the uncle of family friends Manny and Malou guns down her husband Rod in broad daylight.

Abaniko (Fan)

To see her perfect home go down in shambles was a remote possibility for Sandy until her husband brought home a son he sired with another woman. Unwilling to sacrifice her peaceful family life and aware that the boy is innocent, Sandy tries to get over the past, but she realizes that it is difficult to coexist with the living proof of Danny's infidelity.

Teddy Bear

After the death of her parents, Rosing carries the burden of taking care of her mentally ill sister Amanda. She works hard to fend for the two of them, oblivious to the time passing by and her husband slipping away. While taking out her frustration on her mentally disabled sister, Rosing's philandering husband Emil returns to her. Rosing hopes of better days ahead until Emil assaults the helpless Amanda.

Basag na Manyika (Shattered Doll)

During a dark period in her past, Linette was convinced an abortion was her only chance to escape a failed relationship with a married man and to pursue a career in music. She finds new happiness in her mentor, David, whom she eventually marries. But Linette's life strikes a sour note when her past mistake catches up on her, and she becomes incapable of fulfilling David's dream to start a family.

Gasera (Gas Stove)

Ticket

Dede Bote (Feeding Bottle)

Marlyn devotes her life, even foregoing romance, to Louie, the abandoned child of her cousin Edith. But amidst her happiness as Louie's surrogate mother, she finds love and a prospective partner in Ronald. Life couldn't be better for Marylyn until Edith returns to reunite with Louie and her former lover who turns out to be Ronald.

Kumot (Blanket)

Alvin was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but he grows up unhappy in spite of his extravagant life. He trades luxury for a modest life as a truck driver and to be with the woman he loves. Though they work hard each day in order to get by, Alvin and Gigi are happy, until the wrath of Alvin's wealthy father wrecks their joy. Gigi's life is endangered by a terminal illness, and Alvin's father refuses to shell out a single cent to help them.

Mangga't Bagoong (Mango and Bagoong)

Terry is an old maid by choice, and Rocky is a playboy at heart. When they met, sparks flew, but their diverse personalities made romance a distant possibility. As a result, Rocky contented himself as Terry's employee, but an impassioned encounter left them in a compromising position. Rocky expressed his willingness to commit, but Terry wished to remain in her comfort zone until her sister's breakup with a longtime beau opened her eyes to the definition of a fulfilling life.

Trahe de Boda (Wedding Dress)

Though orphaned at an early age, Esther is blessed to be adopted by her kind godfather Alfredo. She grows up close to him like a real daughter and even ends up marrying his son Eric. While building a new married life with Eric, Esther sadly watches Alfredo's marriage turn sour because he suspects that his young, second wife is unfaithful. While helping her godfather keep his sanity, Esther comes close to losing hers when she learns that her own husband is the source of Alfredo's marital woes.

Kontrata (Contract)

Smart and beautiful Christy's perfect life and career suddenly crumble because of imperfect choices, particularly in her choice of mate. Her marriage to Axel turns her into a mother and a homemaker patiently adjusting to her husband's measly income. When the opportunity of a bright career comes to her again, Christy deems this as a chance to give her family a comfortable life. She is unaware that this dream is about to turn into a nightmare.

Calling Card

Almost in his thirties, Ramil has never been in any romantic relationship. His mother attempts to arrange a date between Ramil and a girl from a prominent family, but his heart is won over by the very first woman he made love with- Salve, a prostitute. Despite the insults from his mother and his friends, Ramil marries Salve, and their happiness together seems to obliterate her dark past. But with Ramil's business down the drain and Salve's mom in a critical illness, can Salve resist the call of her old trade?

Butong Pakwan (Watermelon Seed)

Medalya (Medal)

For more than a decade, Nadine has proven her worth as a dedicated housewife and mother. Now that her children are all grown-up, Nadine gives in to her longtime dream of getting a job. Although Nadine's decision causes a rift with her husband Butch, she soon finds fulfillment in her role as a working mom. As Butch grows more stubborn with the adjustments in their home, Nadine fails to foresee that going after her own happiness would cause her own family.

Helmet

Patty is thrilled at the prospect of experiencing her very first summer love, but she is doomed to spend a vacation at the house of her father's new wife whose son, Jet, gets on her nerves. While their parents are away on a trip, Jet and Patty get to know each other and find out that their unpleasant first impressions are wrong. Patty's dream of first love begins to take place, but never in her wildest imagination did she think that it would be her surrogate brother.

Working Visa

Motorsiklo (Motorcycle)

Sibling rivalry is common among children, but in the case of Dolor and Lourdes, this problem goes on to their old age, affecting their marriages and their own children. Dolor is younger but more mature in her relationships. Her source of happiness is her husband, son Dennis, and their simple but happy home. Lourdes, on the other hand, marries for money and spoils her only son to taunt Dolor and the latter's incapacity to buy nice things for her son.

Relo (Watch)

Benjamin is not bothered by the fact that his friendship with his gay professor, Joey, is mocked by people in school. The jokes turned into nasty rumors and resulted in their unjust suspension. Benjamin turns to his family for support but his homophobic father's response aggravates the situation. While trying to prove that his friendship with Joey is pure, Benjamin discovers a dark secret involving his father.

Walis-Tambo (Broom)

Several years ago, Sonia is a hair's breadth away from bliss as her longtime boyfriend, Jake, promises to marry her. Now, she is miserably raising her daughter, Annie, alone, and to make things worse, Sonia takes out her anger on the innocent child. Rumors of Sonia's ruthless abuse of her daughter reach the knowledge of a police detective. The investigation begins and the only way Sonia can justify herself is by going back to the dimmest chapter of her wretched past.

Santa Claus

Kerubin (Cherubim)

Locket

At seventeen, Margie abandoned her mother, whose lifestyle includes running off with one man after another. Taking on menial jobs for a living, Margie remains lonely, but she attempts to evade the pain by dating different men who end up dumping her. The vicious cycle seemed to have ended with the arrival of young and handsome James who shows her a kind of devotion she's never seen before. But Margie senses an imminent despair for James seems to love her out of a need for maternal recourse.

Christmas Tree

Despite the fact that his wife had been long dead, Zandro refuses to bury her memories and his own woes. This futile devotion aggravates Zandro's misery and blows his chance of finding new love with Chiqui, a woman worthy to fill in his deceased wife's shoes. Will this widower finally abandon his life of denial and embrace the prospect of finding happiness and love once again?

Lusis (Firework)

Jake is a construction worker and his wife Alma is a food vendor. Theirs is a poor home, but love and harmony keep the couple and their son happy. They were looking forward to another simple but joyful Christmas celebration when an on-the-job accident leaves Jake crippled. The hospital bills mount, and Jake's only hope lies in a critical surgery. Desperate for money, Alma attempts theft but ends up committing a worse and unforgivable crime.

Bangkang Papel (Paper Boat)

To comply with their dying son's last wish, Percival and Anna feign a happy relationship despite the fact they have burned bridges a long time ago. In the process of pretense, Percival finds himself drawn to Anna once again. Is Anna willing to give love another chance despite her battle against her son's sickness and memories of Percival's betrayal?

Testamento (Testament)

Rosette's suffering ends when her notorious husband Dindo runs off with his mistress. Dindo returns home a few years later only to find his absence filled by another man. Can a conscientious wife and mother like Rosette deny her husband's rights just to carry on an illicit affair with a man who truly loves her?

College Ring

Orphaned at a young age, Mike is trained to plow the fields daily to fend for his younger brother, Aurel. The years of assiduous work finally pay off when Aurel gets the kind of education that Mike never had. Foregoing his own dreams and happiness, Mike realizes too late that he fell short of love for himself, and the biggest blow is that Aurel's complacency and juvenile folly caused him to become a failure.

Supot (Plastic Bag)

For these three washed-out beauties, their lives as nightclub entertainers are ending against their will. Siony is lucky enough to find a German lover, but her dream of a better life compels her to leave her baby Angie behind to her friends Salve and Chayong. Instead of enjoying her retirement, Chayong continues to work hard for Angie, whom she grows to love as a daughter. Amidst Chayong's blind devotion to Angie, loyal friend Salve senses trouble in Angie's selfish nature — a trait she inherited from Siony.

Baby Picture

Rosel's peaceful life dramatically changes when her loving mother is struck with Alzheimer's disease. Being an only child, she is forced to take the old woman in her custody despite her husband's disapproval. While her mother is slowly losing her grasp of sanity, Rosel is losing the ability to hold her marriage and family together. Cast: Dina Bonnevie, Rosa Rosal, Ernie

Walkman

A teenage boy and girl focus on their friendship after several failed attempts to obtain their parents' love and attention. The young girl turns to rebellion, while the boy manifests noble actions that deserve affection. When both their efforts fall short, they contemplate a solution that is grave but certain to end life's misery.

Mesa (Table)

To repay Cardo for saving his life Cesar allows his friend to crash in the family's house when Cardo gets evicted from his own place. Rosa, Cesar's wife, is a bit uncertain about taking him in though Cardo is good at hiding his violent tendencies from the rest of the family. Just how much can you trust a suspicious stranger to live with your loved ones under one roof?

Nightie

What started out as harmless jealousy turns into obsession and becomes Esther's downfall. Her husband Joey has long been patient with her jealous fits and hostility towards the women he works with. Her best friend Lyn often attempts to pacify her, and Lyn's maturity impresses Joey. Whether it is a woman's instinct or pure paranoia that serves as the driving force behind her actions, Esther is about to see her fears materialize.

Itak (Bolo knife)

Benny's life revolves around his love for painting and his girlfriend Weng. When Weng goes to Hong Kong to earn money for their future, Benny concentrates on his drawings to evade loneliness. Timid Benny is unaware that his girlfriend's friend Mita has long been waiting for him to be alone. By the time his true love returns, Benny would be miserably married to Mita and enslaved to her brutish father and brothers.

Putik sa Damit (Mudstain)

The eleven-year marriage is a testament to Lauro and Nida's successful relationship. With a good son and a stable livelihood, this couple could not ask for anything more. The town soon anticipates the coming fiesta with exhilaration, and Lauro is delighted to hear the news that his best friend Oscar is coming. Nida, on the other hand, is disturbed because this seemingly innocent visit is actually the return of a dreaded temptation.

Alimasag (Crab)

Born with a physical abnormality, Tony strives to deal with the never-ending pains of his life-ranging from the incessant taunting from his peers and the heartaches of finding unconditional love within his small neighborhood. But when an unexpected twist of fate leads him to discover the devastating truth behind his troublesome past, he embarks on a journey to earn his family's acceptance-and gain enough courage to face his fears and anxieties once and for all.

Usok (Smoke)

Caught between their parents' longstanding rivalry and a failing drug habit, a pair of star-crossed lovers shuns their affluent lifestyles to start their own family. But as Jason and Lorna discover the grave repercussions of their wanton acts of recklessness and youthful ideals, the young couple embarks on a troublesome journey to prove their love that knows no boundaries.

Biyak na Puso (Broken Heart)

Siblings Justine and Anna cannot be more different, and it's not just because of the eight-year age gap. Justine is a tomboy while Anna is the epitome of a lady, yet they remain close to each other despite their dissimilarity. Then Anna leaves for the US to study, leaving Justine at their strict father's mercy. Justine continues to rebel against their father, and this propels him to send Justine to the province to teach her a lesson.

Reseta (Prescription)

After the death of her mother, Jasmine turned to her father as her source of love and strength. But when her father meets a tragic accident, Jasmine is hurled into a life of misery at a very young age. Having no other means to earn money, she agrees to be the main attraction of a bachelor party. Things seem to start going well as Jasmine adjusts to living alone, until she learns she has a baby on the way.

Lapida (Gravestone)

Through hard work, Trining is able to build a large estate in their little town. Everyone is happy about the achievement of this well-loved widow, but no one knew that in her old age, Trining would experience suffering. Trining's only daughter Patricia becomes obsessed with money to the point of stripping her mother of rights to her own property. When Trining dies a peasant with a broken heart, and not even buried in a decent tomb, Patricia is left with all the amassed wealth, but grave retribution awaits her.

Goggles

After her parents' breakup, Bea loathed her father and deliberately showed that she sympathizes with her mother. But their relationship is about to undergo a tremendous change with the arrival of Roy. Bea initially resented Roy's presence as a house guest until she found herself falling in love with him. But before she could confess her feelings, Bea learns the truth about Roy's sexuality and an even more appalling revelation behind her parents' separation.

Lumang Bahay (Old House)

When Linda bears witness to the tragedy that has befallen the Florencia family, she takes on the daunting task of ensuring that history does not repeat itself on her ward, Alita. But as Alita finds herself committing the same mistake that her parents had done to the clan's domineering matriarch, an endless cycle of heartbreaks begins once more for star-crossed lovers and interwoven lives.

Kalapati (Pigeon)

A traumatic childhood devoid of parental support induced schizophrenia on Boy and hurled him into a life of perennial suicide attempts. Declared mentally unfit, he is sent to an institution where he spends many frustrating years until Dr. Myrna Gomez arrived. She discovered that Boy is a gifted artist and is capable of recovering from his condition. As she challenges the hospital's complacent system, the administration labels their friendship as immoral, making Myrna's quest to help Boy a devastating struggle.

Tropeo (Trophy)

Salamin (Mirror)

Bobot and Minda celebrated their first year anniversary with the former asking the latter to introduce him to her mother, whom Minda kept hidden from the public because of shame. Minda is beautiful while her mother is utterly ugly and disfigured-an irony that also goes for their personality. Will Minda's vanity get in the way of her relationship with Bobot, or will Minda learn the error of her ways and reconcile with her own mother before it's too late?

Obando

A sailor and his wife struggle against their anxieties over their incapacity to bear a child. They exhaust all possible means of conception but to no avail. While they nurture the belief that a family can never be whole without children, their marriage slowly falls apart.

Pasalubong (Souvenir)

Torn between his illicit affair with Hilda and a strained relationship with a longtime girlfriend, a young man soon learns the pains and hardships of finding true love under grave circumstances. For as he discovers his uncle's unwavering affection and support for an estranged and treacherous wife, Paolo is left with the daunting task of paying his sins and unwanted debts to the family he unintentionally destroyed.

Litrato (Photograph)

Strawberries

Life is a picnic for the family until the death of young Gelli, which disrupts their idyll and makes Marianne lose interest in everything-including her husband Jude and her other son Sydney. Can a mother ever let go of her beloved child's memory and let the pain fade into oblivion? Will Marianne's grief for her lost daughter weigh more than her love for the living and permanently wound them with her indifference?

Recuerdo (Record)

After years of living under a single-parent household, a wayward father's unexpected return rekindles Lynette's bitterness and resentment over their broken family. But as a forgiving wife and an indignant daughter are torn between their principles and ideals, a grave tragedy befalls their home once again and unwittingly forms an unshakeable bond that stands the test of time and their clan's never-ending ordeals.

Apoy sa Kandila (Candlelight)

In Joan's world, a mother is anything but a loving and responsible homemaker. When her father died, she becomes short of a family fortress. Joan's mother, Adela, is an incessant gambler who soon brings home her abusive lover. How long can she stand a dire home environment especially that she is advancing to adulthood?

Limos (Alms)

Only child and spoiled rotten, Sandra's affections extend only to her father Anghel and none to her mother Cora, whom she is ashamed of because of the latter's illiteracy. Soon both women face their worst fear: Anghel's death. Left with the responsibility of raising their family Cora disguises herself as a beggar to make ends meet, at the same time attempting to bridge the gap between her and her oblivious daughter.

Bola (Ball)

For Cita, the retirement home is the last place she wants to spend her remaining days in. But with her stepson away and apathetic, she is without any other choice but to seek shelter in this institution. Out of pride, Cita initially keeps to herself and avoids other elderly people until her solitude compels her to open herself up. She is soon surprised to find love and joy in the company of her new friends, but because of their age, they no longer have their lives ahead of them, and they must learn the painful process of letting go.

Bulaklak (Flower)

Stethoscope

Tsapa (Badge)

Divan

Bote at Yantok (Bottle and Rattan Cane)

Larawan (Picture)

Picture Frame

Mga Buto at Punla (Seeds and Seedlings)

Perfect is the best word to describe the portrait of Fernan's family. Bank executive Fernan is a good provider, loving husband and father while Perla is an exemplary housewife and mother, and they are blessed with good kids to complete the picture. But in a flash Fernan does a complete turnaround devoid of any explanation, ripping the once-happy family image apart.