Before he became a successful businessman, Daniel (Coco Martin) was a street kid taking on difficult jobs to help his Lola Henya (Susan Roces), the old woman who found him abandoned in the streets. They are a tandem bound by fate. And even if life disowned Daniel at an early age, Lola Henya’s love was enough to give him strength, consolation, and solace. Her presence filled the gap in Daniel’s soul, and soothed his longing for biological parents, as shown in these scenes from Walang Hanggan.
Aren’t we all charmed when we first saw little Daniel putting his street-smart brains into practice while saving William (Joel Torre) from a group of young felons? The events moved along to Daniel introducing William to his Lola Henya at home. The grandmother and grandson’s stories of hard work – Lola Henya used to earn as a laundrywoman while tiny Daniel worked as a porter and delivery boy in the market – impressed William so he hired them as helpers in the hacienda Alcantara. The exchange of cute banter between Lola Henya and Daniel hinted at the bond shared over the years.
Until Daniel grew up into a handsome young man and fell in love with William’s daughter Katerina (Julia Montes). The young relationship was kept a secret except to Lola Henya who never missed any chance of reminding them to be discerning. She especially advised Katerina to treasure her heart and femininity so to avoid getting hurt in the end.
When Daniel was tortured by Tomas (Joem Bascon) due to accusations of thief, Lola Henya did not only tend to her beloved grandson’s wounds. But, she made sure to lend a sympathetic ear to Daniel’s explanation. And while she was confident of the virtues passed down on Daniel, Lola Henya still wanted to keep a fair judgment and figure things straight from him, like how real parents must act. “Kung ano ang sasabihin mo, ‘yun lang ang papakinggan ko. Kakampi mo ako lagi.”
While almost everyone was looking down at him with spite, only Lola Henya stayed by his side. Later, it was revealed that Daniel is the son of Emily (Dawn Zulueta) and Marco (Richard Gomez), making him and Lola Henya blood-related. Lola Henya is the key to Daniel’s roots and she fought for the truth even if Marco himself refused to believe at first.
In a series of intense twists, Daniel got fatally stabbed by Tomas and ended up rescued by Emily. Years later, Daniel went back to Lola Henya, established and groomed to manage Emily’s wine business. Lola Henya and Daniel had a heartwarming reunion, with the old woman saying, “Kahit kailang, hinding-hindi kita ipagpapalit.” In return, Daniel saved all his earnings under Lola Henya’s name, for she is the only family left with him.
Lola Henya was the mother figure who enriched Daniel’s soul with good values and endless life lessons. To those like Daniel who were raised by a loving Lola, know that you are blessed with a bond that will go beyond lifetime.