When I was a baby, my mother brought me to our province in Sta. Magdalena, Sorsogon in Bicol. We are from Makati, Manila. I was born in our house in West Rembo, Makati, Manila, Philippines via Hilot(faith healer/midwife). While my mom was pregnant with me, my father had trouble with his work. He was laid out because of his tardiness and addiction to gambling.
My mom had to ask her neighbors if they had dirty clothes that she could wash to have some money to buy food. She tried everything she could to provide for us to survive and help my father. Even if she was having a hard time, as she was carrying me inside her belly. She pities herself that she can not do any job, even if she wants to, and ends up crying. She doesn't understand why this is happening in their life? as she feels alone.
My mother is 8 months pregnant with me. She is looking for my father as she needs help, and the baby inside her needs to eat, too. But his presence to provide for us gets worse. Because of his addiction. My mom, on the other hand, had tried to be strong and trust in God for what was going on in their life.
One night, while they were sleeping. My mom noticed a noise under their house. Something is strange outside the house where they lived. She woke up my father and asked him to check that strange noise outside. That made her uncomfortable. But my father ignored her and told her that it was nothing.
My mom insists on it and looks for Itak (Bolo knife). When she found the itak, she decided to go out and check it. To her surprise, she saw a big black boar(Aswang pretending to be an animals) rushing to her. She ran fast and closed their door and woke up my father and told her what she saw. My father is a sleepy head and ignores my mom for what she said.
My mom ended up crying. Every day, she is praying, and asking for help from God. So, even if what life brings her, she will just cry and trust God for what is going on in her life. As she was taught by her parents to be strong all the time. And if she is having any difficulties, ask God for his help, guidance, and all. As He is always there for us, provides for us, and loves us unconditionally.
When I was born on July 26, 1986. After a few months of my existence, my Uncle Romeo (the youngest sibling of my mother) visited our house and saw my mom's condition. He pities her and tells her that he will stay there for a couple of months to help her. He helps my mom do the house chores, laundry my clothes, and take good care of me. My mom is very weak after giving birth.
He is a kind and very loving brother to my mom and an uncle to me. He had a work at Cafe Via Mare inside Landmark, Makati. It is just 1 jeepney away from where we lived. Whenever he is home, he helps my mom and takes care of me. He also bought groceries for us when he received his salary.
While living with us, he saw my father's unreasonable behavior day by day. He told my mom that it was not right. He should do something to provide for his family. Especially now that they have a new member. A new baby. They have three other kids in the province that they have to support also.
My uncle noticed that they argued frequently. In the first place, my father is the head of the family. He should be the one who provides and worries about what his family is going to eat. Not just go home from gambling and ask my mom what to eat. My uncle couldn't take it anymore, so he spoke up and told my father how irresponsible he was.
My uncle's intention for staying with us is to help my mom. So that my mom won't have to worry that much about what food to eat. Or where to get it. He tried hard to get along with my father for the sake of my mother and me. But seeing her sister suffering and being mistreated by my father. He can not take it. He can not just watch and tolerate my father's behavior.
My uncle speaks up about everything, and he doesn't care anymore about whatever my father tells or does to him. As he wants to defend and protect her sister. To my father's anger, he told my uncle to leave our house. So my uncle fixed all his stuff and had to move out of our house. With tears in my uncle's eyes, he hugged my mom and me and looked at us with his sadness and tears.
That even if he wants to take us with him, he can't.
As the days pass by, and since my uncle is no longer with us. Here comes the worst scenario in their life. Since my father is hooked up on gambling. He is demanding my mom to give her money. My mom gets furious because of the situation they have now.
She said that after you pushed my brother out, you are demanding money. How dare you have thick skin?! You should find a job and don't wait for the money to just come to you. She doesn't have any money for my father. Even if my uncle gave her some, she couldn't because it was for me, their baby.
As my mom is suffering each day from my father's unreasonable actions and behavior. They often argue and fight about how they will be able to survive in their life. And that my father doesn't have a job and they have a new baby. My mom gets stressed out and disappointed in my father. One day, one of my father's relatives arrived from Saudi.
They talked about his job there. He told my father that if he wanted to apply to work there in Saudi, he could help him. My father rushed home and handed over his news. He told my mom that he would like to try to apply to work in Saudi. So that he can provide for his family and give them a good future.
Hearing this makes my mom feel happy and sad at the same time. Sad for her and for the baby. Because he has to go to another country and leave us, even if I am still a baby and haven't been able to have a bond with him. And also she will be alone. And happy because, at last, my father thought about our family and the future.
Because of the hardship they experienced. Instead of focusing on the sadness, they will feel. They just think of their future and their children. My father told her that 2 years is just fast. They just had to do this for the best of our family.
So, while my father is fixing his documents, going to Saudi. My mom is so busy taking good care of me. She told me that my father was going to Saudi, and we would go home to her parents, my grandparents' house in their province, in Bicol. My mother started packing our stuff. As we were heading home to their hometown in Bilaoyon, Sta. Magdalena, Sorsogon in Bicol.
We are going to leave first to go to our province before my father leaves to go to Saudi. But after we left, my father was told that there was a delay with their flight going to Saudi. Since we were on our way to the province, my father wasn't able to tell my mom about the news. And since we moved out of the house they were renting, my father had to stay with my aunt nearby. And there she meets Nida, my aunty's maid.
On our way to our province, we rode a bus. Looking outside the window will make you feel amazed by the beauty of the drastic scenery that God created for us. When we arrived in front of my grandparent's house. You will feel how happy and welcoming they are to see us. My grandmother was waiting for us and our relatives.
My grandmother grabbed me right away with her lovely smile; you will feel her love and that she is so happy to see us. Their house is so homey and has a good vibe. It is made of wood, its floors are made of bamboo, and its roofs are made of straw (pawid). They have this balcony made of bamboo and wood, too, where there is a hammock made of abaca fiber. Many neighbors heard the news about my mom's arrival and us.
So many people came to our house to show that they missed my mom. And they were happy to see her back home. They chitchatted with my mom as if there was no more tomorrow, while my grandmother took good care of me. My grandfather arrived from the rice field and was happy to see us, too. As a father who misses his daughter, they hug each other, and you can feel the heat in their reactions.
They are so happy to see and feel each other with teary eyes of happiness. As they haven't seen each other for a long time. They started to talk about what happened, what was going on, and what my mom's plan and all. As the day went by, their never-ending stories made them feel hungry and tired. So, they started eating while I was sleeping.
My other sister Janet, who is 2 years older than me, came home from the neighbors. She played with the other children there, and our cousin, the same as her age, and our other neighbors who didn't go to school yet. Since she is young and can not go to school yet. Roaming around nearby makes them enjoy their childhood.
In our province, people there are friendly, loving, and caring to one another. Most of our neighbors are relatives, far relatives, or they value one another and are treated as a family. One of their traits that makes you feel at home.
My siblings (Anadel - oldest/Armen - 2nd born)heard the news. After their school, they rushed to go to our grandparents' (mother's side) house.? They were so happy to see our mom and us. But also asking where our father is? My mom explained everything to them. They felt sad, as they long, and expected to see our father too.
They asked so many whys? Why didn't he come home to see us? Does he not miss us? They missed him so much that you can feel from their reactions, their sad faces, how much they long to see our father. They want to feel his hug and kiss them. Why didn't he meet them first before he left to go to Saudi?
"These two siblings of mine stayed at my grandparents' (father's side) house in the downtown called Barangay Uno. They stayed there because, for the upper-level students, the available school to go to is located at the downtown Sta. Magdalena. Sta. Magdalena Central school. Since our province is located at the end of Sorsogon, Bicol."
In the meantime, while my father is waiting for their flight to go to Saudi.?? Because of boredom, he missed my mom. He started flirting with Nida and developed their feelings. My aunty noticed it and reminded my father that he was married and had kids in the province. But he didn't listen to her. He just continues to flirt with her to have her attached to him, too.
As the heat went up, my father's lustful desire started to flourish. He knocked on Nida's room while everyone was sleeping and did the forbidden act to Nida. Without him thinking about my mother's feelings and their kids. He had an intimacy with Nida. And give her assurance that he loved her, that she will take good care of her, and more promises.
Few days later, my father received his ticket that was released going to Saudi. While waiting for the days to come, my father did the forbidden act again, and again until the day my father had to take his flight going to Saudi.
While my father was in Saudi, my mother had a small business to make some extra money for us. When my after arrived in Saudi, and worked, He send good amount of money to my mom and us. But few months later, my father started to give her a little money lesser than usual. He has so many abilibies that he has to pay this and that. My father didn't give her much money to provide for our family's needs. So she has to do her best for her business, buy & sell.
Her products are bananas, rice, pili, and more. And she can do a haircut, too, as her sidelines. My siblings were at school, and I stayed home with my mother and accompanied her while she sold bananas on our terrace. While I'm eating bananas, she's talking to her friends, neighbors, or any buyer with her beautiful smile. She is indeed beautiful! When she is doing her business errands.
When she was young, our neighbors said that my mom have so many suitors who want to have her as their wife. But because of my father's desire to have her. He raped my mom, end up getting married for what He did to her. She is very kind, sweet, and an obedient child to her parents, to other elders, and to everyone.
They said that among her siblings, she is the most beautiful with a beautiful heart, and character. The other people said. She is Morena, shiny skin, had a pointed nose, and dark black hair.
I can see in her eyes that she is sad and disappointed to my father. But she is trying really hard to look at the brighter side. She just enjoys everything, even if it is hard, just to provide for us. When she is deeply sad, she just visits her friends and tries to hide her tears, with their comforts. That even if she had to double or triple her body just to make sure that we were able to eat, get what we wanted, for my siblings to finish their study, and to survive,? she'll do that.
Meanwhile, In Saudi, at first, my father worked really hard as he is looking forward to providing for our family. But one of his co-workers knew a place where people do gambling. Then, my father started to be hooked up again in gambling in Saudi and wasn't able to focus on his job. After a few months, he heard a news from her sister in the Philippines that his mistress,? Nida, gets pregnant by him. That he had to support her and the baby inside her.
But because of his addiction, he lost his job in Saudi was and deported back to the Philippines.
While my mom is away and doing her business. My grandparents are the ones who take good care of me. My grandparents adored and loved me very much. They are always there to protect me. So, no one is allowed to pinch me, giggle at me, or make me cry.
They enjoyed my laughter, and I followed what my grandfather told me to do, like open and close my eyes. Instead of using our hands. Our favorite place is on the terrace with a hammock made from abaca fiber. We stayed there most of the time and fell asleep at the same time.
My grandfather is a hardworking farmer. He planted vegetables, fruits, rice, and many more. He was originally from Masbate and met my grandmother in San Rafael, Sorsogon, Bicol. When he visited his cousin. He saw and met my grandmother, and he was enchanted with her beauty. A simple, white, pretty girl who looked like an angel fell into this world.
He fell in love with her in an instant and courted her to be his wife. He didn't go back to Masbate and decided to settle down and make their house in Bilaoyon, Sta. Magdalena, Sorsogon. He is a loving husband to my grandmother, to their 8 children, and a great grandfather to all of us, their grandchildren. He is kind, understanding, caring, generous, and, specifically, the most wonderful man I have ever known.