Sinungaling

Note: This blogpost was taken from my FB Page. 

I was out last Sunday to help friends for a photoshoot. Ako kasi 'yung nag-introduce ng model sa budding photographer. Nag-ikot kami sa Clark to look for a nice place to shoot and we decided na dumaan ng Picnic Grounds. 

Then, there's this old lady na nagtitinda ng mga flute tsaka maliliit na pana. The same stuff na binebenta ng mga kapatid nating mga Aeta. She didn't look like one but she definitely caught my heart. She looked old na din and pagod. She also kept asking us to buy from her. Pandagdag daw baon sa mga anak niyang hindi pa din makapasok ng school. 

As usual. Mahina ang puso ko sa mga matatanda. Lalung lalo na 'yung mga nagtatrabaho. Soft spot ko talaga 'yung makakita ng matandang may panindang hindi ko naman kailangan. Bumibili ako ng kahit ano lang. It makes me feel better na nakakatulong ako. At least nagtatrabaho sila 'di ba?

Well, kahit nanlilimos naaawa pa rin ako sa mga matatanda. I always worry na wala ng mag-aalaga sa kanila.. 

So 'yun. I asked how much her little flutes cost. She told me mura lang. 35 daw isa, 3 for 100. Then she offered 30 each. Lugi na daw siya 'pag bumaba sa 30. She also warned us not to buy dun sa lalake niyang kasama kasi daw mahal 'yung paninda niya. So I decided to buy at 3 for 100 na lang para medyo mas kumita siya. It wasn't that much siguro but a little goes a long way minsan 'di ba? I bought the flutes happy knowing na natulungan ko si Ate. 

Later on, nilapitan 'din kami nung mamang nagtitinda din ng flute. 20 pesos lang daw.. 

PUTANGINA NAMAN! 
Naawa na nga ako dun sa matandang babae. Tutulong naman ako. Bibili naman ako kahit magkano 'yun. Kahit hindi ko kailangan. Pero hindi siya dapat manloko at manira ng kapwa. Nakakabwisit si Ate. Hindi ko alam kung gaano kalaki pangangailangan ni Ate pero hindi siya dapat sinungaling. 

Si Kuya, hindi man ako tumatawad 20 pesos lang ang benta. Tapos paniwalang paniwala pa'ko na mahal ang paninda niya. I'm sorry Kuya! Next time madadaan ako sa Picnic Grounds bibili talaga ako sa'yo. 

Sa mga makakakita kay Ateng sinungaling, bahala na kayo kung bibili kayo sa kanya o hindi. She might use the same line sa inyo. At least, bibigyan ko na kayo agad ng fair warning.

Some people will take advantage of you even when you only have good intentions for them... Dati nga may nagsabi sa'kin magbabago na daw siya... pakasalan ko daw siya.

Buntis

Note: This post was taken from my Facebook Page. 

A month after our marriage, pumasok siya sa kwarto ng umiiyak. I took her in my arms, hugged her tight and kissed her forehead. She was still sobbing when I asked her kung napano siya. She told me hindi pa din daw siya buntis..

Medyo natawa ako sa kanya. Hindi naman kami gaanong nagkakantutan ba't siya mag-eexpect na mabuntis? Anyway, inintindi ko na lang siya kasi period niya. Ganun naman talaga mga babae 'di ba? Moody kapag meron.

So I hugged her tighter, hiniga ko siya sa kama and kissed her lips. I told her "Sige, gagawa na tayo ng baby." To be honest, hindi pa'ko ready na magka-baby at that time. Sa usapan namin, we will wait 1 or 2 years bago kami mag-baby. We wanted to enjoy our married life muna. We wanted to travel. Pero mukhang desidido na siyang mag-baby.. Mahal ko siya and I wanted her to be happy. I wanted us to be happy.

I had doubts sa plano naming magka-baby. We still had 6-digits na ipon pero I didn't have a job at that time. I was looking around for a nice job na "pang pamilya." It's easy for me to get a job. Kaso this time, may pamilya na'kong bubuhayin. I couldn't just get any other job. It should be a stable one. I had a bit of money in stocks kaso pabagsak ang stock market nung time na 'yun. I invested some of it sa LPG business and then some of it sa isa pang venture na nag-fail. 'Yung natitira naming pera, mabilis lang maubos 'yun dahil nagbibigay din ako sa bahay.. But you know what? God is good. All the time. And God is a good provider. I did have doubts sa sarili ko pero naalala ko na hindi naman ako pinabayaan ni God kahit kelan. So it cemented our goal to have a baby.

After a month of trying, saktong birthday ni Mama. June 16, 2015.. bumalik siya sa kwarto after niyang jumingle.. She had the widest smile in the world and I knew what it meant. She was pregnant and I was going to be a father. We will finally have a baby in the house. It was the perfect birthday gift kay Mama. They have been wishing for a baby for a long time na since ako pa ang kahuli hulihang baby sa bahay..

Hahaha.

Naisip ko agad that I should be the best DAD in the world.

Fast forward after 1 year. Birthday ni Mama. Wala ang asawa at anak ko sa bahay. They're probably happy now doing stuff that I won't know about. Baka pinapakain na rin ang anak ko ng galing sa nakaw ng lola niya sa mother's side na corrupt at mandurugas. Yep, they're probably happy at the expense of my family and all of my relatives and friends.

And here I am typing on my shitty computer writing this story para hindi niyo ako pamarisan.

Damn, I can't even look at my mother straight in the eye and greet her "Ma, Happy Birthday!"