continuation of Lyn’s Story

Back in Pangasinan, Lyn lives with her new husband, or common-law husband in a separate house. It’s just the two of them in that house. If I remember it right, her adult son lives with her sister in Pangasinan. The guy’s children are all grown ups and have their own families. They are nice to Lyn and have accepted her as their father’s new wife.

Lyn, as she wants me to call her, has been working here in Hongkong for a few months. Her male employer is a doctor working in a big hospital here in HK. I forgot what the wife does. They live in a two bedroom flat. Lyn doesn’t mind being their only household helper because she said it’s easy to clean the apartment because it’s small and they only have a grown up son. “Kaya ko naman ang trabaho”.

Lyn spends a lot of money on “loads” so she could go online, read the facebook accounts of her loved ones. Of course she could only do this once a week on weekends when she has no work.

This week, she got an extra day-off because it’s Chinese New Year. She went online and read facebook posts.
Her heart stopped after she saw the exchanges of conversation among her common-law husband’s children. They were talking about their father and a woman that now sleeps in their father’s house. Sleeps, as in sleeping with him.
Lyn doesn’t want to believe and she’s hoping that this couldn’t be true.

She immediately bought “loads” so she could phone her relatives in Pangasinan.
Lyn had one question to all of them—- “Tutoo ba?”
She first called her sister who also lives in the same barrio, she then called all the children of her common law husband, she also phoned her aunt—– “Tutoo ba?” May alam ka ba?
They all had the same answer—- “Tutoo, pero ayaw namin sa amin manggaling, baka madamay pa kami.
Siya na lang ang tanungin mo”.

Lyn spent more money on loads so she could talk to her c-l-husband.
Lyn—– “Tutoo ba?” Gusto ko sayo manggaling.

If all of her informants gave her the same answer, she got a different answer from the guy.

Guy—— “Hindi tutoo. Sila pa ba ang paniniwalaan mo?” “Alam mong hindi ko gagawin yun sa’yo”.

Lyn believes his relatives and the guy’s children. But deep in her heart she wants him to admit it so she could move on.
She doesn’t want to let him go hoping that maybe it’s not true. Maybe hindi pa sya pinapalitan.

Lyn—— “Ano na tayo ngayon?” she asked the guy
Guy—— “Tayo pa rin”.

Lyn is depressed and doesn’t know what to think. She said napakasakit dahil mahal nya, at mabuti ang ipinakita sa kanya dati. Para talaga raw silang mag-asawa. “Sana aminin na nya, gusto ko aminin nya pero ayaw nyang umamin”.

Me——–“Hindi yun aamin”. Sayang lang kabibili mo ng load. Eh kung aminin, ano ngayon ang gagawin mo?”
Lyn——-“mag-move-on”.
Me——–“Lyn, ngayon ka na mag-move on. Alam ko masakit pero kaya mo yan, mas masakit nung una, sa totoo mong husband at may anak pa kayo. Ngayon hindi naman kayo kasal at wala naman kayong anak, next month, wala na yan, hayaan mo na sya, wag mo ng paaminin, maiinis ka lang lalo”.
Lyn—— “oo mam, kaya ko ito. masakit pero kaya ko, mas masakit yung una”.
Me—— O, tama na yang lalaki ha, baka may makilala ka sa park, sumige ka na naman. At huwag na huwag mo ng papadalhan ng pera. Dun lang yon sa babae mapupunta.
Lyn—– “Hindi na mam, sa edad kong ito”.
Lyn—– “Akala ko talaga siya na. Akala ko iba sya, yun pala pareho rin sya nung asawa ko, ganito rin ang ginawa sa akin, masakit”.