My mother’s father was a widower. He married my mom’s mom. Is that confusing?
My mother’s half siblings from her father’s first marriage were way older than her. That’s why she had nephews or even grandchildren from her half-siblings that were of her age. Lola-looking women addressing my mom as “tiya” (aunt).
During the Japanese occupation, those living in Manila and nearby cities moved to the provinces to seek shelter and to avoid the chaos in Manila.
According to my mom, when she heard that one of her half-sister’s son who was a doctor of medicine and his wife who was a teacher, were living near the Pasig River and had no decent place to stay, my mom seeked out for them and offered her own house in Pila-pila as shelter.
Long story short, they drove my mom away from her own house. Apparently, the house belonged to my mom’s father, who bequethed it to my mom, his only daughter from his second marriage, before he passed away. No papers, no documents.
Even after 40 years, my mom still felt betrayed and her deep seated hurt and anger could still be felt when she reminisced about those days. Everytime she would pass-by that house, she never failed to mention “akin ‘yan” (that’s mine), “bigay ng ama ko” ( a gift from my father). For dozens of years, she did not speak to her half- siblings because of this.
Fate would have it that one day, her youngest child and daughter, Aileen, would meet the apo of her hated half-nephew (if there’s such a thing). Of all the boys in the universe, it was like fate was playing a bad joke on her.
My parents were furious when they found-out that she was dating Bong. My mother particularly so, because everything that happened during the Japanese time was still fresh in her memories. Buckets of tears were shed from both my mom’s eyes and Aileen’s.
They objected to Aileen and Bong’s relationship on two grounds. One, he had the mortal enemy genes. Two, he was actually a close relative of ours.
Well, time heals all wounds and in the end my parents gave their blessings.
Aileen and Bong were married on June 10 twenty two years ago.
They have 3 lovely daughters Kay, Tin and Kim.
And they lived happily every after.
