Growing Up Pains

Discordant Notes


Growing Up Pains

This one episode of a Tagalog telenovela I can relate to.

When somebody throws you out of the house where you lived as a housemate, that’s classic drama.

To start the story, when my aunt left for the United States, she left her room to me. I was then in high school. My aunt knows to well that as a student vying for honor roll I must have a very good surroundings to be competitive.

She very well know that I cannot study very well in our ancestral home. It was because we just occupy one room and it was only for sleeping. I have no place to study in that big house. At least in the house of my grandfather, I occupy a room and it served also serves a study room and a sleeping quarters.

But my good days were short lived.

Right besides my room was the room occupied by my aunt. She lives with her husband and they have two small children by then. At first this was not a problem until they had their third child.

All of the sudden, I found my things outside and without telling me, my aunt and her husband occupied my room and their former room. As a good grandson, I just took it in stride.

It was not a problem to me. My grandfather who sensed my repulsion. Gave me his old table where he used to work and put up some light for me to work on my studies. He worked at the big dining table nearby.

But it was not the end. Later I found out that my things was transferred outside the balcony where the hanging garden was directly facing the stairs. My uncle used the table and instead gave me a small table. My grandfather just kept quiet  and again put up the lighting for me to study outside.

I have no problem from it but what cannot take are the snide remarks from my uncle who does not work but lived from the graces of my grandfather and aunt who worked in the United States, in short he has no shame for we called him “PNB or “palamunin ng byenan.”

As usual because my school was nearby, I usually come home for lunch. For every second day, to change clothes for our physical education classes or the military training we are forced to undergo for our afternoon classes.

And everyday of my life, he will harangued me with his snide remarks and profanities especially when he is drunk. I surmised that is the reason why he was not admitted to the NBI. And he cannot find work. And one day when almost came into blows.

He made a remark that I was like a pig. “ You slurp your soup like a pig .” He said.

I answered back; “It is you who is like a pig, living off from my grandfathers earnings.” I retorted. And then he challenged me into a fight.

In my anger, even I don’t even know any self defense tactic way back then, I stood up and was ready for any blow. To think during the good times, he taught me how to fight because he was then was applying for the NBI.  And then my aunt and my lola stood between us.

I left without a word and promised not to go back to the house. But my lola went to talk to me in the other house and begged me to go back. She made me promise her to eat lunch at the house everyday.

And because I loved my lola, I made that promise to her.  I just told her, “I cannot sleep over there anymore because I hate to see that guy”

That arrangement changed and I stayed more in the other house every since. I was in college and I did not need a good study place anymore because I had the air conditioned library in school to use.

Besides I am not vying for any honor anymore. I don’t need to study hard.

Those are just one of my bitter memories that I just told in story just right now. After more than 40 years.

And as I looked back while I watched the telenovelas, those were just growing up pains.

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