May kasabihan…

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When my then-boyfriend-now-husband invited me to his home the very first time to meet the parents 30 years ago, I didn’t expect to walk into a fully-loaded household! All along I thought he was an only child, so I was surprised when I was introduced to so many people. Ganyan pala ang feeling ng candidates sa Q&A portion ng Ms. World, lol! #stresssachest—

MIL wasn’t able to keep her babies full-term so after 25 years of trying, they adopted a child left on their doorstep. They thought him lucky when several more years, my biggest blessing came into the world. Si Kap! <3 Healthy, alive, and kicking! So this intensified their love for that adopted boy & they gave him everything his evil black heart desired out of gratefulness.

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Left on their doorstep was Danny (R). A couple of years after, the sister -and ultimately the brother-in-law, of Kap’s mom passed away one after the other, leaving their only child an orphan. So my in-laws took her in as well. Soon their home was finally filled with pitter-patter of 3 pairs of feet & answered a need in their aching hearts.

After 25 years of trying, they were finally blessed with a baby boy. The most precious gift, not just for them, but also for me.

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Everyday, freshly squeezed orange juice, home cooked food -and lots of it based on his stocky built, new toys, adoration. But that didn’t seem enough because the adopted boy, Danny, felt nothing but jealousy for the new star of the house, the real son. Even though my in-laws loved Danny as their own, he just had a nasty black soul that ate away at him which intensified as he grew bigger & badder.

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Busog-lusog. MIL certainly treated him like her own flesh & blood. But sadly, the blood running through his veins won over the proper upbringing my in-laws strove to instill. He was a bad egg even with all the love, attention, and guidance. Masamang damo talaga.

Danny was almost a teenager old when Kap finally made it to this world to search for me, his soulmate & destiny. Lolz~

Having waited for him for so long, naturally Kap got his fair share of spoiling. Which probably blew off Danny’s top.

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So bad that he would hold a gun to my in-law’s heads when they refused to give him money. At first, he would steal little by little from the drawer, or from my MIL’s bag. But then, he grew bolder & felt entitled to everything as he matured & his needs increased. At the time, Kap was only a teeny-bopper & he was taught to treat Danny as the Kuya & first-born, a respected position in Chinese families. So he just looked helplessly as the adopted brother took advantage of the parentals.

Danny didn’t finish college even though he was sent to different schools who would dare admit him. He “married” early & of course being jobless, he brought his partner to the homefront. They bore 5 illegitimate children, syempre pakain at paaral din lahat nila in-laws. And this situation was what greeted me when I set foot the first time in their house. Chaos.

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His adoptive brother had 5 children from his first wife, left them with my in-laws, and moved in with his new wife with whom he had 2 more kids. Luckily, his 2nd wife had a permanent job & was able to sustain his needs.

Even his separated uncle (the brother of Kap’s dad) who remained jobless until the time of his death, was living with them & benefitted from their support like the rest of the cast & crew. And so was MIL’s spinster aunt (pictured above). It was indeed a very full household.

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Their house in Novaliches was of average size. A small living room with a connecting dining room & an open kitchen right beside it. No backyard, so everyone would just gather in the sala. Humans & dogs (They had 5 natives as well on top of this Boxer I gifted to Kap). I got acquainted with the extended family. I knew Kap was THE ONE the moment our hearts met, but this was not a situation I could come to accept. Thank goodness we were able to set up our own home faaaar far away by the time we got married 8 years after.

But their parents’ burden soon became my husband’s as well. Since my in-laws stayed with us from the get-go, their problem became our problem too. Buti nalang maagang natigok si Evil Soul. #sorrehnotsorreh For many years, we maintained 2 homes, our & theirs. The grandchildren hounded us non-stop for dole-outs, from matriculation to personal expenses instead of finding jobs to support themselves.

Out of the 5 grandchildren, only 2 finished their studies. The eldest, a girl who became an optometrist & ran away with my jewelry & scammed me, now lives in Indonesia as a kabit. Now & then she’d send feelers & Kap out of the goodness of his heart, would send money -feeling sorry for her jobless state & having to take care of her small children by herself. They grew up together so he really felt like they were his siblings & he cared for them as if they were true blood relatives. Pusong mamon sya when it comes to the nephews & nieces and would help them in a heartbeat.

I used to make a big deal out of it because I’d see her on Facebook carrying LV & other branded bags, wearing MY jewelry, and going to other countries. I would say to Kap: “Ganyan ba yung naghihirap? Aba masyado naman syang mapalad na mahirap. Sana pala lahat ng mahirap tulad nalang niya!” But Kap would just say “pabayaan mo na Sweetheart kailangan nung tao ng pera kaya nga humihingi. May kapalit din yan.” And so, I’d shut my mouth & bear it.

And the youngest girl, who married rich & now runs a successful catering business, making a name for herself out of her own blood, sweat & tears. The only one actually who was able to make lemonades out of lemons.

2 boys -both bulakbols, and another girl who bore 5 children from different fathers & gave them all away. Really, save for one, all are patapon especially the one they named after Kap (fml ikr!).

This nephew is the greatest scammer of all. He is everything his dad was but in sheep’s clothing. Magaling mambola. He would get your trust & run off with your money.

I remember so many bad incidents with him. He was often the cause of my disputes with Kap. My MIL would always insist on helping him out so Kap did his best to obey by giving him jobs here & there. We even had him live with us for a while & sent him to night school pero wala, talagang bulakbol.

I remember one day, matindi ang hika ko so Kap asked him to take the car & buy my med kasi hindi na ako makahinga. He took 2 hours to come back. Aba, nag-joy ride pala. A friend saw him in our car with a girl, so huli sya. There I was turning blue, waiting for my pulmo-aide vials, lumalandi lang pala ang mokong?

Then another instance he got into a car altercation with a neighbor. Sinapak nya then gave his name as JEFF GO to security when they came to the scene. The barangay then went to our house looking for Kap. Leche, pinahamak pa ang asawa ko. Good thing the guy he hit said it was a different Jeff Go. Wakanga! @_@ After that, in-law or no in-law, pinalayas ko na sa bahay at buhay namin. That was several years ago. But he still comes to visit once in a while when he knows I’m not around.

Why is this all coming back to me, you ask? Paano, last month, security called us once again, may mga pulis daw na naghahanap kay Mr. Go. HUWAAAT? Honey, I ask, ano ginawa mo huhu? To which Kap answered: Aba, malay ko nananahimik ako. So long story short, we were able to establish that it was the nephew they were looking for, not my husband.

And now, I see this! A friend who he also scammed recently saw this & sent it to me..

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Hay naku, kailan mo kami tatantanan??? I curse the day your father was left on the doorstep of your Angkong & Ama & they had no choice but to take him in, changing the course of our future.

I truly believe that kung ano ang puno, yun din ang bunga. A leopard cannot change its spots just as a tiger cannot change its stripes. One can’t change one’s essential nature, nasa dugo na talaga yan no matter the kind of upbringing. I just hope you & your lot can finally stay away from us & leave us be. Madami-dami na rin naman kayong nasimsim. Please lang.