BAKA NAMAN PAG-IBIG LANG
2 nights ago. The former Palafox wanted to meet us old college buddies because she wanted to meet us. Hay, i never thought that after college we would be talking about life and journeys and getting a Pag-ibig housing loan.
The topic somehow shifted to my family life. A lot of people are actually curious about my family. I never really brought friends over at our family house. We are so unlike a Filipino family. For one, me being the only girl of 3 brothers, was the first one to leave the house and just move out. Some people could not get that my mother can do that to her unica hija; let her leave the house and live in the busy parts of QC. And almost everybody is aware of my moodrahbel issues of not getting along way way back even in highschool. One thing though that separates us from every Filipino family is the basic union of moodrahbel and poodrahbel. It is only one aspect in our untypical family household. The parenting style is another gargantuan addition to how we were brought up in a weird day. Now, let's focus on Moodrahbel and Poodrahbel.
Well, they're exact opposites in many ways. Before they met, Poodrahbel looks like a farmer in the morning and a janitor in the evening. My mother is a campus beauty queen and an Ortigas snob. They met fantastically in an event where backgrounds and faces doesn't matter--- the Palanca Awards back in the late 70's.
Moodrah was the snotty assistant of the Palanca clan and Poodrah was an awardee that night. You know, like an uptight secretary meeting a starving artist. But no, when you get a Palanca at that height of Philippine Literature you are as way cuter as Johnny Depp. And my Moodrah liked that since she graduated at the top of her class and only one of the best writers in the country could hit on her. And poodrah really did while they were posing for a photo-op for a winners' circle. Well, writers are known to really brood on beautiful women. And honestly, as i saw my Moodrah's pics back then, i asked myself if i was really her daughter--- para bang issue ni Charming kila Bakekang. Ampon ba ako? (though I have my mother's snobby air sometimes)
And they got together. Moodrahbel was accompanied by Poodrahbel on their way home to which my critically acclaimed Lola would snort upon seeing Poodrahbel " Lina, bakit sinabayan ka pa ng janitor ninyo dito sa bahay?" Ganun talaga kapanget ang ama ko noon. Pero ngayon ok na, mukha naman siyang hired assassin na ala Jean Reno sa Leon The Professional (naks).
They're marriage was a tumble of sorts. Poodrahbel was a painter, writer, gardener, martial artist and art connoisseur. Moodrahbel worked for 25 years in the country's leading beermaker and was always snotty, silent and just so Makati snob (5 times more mataray than me, imagine that). They were like Dharma and Greg together except that Dharma was my dad and Greg was my mom. Sometimes i think about myself and what kind of marriage scenario i would be getting into. And my Poodrahbel likes to display public affection to Moodrahbel while she's just a prehistoric rock of emotions.
Before i turned 18, my Poodrahbel disappeared in our house and Moodrahbel was bent on thinking that he was ambushed ala Bubby Dacer because of his political writings in the paper. No, he ambushed himself and hiked off away for 2 years leaving us, his family, into a bit of a nose dive financially. Poodrahbel said, over eating siomai, that Moodrahbel broke his heart (upon which i cried in front of him). They were not the same people back when they were just hitting on each other during the Palanca Awards. They had problems with their marriage. Poodrahbel came back eventually amidst a dragon fire of words and nail scratches from the missus. They're ok as if nothing happened. They really are ok now. We have a new house actually. Moorahbel is retired and a houswife while my Poodrahbel still passionately writes.
I think i asked him one time why did he come back and how could he stand a woman so cold, calculated and so unlike him. You know what he said. Pag-ibig lang.
