I went downstairs after 2 hours of trying to catch some Zzzz time. I have a job interview later which I doubt if I'd be able to attend since I'm like a walking and talking zombie at the moment. My dad was watching some movie on VCD when I suddenly remembered one of my Aunts.
You could say that I literally grew up with my Aunts. I was not brought up by my mom, rather I was brought up by 4 sisters (one of which happened to be my real mom). I've always been their little girl and they've always been my role models. They're not perfect but each of them got something really interesting to offer. And I took in what I could.
One of them we used to call the "the witch" and it's not because she looked like one but because she was the instigator of laws in the family. Every summer we'd all stay at Antipolo, there were seven of us kids and my two aunts and my mom. Our other Aunt is "Snow White" because she's the one who likes to treat us kids out and drive us to the mall and gives us spending money. Hahaha~
Back to the witch...I remember one time when they were just starting out as a family. She was working at Makati in one of the banks that peppered the area (CommBank which later became Boston Bank in the early 90s) and her husband was working as a sales rep for a pharmaceutical company. They were living with my other aunt at that time and was occupying the spare bedroom. They got 2 kids, only a year apart. At that time, they got nothing to their name but a queen sized bed, a giant wardrobe they had the neighborhood carpenter made, an electric fan and the company car which is not even theirs. Compared to her younger sister who owns the house and everything else inside, they were freeloaders.
Then one day, they came home later than usual from work. It was way past 9pm I remember, they were usually home by 8pm. They were greeted by my cousins, 2-4 years old at that time, who asked them immediately for "pasalubong". With that my aunt and uncle smiled like crazy and asked me to bring my younger cousins inside their room and that they come get us when it's time to see the "pasalubong".
I herded my cousins inside and waited. It was hard to keep two kids (barely out of their terrible 2s) in one spot, but I did it. Finally, my grandma opened the door and told us to see what the pasalubong was. My cousins ran out of the room excited to see their new set of toys or maybe a boxful of candies and other goodies this time.
A few seconds later I came face to face with a brand new 14" colored tv set atop it's new and shiny tv rack.
Just the memory of that moment chokes me up until now. You see, I don't remember the TV, I don't remember just how puny and tiny it was againts the 32" monstrosity that my rich aunt owns and I definitely don't remember how much it must've cost then. What I do remember is this young family who had everything they wanted at that very moment.
We still have that TV. They gave it to my brother years ago when he had his own room. It's no longer colored (the picture is always bluish) and there are only 12 channels available and since it's not cable ready, talk about getting reception from 3 channels only. My brother rarely uses it, mostly just to create noise inside his room when he's on the phone and doesn't want to be overheard. It's still there though. The living testament to my undying wish to one day start my own family. And maybe, I'd come home one day and buy my kids OUR first ever colored TV.
And about the family who first bought that TV? My aunt left her job shortly after and became a full-time housewife, they took a house loan from the bank and built a very modest bungalow, my uncle got a promotion one after the other, my cousins have both gone through private schools from kinder to college (one just graduated from Ateneo with a degree in Computer Science and the other is graduating from UA&P with a degree in Marketing), my uncle opted for early retirement and is managing his own business with friends now and they own 2 cars and have fully paid the bank for their house loan years ago.
