To My Uncle Gene and His Wife

They have been gone from the family fold since I was old enough to understand about allotment and such.

Gene is my grandmother’s son who is a seafarer. He was one of the more successful siblings of my mother when it comes to financial status.

Now, he and his family are living somewhere in Cavite and had not been in touched with my lola for years now.

Tito G., has a wife who was once in the nursing field but has contentedly settled herself as wife and mother to four kids or so (I really do not know).

When I was young and Tito G was yet unmarried, he promised to send me to Med school since I have specifically wanted to become a doctor.

When I was in elementary, he married his wife and I was flower girl in their wedding. I hated the green dress I wore in the wedding though. I stood out like a sore thumb.

Anyway, when he got married, he become engrossed in family life.

Now, tito no longer sends allotment to Lola. Lola has already retired from her dried fish selling ventures in the public market and is now living off her SSS pension and that of my Lolo’s.

Lola was clamoring about the difficulty of having to keep both ends meet decently. In fact, I would not have posted this if not for her carping just this morning.

The money that my other seafaring uncle sent her all went to the medical bills and expenses of her daughter who dies of aneurysm two years ago.

Now, she is trying to fit her daily expenses on a very tight budget. She also has a son, my uncle, who is not normal (abnormal?).

My Uncle’s wife sent Lola a letter telling her of how her husband was so angry about what my lola did. The wife said that Tito G. learned from a fellow Ilonggo seaman that Lola was selling her land in Quartero and in Passi.

Lola was so angry with the accusation. Of course, she wanted to sell it. She had offered to sell it since that was her personal legacy from her own parents. But, at this day and age, who would buy a piece of land beside an unpredictable river?

Then, my uncle said that the people back here are living in an immoral manner (must be referring to the two youngest girl and boy in the family). Lola was angry again because of what he said.

Lola said that for Gene to make any opinion about such things, he ought to come home and ask the person’s concerned. He should not just believe what is being said. There is a grain of truth in my Uncle’s accusations, I guesss. But, he should not have treated his own siblings in such an offhand manner.

Anyway, that has always been the problem with my mother’s family. The lack of communication. It makes them easy prey to the evils of gossip and destroy whatever good relationship there could be.

That is the one thing that my mother has drilled into my head agaion and again. She always tells me that I should personally talk to my siblkings if there are problems. She also told me that I should put my family’s welfare first especially since I am the eldest.

She groomed me to become unlike any of her siblings who sowed contempt among the family. She wanted me to turn out like my Lolo who was the fountain of wisdom and love in the family.

Lolo was the center of his family. The one that held the threads together. When he died, the family completely unraveled and relationships have gone sour.