M's the Word

It started like any other day, then whammed! I got hit with a one-two combination from my mom.

My mom has this special powers of making my life stressful. Whenever I go home, I had to endure her non stop talk about everything single problem in our family, our neighbors' family, the village people's family, and whoever the family of the person that's on TV. And if you happen to drop by our house by any chance, you could probably hear her saying something like...

"... anong ginagawa mo sa buhay mo? Kumustahin mo nga kapatid mo. Alam mo ba na bayaran na ng bills bukas? Bakit hindi mo kausapin ung kapitbahay natin? Alamin mo bakit namatay ung halaman nila. Tapos tawagan mo kapatid mo at kausapin mo. Bakit nga ba wala ka pang asawa? ano nga ba ginagawa mo sa buhay mo? Papasok ka din ba sa politika? Aba maganda yan, tumakbo kang kapitan para tumigil na sa kakatapon ng basura sa kanto natin ang mga kapitbahay natin na pasaway..."

and it will just continue on until I shut the door of my room and lock myself in.

But today is a different day. It seems like her superpowers is drawing it's strength from the super moon outside and I was the pariah that will receive all her jabs...

"... malapit na pala birthday mo. Ilan taon ka na? 32 ka na this year? Aba matanda ka na bakit hindi ka pa nagaasawa? Yung kapitbahay natin may anak na magandang dalaga. Tanda mo ba yun? Kaklase mo ata yun nung kindergarten. Kausapin mo. Dalan mo ng prutas. Bukas magluluto ako ng meryenda aayain ko dito para magusap kayo. Tiyak ko magkakagustuhan kayo agad. Kung ayaw mo naman sa kanya, yung may tindahan sa dulo, ung anak nun laging pagala-gala dyan pag gabi. Tutal mukhang wala ka naman ginagawa sa bahay samahan mo mag gala. O ano mag aasawa ka na? Gusto ko na ng apo. Aba ang tanda mo na! Nyahaha..."

I froze. I didn't know what to say. I would like to respond but that might invite her to prolong the conversation.

Instead, I gave her a quaterturn and walked away.

Yup, that's my mom alright. She carries the world on her shoulders and I love her for it. She's the best. OK, maybe she's not the coolest, or the richest, or the smartest, but she's mine, and that's all that matters. I love you mom!