And When Mother Asks ...

I am still learning on how to cope up with my present situation. Eventhough everyday is a pain for me since I am still on shock with what happened, I try to manage things somehow. And I'm proud to say that up 'til now I have pulled it off.. barely, but I'll take it as a sucess anyway. However, there are still things that I haven't anticipated that might happen (and did happen) ... basic things actually, but I want to bonk my head for not anticipating it. Certifiably, I am still a breakup newbie.

What must I do when family members and close relatives ask "how is she?" Obviously, I haven't broke the news to them yet. I did not have the intention to because I am a person who is not really very open with my intimate relationships to my family and relatives.

Yes, they know her and they knew we were happy together. That's about it. I don't know, it is just me. I am very comfortable sharing our lives with my friends, but with relatives.. there is this feeling of awkwardness. Oh c'mon.. don't crucify me for that, I know there are many people like me in this world.

And then it happened. A while ago, my mom asked me to give her some foot rub. Her feet is killing her (maybe because of stress from work, or pains of growing old) and asked me if I could massage it a bit. Of course I obliged. While massaging her feet, we get to talk about many things but it is mostly school stuff, and then she asked a question that caught me dumbfounded....

"Kamusta si Mica (Tieza)? Bakit hindi na siya bumibisita dito?" ("How is Mica? Why isn't she visiting us anymore?") That question made my jaw drop to the ground. Even if the answer to that question would make me win a million peso, I know I can't answer it because honestly, I don't know what to say.

My mother loved Tieza very much. She is the first girlfriend I have ever introduced to my mother. Whenever my mom would learn that Tieza is coming. She always leaves what she is doing in order to fix something up for Tieza. My mother also had a picture of Tieza on her wallet. My mom really liked her. Whenever she goes home to our province, she always bring something back for Tieza.

Same with my father (but thank God he never asked me the same question yet), he liked Tieza very much that even him (he is not much of a talker, I tell you), he "coaches" me what to wear (because I am a very sloppy dresser) so that Tieza "would not just leave me for some handsome face in Ateneo." (Haha.Sob.)

Tieza made a big impact to my family. Whenever she visits the house, my father would crack jokes at her. My mom asks me now and then how is she and how is her life at Ateneo. During a recent family reunion, my mom even wanted her to come. Even the relatives at our province know her... my mom is the best advertiser in the family.

As I am writing this entry, Uncle Allan (from U.K., an Englishman who married my Aunt) emailed me asking me how the weather is here in the Philippines. (He has this thing for weather, climates and stuff) Guess what's included in the letter:

Please give my regards to everyone.Mum & Dad and Julius and of course your very nice girlfriend (I'm hopeless with names but I am sure she will forgive me). By the way, how is Alice?

Alice is our pet dalmation, by the way.

Even relatives from the U.K. are asking me how is she.

"She's... okay." That's the best I can say to my mother. And I don't intend to follow it up. I continue massaging her feet.