On this day, I married you

After eight months of courtship

It was a crazy idea, they said

It was a gamble on life, I insisted

 

On this day, I married you

Gone are the days of whispering sweet nothings

We are now facing the realities of married life

And yes, it is challenging

 

On this day, I married you

My most expensive jewelry is our wedding ring

It symbolizes this day, our union

It’s more expensive than diamonds or platinum

 

On this day, I married you

I never felt so secured before

God finally heared my prayers three years ago

To let me find a man who will love me forever

Dekada 80. Hindi pa uso ang internet noon. Hindi pa uso ang PSP at lalo na ang cellphone. Hindi pa gaanong maraming sasakyan sa Balanga. Nasasakop naming mga bata ang kalye para maglaro. Taguan, tumbang-preso, patintero, langit-lupa, habulan—mga larong hindi na yata kilala ng mga batang isinilang sa dekada 90.

Malaki ang kaibahan ng mga bata noon sa mga bata ngayon. Una na rito ay noon, para lamang kaming magkakapatid na nagkakasayahan.  Ngayon, para bang normal na lang sa isang bata ang magkaroon ng puppy love. Maagang nawawala ang kainosentihan at naiimpluwensyahan na ang pagkakaroon ng relasyon ay tanggap na kahit sa murang edad.

Alas-4 ng hapon, kung suswertihin ay papayagan kaming maglaro sa kalye kasama ang ibang bata sa kapitbahay. Walang usapan at bigla na lang naming maiisipang maglaro. Kung tatatlo kami, makukuntento na lang kami sa pagbibilang ng mga sasakyang manginlan-ngilan kung dumaan noong panahon na iyon. Kung papalarin naming dumami kami dahil pinayagang lumabas ng bahay ang ibang kalaro, doon na kami maglalaro ng patintero. Taguan ang paborito naming pag dapit-hapon na. Mahirap kasing mahuli kapag madilim na ang paligid. Kapag napagod, magpapahinga at magmemeryenda ng biskwit at soda sa tindahan. Hindi naman ako makakatiis, bibigyan at bibigyan ko din ang mga kalarong nakatingin sa aming magkapatid habang kumakain. Ewan ko ba pero nabubusog ako sa kapirasong biskwit dahil na rin siguro naroon ang diwa ng pagbibigayan.

Iniipon naming mga bata ang basyo ng lata ng gatas para sa tumbang preso. May pagkakataon pang isang pilyong kapitbahay ang sinagasaan ng kanyang kotse ang latang ginagamit namin sa laro. Nagprotesta ang mga bata. Nakangisi namang nagpatuloy sa pagmamaneho ang mama.

Mapapansin ng ilang matatakaw na hitik na sa bunga ang puno ng makopa sa bakanteng lote. Tama nga naman dahil bukod sa hindi sapat ang biskwit para sa aming lahat, nakakaakit pitasin ang mapupulang makopa na tiyak na matamis. Mga lalaki ang aakyat ng puno, kaming mga babae ang tagasalo sa baba. May madudugas ding nasa puno pa lang ay kakain na habang kaming nasa baba ay nakatingin. May kantyawan, may inisan. Sa bandang huli, lahat naman kami’y makakakain din.

Kinagabihan, isa-isa nang uuwi ang mga bata. Sa isang paswit lang ng aming ama, napapasunod kami at ibig sabihi’y “gabi na, umuwi na.” May kalarong susunduin ng yaya o katulong sabay sabing “binuksan ko na ang aircon mo para maginhawa ka mamayang pagtulog.” May kalarong pamalo ng ina ang nakaabang. May kalarong kusa na lang din uuwi. May kalarong ayaw munang umuwi talaga.Lahat umaasang sa maikling panahon ng tag-init ay masulit man lamang ang bakasyon mula sa eskwela.

I am not aware of Rep. Iggy Arroyo’s personal life not until he passed away in London. I was not even aware that he was being treated there for cancer. The one thing that I surely remember about him was his “public confession” that he was Jose Pidal.

Mr. Iggy’s personal life became controversial after his demise than when he was very much alive. The second wife, Mrs. Aleli Arroyo is very vocal about her disgust on Mr, Iggy’s common-law wife of six years, Grace Ibuna. When a couple has a pending annulment case and if one of them dies ahead of the other, who has the right over claiming the remains: the estranged wife/husband or the departed one’s current partner?

Grace and Mr. Iggy lived together for six years. I guess, those six years were happy yet challenging because living with someone who’s sick is emotionally draining. Grace and Mr. Iggy’s relationship was a real partnership; it was founded with love and respect sans the sanctity of marriage. Grace and daughter Garrie have a good relationship with Mr. Iggy’s daughters from his first marriage.

The missing link in this emotional equation is the relationship of Aleli and Mr. Iggy prior and after their filing of annulment. Two people who are no longer in love with each other can possibly be civil and respectful of each other; they can even keep in touch especially if they have kids. I don’t think Aleli and Mr. Iggy had a good relationship after their separation. It makes me wonder if Grace was the reason of Aleli’s split up with Mr. Iggy that is why the latter is fuming mad at the mention of Grace’s name? Or perhaps, Aleli, being the legal wife, felt bypassed when her husband passed away with his lover at his deathbed?

Watching Mr. Iggy’s funeral on TV is like watching a real-life teledrama: the ex and the present love of his life trying to outdo each other. Aleli, being the legal wife, wants to run the show. Grace, being the one who stayed with Mr. Iggy until his last breath, is willing to share the show with the legal wife. Mistresses are condemned in this country but who are we to judge the relationship that they have/had with their common-law husbands?