I would like to reveal this not so told part of my life, that I am not proud
My parents have been blessed with children, if you will notice that I am always describing or telling a story about my sister Shirly. But the truth is I still have one more sister, her name is Cristina, she is 3 years older than I am…hmmm she’s my adopted sister. We don’t know her parents…let me tell you about her, about her being a part of my life.
My father was a worker in plastic corrugated roof fabrication before, during lunch; he used to go to a nearby place wherein he can buy his food. One day while taking his lunch, a man approached him and asked him if he wants to have a child. Directly he said “yes”, this man offered him to take his daughter in exchange of some amount – a bus fare that could bring this child’s mother to their hometown in Isabella. This man told my father that they need to separate their ways as they are not married, and this child came to them out of wedlock. They don’t have any money to feed her that is why they decided to give her to my father. My father took her and gave the amount the lady she needed for her to be able to go home. My father was happy very happy bringing this child to my mother. Mom accepted her with open arms; she was then longing to have a child.. They named her, Cristina; mom was saying that she took her name from Christmas because she came to their lives in December of 1972. They arranged her baptism and birth certificate and they treated her as their own daughter. They were so happy, and they did not expect that God will give them another daughter when she turned 3 years. It was me who was born from them, after a year mom got pregnant again and by this time, Shirly was born, my biological sister.
As I remember, Papa, left us when I was 5 years, he flew and worked in the Middle East and he worked there for almost 7 years. He was just visiting us for a month in each year. Mom raised us up with love. She taught us to pray together, to love one another, to study hard so we can finish our school and to have a good future. She never forgets to tell us how we were blessed. She was a good example to our youthful years. As we grow together, my sister Cristina was showing a totally different attitude. While I and Shirly were receiving honors from the school, she kept on failing her grades, and even she’s been reported to my Mom that she keeps on fighting with her classmates. She became Mom’s headache, a stubborn child, not eating the same food that Mom was serving, not having the same interest as what we like. I want to be an Architect, Shirly wants to be a Dentist, and Cristina wants to be an entertainer/dancer in Japan.
The time has come that Papa, stayed for good in Manila, because Mom was always sick. He’d noticed the stubbornness of Cristina, and they decided to tell her that she is their adopted daughter and they assure her that they love her. I witnessed this, my parents were equal in treating us or sometimes she even more got the better or the favorable things. But she never became thankful and instead, she became ungrateful and proud. She knows that they love her so much that they will give or she will get whatever she wanted.
The first time she did a bad thing to us was, when she stole all the gold jewelry that Papa earned from his work abroad. We all have 2 sets of earring; a family necklace (wherein the designs are all the same) watches and rings with red stones. She took this little by little ( Mama trusted us all, she told us about the bag where she kept in the jewelry, she even left the key of the cabinet – in case there’s emergency, anyone of us can save these and the important documents.). But she, broke their trust, she was taking it one by one and bringing it to different pawnshop… we learned about this when the paper came that we need to take these all or else it will be auctioned. Mom, took these valuables without Papa’s knowledge, because if Papa will learn about this, for sure he will get angry and he might beat her. We thought that this will end there, No, it was just the beginning of her very bad and shameful act. She repeated doing this, I believe for 4th times until all of these hard earned valuables went to nothing. The was also a time that she left us and did not inform where she was going or staying, Papa, just found out that she was practicing in one of the talent studio in a nearby city, so she will be able to work in Japan. She also worked as a promoter/merchandiser of jeans, and all she brought to Mom was failure, she has been dismissed from her work for not working well, fighting with co-workers and loosing all her items, Mom paid all of these just for her to be released.
Time came that she got married at the age of 19, she got pregnant right away with a baby girl, after 5 years God gave her a baby boy. My parents did not become tired of reaching her. They even helped her husband to find a work in abroad. Her marriage life was a chaos, they keep on fighting each other and she was always physically hurt from her husband. When her husband flew to Saudi Arabia, we thought that their lives will be peaceful and calm as we were hoping for their better family life. My sister fall, she committed adultery and left her 2 kids with her in laws, it was too painful for us to accept it, But Mom, still forgiven her. I even requested them to be civilized during my wedding, because being my eldest sister; I want her to be there on that very special day. She never became contented with her sin, she added another one, and that’s being pregnant with that man. My parents were so angry but in time they learned to forgive her again, but they never accepted that man as her husband. She is having 2 kids now with her other man. She will frequently call me and ask for money. We did not closed our door to her, my sister Shirly and I have been so generous, that we even give her gifts aside from the money that she were asking. I even give her things to sell, so she will have money to feed her kids. She always comes to my parent’s house and eats there with her kids. Her life was very comfortable with us. There was even almost a year that I was sending her good amount of money. She will call me, before the end of the month, and she will ask directly for some amount. We hide this from our parents, because they know that she will not value the money that we hardly work. She always lends money to Mama and she’ll not pay her. She never contented with the money she took from Mama, she even lied to our Auntie Josie. (mom’s youngest sister). She created a story that she wants to change her way of life and work abroad again! Aunt Josie begged my parents to give her another chance and another amount of money. They did it. Mom and Auntie gave her an amount of money to pay the agency which will send her to Malaysia. The day came that she will leave and fly, after 4 days, Papa went to Divisoria Market to have his walking exercise and buy some vegetables and fruits. On his way – he saw my Ate Cristina, with that man and 2 kids. She runs away from Papa’s sight. She never leaves the country, she lied to Aunt Josie and Mama, in short, she took the money again out of her stories, and she swindled them!
Papa told me to cut our relationship with her… I know in my heart, she will be going to come back, my prayers are with her, I am still hoping that someday she will be able to correct her mistakes.
This photo is taken by her Ninong Jeff Vergara (zchizzerz)
