Around July 2008, my husband's mother took in a nephew from Taguig, who was said to be in the hots for some gang members in their place. He was to stay in their residence in Tagum, until further notice.
I met Ronnie** last September 3 when my family visited my in-laws and took Kaw-Kaw (Alain's adopted dog from Emily) home. Ronnie was quite the normal teenage boy, but there was something off, when he came home in the afternoon, drenched from the rain. He said he went to feed the chickens, when Mamang asked where he had been, and went directly to his room. I shrugged it off, thinking maybe he was tired from running all the way home to avoid the heavy rain.
Fast forward to September 28, at 4 in the morning. I was awakened by the ringing of my phone. A text message from Alain. I wondered, why was he still up at this time? So, in the dark I read his 2 paged-SMS: "....Buy Kyla a cake, it's her birthday today, they're going to Davao....Kuya's family will be transferring to another house now...Ronnie came home one night, drunk and threatened Ruda....." Even though I was sleepy my mind quickly tried to comprehend every word. I think I read it twice. And I was even wondering who Ronnie was...then slowly it all came together. I told myself to sleep it off and call Alain in the morning, and ask about it. Later, I found out, that that was all he knew! (I even complained at him from not being too nosy when it came to topics like these) Anyway, I was meeting up with Ruda, Kuya and the kids in the afternoon, by then I could quench my thirst for details!
We met up at KFC. Lady was with me and was also eager to hear the story straight hand. I gave the cake and the gift to Kyla, told them I brought my DVD player for Papang but left it in the car, so we adults left the kids to their granma and walked to the parking lot to get it. Opportunity! I asked Ruda about it immediately.
Ruda didn't go into detail what happened after that. The next morning, they were arranging Ronnie's flight back home to Taguig. Mamang and her brother (Ronnie's father) talked on the phone about the incident. Through that, they learned that he actually had stabbed someone in Manila, that's why he was sent to Tagum for hiding. Also, he was addicted to drugs. They also discovered that there (in Tagum) were nights where he left left the house at 2 am to sleep over at a neighbor who somehow lost his mind because of drug addiction. The people he hangs out with are known to be users, too. Boy, was it time to send the boy packing!
Alain was so pissed at what happened, that he lectured about having relatives at home who bring total headaches and dangerous surprises. In his words, "Ang mga anak gani, wala naghatag ug sakit sa ulo, tapos ang ubang tao pa ang magdalag problema na ingana." So true, even if it's family: daughter, nephew, aunt, cousin, (or even friends for that matter) you never know what they hide inside their closets, well, that is, until you live with them, though.
As of now, Ronnie is set to fly back to Manila this Wednesday. Kuya and Ruda are going to live in a separate house soon. Maybe that is what pains Alain more, them, moving out. Kuya said, it was already being planned out, and because of what happened, things sorta sped up, too.
Time, I guess, ripens everything.
I met Ronnie** last September 3 when my family visited my in-laws and took Kaw-Kaw (Alain's adopted dog from Emily) home. Ronnie was quite the normal teenage boy, but there was something off, when he came home in the afternoon, drenched from the rain. He said he went to feed the chickens, when Mamang asked where he had been, and went directly to his room. I shrugged it off, thinking maybe he was tired from running all the way home to avoid the heavy rain.
Fast forward to September 28, at 4 in the morning. I was awakened by the ringing of my phone. A text message from Alain. I wondered, why was he still up at this time? So, in the dark I read his 2 paged-SMS: "....Buy Kyla a cake, it's her birthday today, they're going to Davao....Kuya's family will be transferring to another house now...Ronnie came home one night, drunk and threatened Ruda....." Even though I was sleepy my mind quickly tried to comprehend every word. I think I read it twice. And I was even wondering who Ronnie was...then slowly it all came together. I told myself to sleep it off and call Alain in the morning, and ask about it. Later, I found out, that that was all he knew! (I even complained at him from not being too nosy when it came to topics like these) Anyway, I was meeting up with Ruda, Kuya and the kids in the afternoon, by then I could quench my thirst for details!
We met up at KFC. Lady was with me and was also eager to hear the story straight hand. I gave the cake and the gift to Kyla, told them I brought my DVD player for Papang but left it in the car, so we adults left the kids to their granma and walked to the parking lot to get it. Opportunity! I asked Ruda about it immediately.
She was chopping ingredients for fried rice that was for breakfast the next day. At around 12 midnight, Ronnie came home, drunk and perhaps, high on drugs, too. He went to the kitchen and took out a pot to cook what Ruda had prepared.
Ruda told him to cook something else, for that was supposedly for the kids baon to school. Ronnie got irritated and answered sarcastically, "Di ko na nga lulutuin yan! Di na." Ruda, too tired to argue told In-in, another cousin, to tell Ronnie not to cook it and go find something else to eat and went upstairs.
That blew Ronnie's head off! He grabbed the kitchen knife and headed for the stairs, shouting, "Tingnan lang natin sino ang unang paglalamayan!", In-in tried to stop him, "Makukulong ka kung itutuloy mo yan", "Bahala na! Basta, di ako ang unang paglalamayan!", Ronnie answered back. By this, In-in pushed Ronnie, and somehow got hold of the knife.
Ruda told him to cook something else, for that was supposedly for the kids baon to school. Ronnie got irritated and answered sarcastically, "Di ko na nga lulutuin yan! Di na." Ruda, too tired to argue told In-in, another cousin, to tell Ronnie not to cook it and go find something else to eat and went upstairs.
That blew Ronnie's head off! He grabbed the kitchen knife and headed for the stairs, shouting, "Tingnan lang natin sino ang unang paglalamayan!", In-in tried to stop him, "Makukulong ka kung itutuloy mo yan", "Bahala na! Basta, di ako ang unang paglalamayan!", Ronnie answered back. By this, In-in pushed Ronnie, and somehow got hold of the knife.
Ruda didn't go into detail what happened after that. The next morning, they were arranging Ronnie's flight back home to Taguig. Mamang and her brother (Ronnie's father) talked on the phone about the incident. Through that, they learned that he actually had stabbed someone in Manila, that's why he was sent to Tagum for hiding. Also, he was addicted to drugs. They also discovered that there (in Tagum) were nights where he left left the house at 2 am to sleep over at a neighbor who somehow lost his mind because of drug addiction. The people he hangs out with are known to be users, too. Boy, was it time to send the boy packing!
Alain was so pissed at what happened, that he lectured about having relatives at home who bring total headaches and dangerous surprises. In his words, "Ang mga anak gani, wala naghatag ug sakit sa ulo, tapos ang ubang tao pa ang magdalag problema na ingana." So true, even if it's family: daughter, nephew, aunt, cousin, (or even friends for that matter) you never know what they hide inside their closets, well, that is, until you live with them, though.
As of now, Ronnie is set to fly back to Manila this Wednesday. Kuya and Ruda are going to live in a separate house soon. Maybe that is what pains Alain more, them, moving out. Kuya said, it was already being planned out, and because of what happened, things sorta sped up, too.
Time, I guess, ripens everything.
