By Binisita ko nanay ko nun isang araw. Naalala ko may reunion nga palang papalapit sa side ng tatay ko kaya tinanong ko sya;
Me: Ma, sama ka sa reunion dba?
Mudra: Hindi.
Me: Sumama ka na ma, nakakahiya sa mga pinsan ni papa.
Mudra: Mahihirapan ako, unahin ko pa ba sila? Magagamot ba ng mga salita nila pag nanakit na balakang ko?
Me: *Insert cricket sound
Power! Haha!
Don’t get her wrong, my mom loves my dad’s relatives it’s just that at her age and condition right now, hormones plus arthritis inevitably get in the way. Okay, cge na nga, it’s her impalpable devotion for honesty that you know…
makes her say the darnest point-blank things.
Mudra is most of the time blunt, upfront, and always undiplomatic. Hindi pabebe. Hindi sweet. Hindi ma drama and laging maikli ang conversation. Kasi on point lagi arguments. Bulls eye lagi. Yung tipong pag sinundan mo pa, mas masasaktan ka lang. Haha. She’s the real epitome of what you see is what you get, and you have to get all your sh*ts together before she sees it. Kung hindi lagot! She doesn’t go around the bush, you get the hard truth and she thinks you deserve to know it no matter what it may cost you. And the kicker, she’s unapologetic about it. “Mas okay ng masaktan ka ng maaga sa katotohan kesa masaktan ka sa huli ng dahil sa kasinungalingan.”
Iba din! Pero atleast sa susunod alam mo na gagawin.
One time I bought her pasalubong from Rockwell, they have a kiosk that sells imported fruits so I thought of buying mom her favorite atis. The atis was from Bangkok so it was bigger than the usual and ofcors pricy. I didn’t get to taste it but assumed that it was more than okay just like how Lanzones from BKK are. The next morning I call mudra to ask how was the atis taste and without remorse she told me over the phone, “Mas masarap pa tanim kong atis anak pero salamat”.
Morale of the story? Don’t ask. Haha. I still give her pasalubong I just don’t ask anymore.
My mom, she gives tough love. Hindi sya yung tipo ng nanay na kapag nadapa ka, hahalikan yung sugat mo at papaluin yung sahig. Ang sasabihin nya, “kung di ka tumakbo, di ka madadapa.” I still remember vividly when I was around 9yo, went home sad cause I got a little fight with a friend, my mom saw me and she knew I was trying to hold back my tears so she asked what happened and I told her I was bullied. Medyo in-exagg (erated) ko pa drama para sa simpatya sana. But instead of getting comfort and warm hugs, she told me on her husky deep voice “Tumigil ka sa iyak, wag kang lumabas ng bahay, di ka makakahanap ng kaaway.” and boom, 1999 may real talk na si Mudra!
Sa kanya ko lagi naririnig yung
“Buntot mo, hila mo!”
In other words, you’re always in charged. You’ve got to be responsible of your choices and of your life. Do this, you’ll get this. That simple. But in reality, that’s where most of us struggle at. Being accountable for things we do and say. But for mudra, it has to be our very basic rule of life and it’s fundamental. We are the master of our fate. “At wag magpatianod sa agos ng buhay.”
Oh, I can go on and on and tell you so many things I love and not so love about her and her words of wisdomaldita but I got to go and buy her ube cake because it’s her bday today, yaaay! Her cake has to be UBE and has to be masarap or she’ll not be happy about it. She so loves ube cake that she prefers it much more over Atis Bangkok! Ube Crazy!
Thank you Lord for this woman! I am what I am today because of her big mouth!
Happy Birthday, Cranky Mestiza Momma! Pero di pa din kita iadd sa Facebook. 😜
annamaldita.com 