So I went home to Bataan over the weekened to visit the folks. We were listening to my Mom’s favorite Sunday radio program by Cory Quirino during lunch. The topic was about smoking.  I almost choked on a pork rib when my Dad asked…

“Nagyoyosi ka pa rin ba?”

Sheer panic.

Daddy quit smoking when he turned 30, same age he married my mother. I remember him threatening  to make a 16-year-old me eat my ciggy butts if I don’t quit the habit. Oh, and when I was 18, he tossed a ream of Marlboro Lights into my room and demanded I finish smoking every single stick within the day. Again, out of immense desperation to make me quit.

Mama has never even tried smoking. We got into a fight because she accidentally (?) read what I stupidly wrote in my diary about my newfound joy. I was 14 then.  She cried frustrated tears the three times I got hospitalized due to gastritis and pneumonia and pleaded I stop smoking because it will only kill me.

I will never be legal to smoke.

Never.

“Sha, nagyoyosi ka pa rin ba?”

“Yes, Daddy, pero hindi na ako chain smoker.”

(Eh hindi naman na talaga.)

Silence.

“Iniinom mo ba yung ascorbic acid mo?

“Yes, Ma. Pag nakalimutan ko sa morning. Dalawa iniinom ko sa gabi.”

“Ok. Wag mong kakalimutan yun. At yang pag-inom at pag-yoyosi mo, bawas-bawasan mo.”

“Yes, Ma.”

Did you see that? Did you see that? 

Mom said bawasan NOT itigil.

I know that they still don’t approve of me smoking, but I’m just relieved that I don’t have to hide, deny, keep mum about this ugly habit anymore.

And because I am an obedient daughter, instead of having 2 ciggies for my afterlunch YB, I only had 1. 🙂

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listening to: Wheatus – Teenage Dirtbag