I still remember when my parents grounded me, they confiscated my cellphone, and they even gave me curfew.
"Mom, it's been two weeks since you and dad grounded me. Please, give me my phone. Brent was just courting me!" I can't help myself but to shout to my parents. Sobra na sila!
My mother's eyebrow furrowed as they look at me.
"Courting? Yeah, he's just courting you, pero malalaman ko na lagi kayong magkasama? And you didn't even bother to tell us? Really Jammy?" Halos sumabog na rin ako katulad ni mama.
"You don't want me to have a boyfriend because I am still studying! And don't you trust me?"
"Anak, we're trusting you. Not because you're grounded, we're not allowing you." My mom look at me directly in my eyes.
"But what about this?"
I saw my Dad snaked his arms to my mom's shoulder. I know that they are disappointed.
"You know what, in our generation, your Dad did everything just to have me. Hindi lang ako ang niligawan niya pati na rin ang mga magulang ko para makita niya ako, nagsibak siya ng kahoy sa amin, nag igib ng tubig—" I cutted her off.
"But mom! Iba na ngayon!"
I heard my parents sighed.
"Anak, it's not that. If that suitor of yours is really a man, una pa lang ay dapat nandito na siya, dapat nagpakilala na siya sa amin... but where is he? Dalawang linggo na ang nakalipas pero wala pa rin siya?" Natahimik ako sa tinuran ni papa.
"A real man will face us, Jammy. A real man will fight for you, will do everything for you. Kaya naman ito nagawa because we want the best for you, anak. We want you to be happy." Si mama.
"And anak I know na matalino ka, but believe me when it comes to love natatanga at nabobo tayo so we want the assurance for you. At kapag madali lang nakukuha ang bagay, mabilis ka lang ring magsasawa kaya dapat pinaghihirapan anak. Dapat ay pinaghihirapan ka, a real man will chase after you, dapat ay dumaan muna sila sa butas ng karayom para makuha ka. And look at as anak, we're still here, me and your mom is still inlove dahil maraming pinagdaanan bago kami mapunta dito. And it's all worth it anak."
I shyly smiled at them because they are right. They just want the best for me, because they love me.
"Ma, nanliligaw pa lang naman siya! Why you need to grounded me?" Nabalik ako sa reyalidad dahil sa sigaw ng anak ko.
I shifted my gaze to my husband and smiled, because it's our time and my parents taught me well.
I explained everything to my daughter like what my parents taught me.
"We just want the best for you anak," I said what just my parents said to me before.
--
HartleyRoses