Bail Out

The favorite aunt quietly handed over two envelopes after the mass was over. The one which was for my sister had a card inside. I could almost imagine the contents of the letter - her heartfelt wish for a strong union despite having resentments over a hastily prepared wedding. I also speculate that she will bequeath the newlyweds a large sum of money which they could use for the baby's coming. The infant is the family's gem and being the alpha female, the favorite aunt wanted a part to play despite maintaining her distant presence.

What I didn't expect was the second envelope. It was a plain sheet of paper, its edges almost crumpled and it didn't bear any markings that would identify its receiver. It could have been for my mother if assumptions were to be followed. What surprised me however is that the envelope was not for her but for me.

"Sa iyo ito." When I checked the contents of the envelope, it had P500 and P1000 bills.

"Ninang, nahihiya po ako sa inyo."

I was dead serious in returning the money. But the favorite aunt insisted that I keep it. How can I not feel ashamed of her graciousness. Aside from her cash gift for the couple, (which I already sensed) the rent for the van shuttling us from the groom's estate a few towns away to the hotel-overlooking-the-lake came from her own pocket.

After much prodding, I accepted the envelope and thanked her for the gift. The irony of it is that her birthday fell on the same day of my sister's wedding and it was the aunt who gave presents instead of the other way around.

Following my instinct and perhaps my aunt's expectation, I divided the money and invested it in places where it could hardly be used. Not a single centavo was handed over to my mother or was spent for my personal gain.

"I can still survive with my other bank account." I assured myself while signing the documents granting the agent free reign to invest my bounty.

When I got home this evening, I figured that after all the consolidations done to calculate my personal wealth, I didn't lose any money. I owe the favorite aunt for the bail out but it was my sound fiscal policy and my intense affinity for stinginess that kept me afloat -

- despite spending a fortune a day before the bride accepts the hand of the groom.

The Jomanian household remains bullish, for now. But the long term prospects of survival remains uncertain.




Tears streaked down her face when she first heard about my sister's pregnancy.
Her biggest disappointment lies in the couples unreadiness to raise a child.
Both the infant's parents have no means to support themselves.
The child would drain our family's resources
and would be a burden to my mom who is about to retire in a few years.
Instead of her living a comfortable life,
she will be forced to work harder to make ends meet.



And despite her pain
I learned,
it was the favorite aunt who gave
the biggest sum of cash as a wedding gift.

Surpassing all the sponsors witnessing the union,
in the end, the favorite aunt reaffirms her place in the family.

One of the more reasons why my gratitude to her is eternal.