The Big Brother's Back

A week ago, I went home to attend my sister's birthday celebration (don't ask me how old she is 'coz I have no idea) and my brother's college graduation. When I arrived home, I found out that my baby sister is being bullied at school. My mother told me that she read my sister's school essay entitled "About My School". It says there that my sister hates her school because she doesn't have any friends, that she sits alone in the classroom, and that one time, on their field trip to Cagayan de Oro, she was placed in a bus with pupils from another grade level. She didn't know anybody from there. Her classmates didn't want to sit with her. When I asked her who she sat with all throughout the tour, she said, "Just my PSP." When she said that, I could tell she was about to cry. And since I am the family's avid worshipper of the deity of drama, I did not let this emotional opportunity pass without milking it. I asked her what her classmates do to her, and I found out that they have been total prepubescent little bitches. They take all her paper. They steal her pens. And they make fun of her. I told her I'd hunt those motherfuckers down on her friends list on Facebook and threaten and torture those good-for-nothing imps who are merely a product of drunken or just plainly idiotic parents who did not use protection or who do not know what a condom or withdrawal is, but she won't tell me their names. My sister is a good kid. She studies hard. And she has good grades. But the one thing she lacks is self-esteem. It doesn't help that my two brothers keep teasing her at home, too (I used to join them on this before -- I'm also kind of a bully at home). She's been going to that school for four or five years now and it's amazing how she has remained mute about it all these years. I can't even be private about what gets my libido going! (Everybody has to know. That's what this blog is mainly for.) The thought of my sister being bullied really makes me grit my teeth and clench my fist. You have no idea how violent my thoughts are right now. I am so ready to grab those little mutts by the hair and just slam their faces against the wall until their faces bruise and their lips are cut. And then I would slap them so fucking hard with my gigantic palms and make them wash their sorry little faces with calamansi. I just wish my sister would find the confidence she needs soon. I really do think she has great potential. She's just really really shy (even around me!). And if anybody would ever make fun of her again (without my blessing), there will be blood and much searing of the flesh. Mark my words, little Hannah Montana's. Mark my words.

Anyway, aside from the fact that I remembered to be the protective big brother again with regards to my sister's confidence issues, I was also very much surprised when I found out that my younger brother Marc, whose graduation was part of my coming-home agenda, actually has friends. Who knew, right? He has always been the reclusive one in the family. The one who has little contact with the other members in the house. The one who spends most of his waking and sleeping hours with earphones on (I already warned him about the possibility of him going deaf if he doesn't take off those plugs before he sleeps. I dunno if he ever listened). He spends more hours with his music more than I do with mine. And he rarely goes out on weekends. Fatimah and I even branded him as the stoic one. So you can only imagine my shock when a herd of DotA players (I later found out that they were his usual crowd) came to our house during his graduation celebration dinner. He has a life! HE HAS A LIFE! He has friends! FRIENDS! That's plural! And they are testosterone-bearers! Some are actually good-looking. I should really start getting to know my brother's friends more.

This was my second trip back home after I decided to live in another nest (and I had to choose one that serves lots of kimchi and made me addicted to samgyeopsal). And it reminded me how little I know about my siblings. They even had funny stories of my other brother Vaughn that I didn't know about. They have inside jokes now. And I just felt like an outsider trying to look in at their own private source of gaiety. It's hard to keep up sometimes. But one thing is for sure, it always feels good when you are surrounded by familiar faces. That for me is what makes me feel at home.

P.S.

Just because I ended this post on a lighter mood doesn't mean I've already forgotten about you, little witches! I WILL MAKE YOU EAT JUSTIN BIEBER'S HAIR! DO YOU HEAR MEEEEE??? I SO WILL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!