Dear Max,

Naalala ko lang nung bata pa ako, meron akong classmate na nagalit sa kin. Nakita nya kasi akong nakikipaghabulan sa classmate namin habang naghihintay kami ng uwian. Tapos na yung klase, nakapaglinis na kmi ng classroom, hinihintay lang nmin bumalik yung teacher namin. Nagalit sya, umiyak, nagsumbong sa teacher. Sabi nya, she was trying to stop us from breaking something daw. Sa totoo lang, wala nman tlagang masisira sa public school classroom. I found it so disturbing at that time, parang ang OA nung reaction nya. Pwede nmang pagbawalan lang kami di ba? Without the drama and the crying na Judy Ann Santos level. Hindi ko maintindihan dati pero now, I realized,  she was so used to being the center of attention, so nung nakita nya na masaya kming magkakaklaseng naghahabulan sa loob ng classroom bago mag uwian at hindi sya makasali, she cried. She justified her tantrum with a noble reason, she was looking after me and my classmates. Pwedeng hindi sya aware sa ginawa nya, anyway, bata pa kmi non, elementary pa lang and that was a long time ago. Naalala ko sya now kasi naalala ko yung feeling. 

Sometimes, ang OA ng reaction ng mga tao sa tin, minsan simple lang yung issue pero kala mo kung ano ng krimen ang nagawa mo. I realized that these people are not really reacting to what we did. They’re just using the situation to seek attention or to live the drama that they are creating inside their head. Maybe, they’re so used to being the center of attention tapos suddenly, hindi sila napapansin. Or maybe, they are miserable so when they see people around them who are happy, they get angry, they get jealous. They need to make the people around them as miserable as they are. 

Pero kahit ano pang reason nila, these people will terrorize you, they will drag you away from your happiness, they will force you to take part in their drama. And sometimes, mapipilitan kang magparticipate. But if you do that, please take note that you will never get the leading part, lagi kang kontrabida sa istorya ng buhay nila. Bakit? Kasi nga it’s their story. Sila ang bida don and it’s their narrative that you need to follow. Hindi ka pwedeng magpaliwanag, buo na ang script, so just play the part that was forced in to you.

Pero if you can refuse to participate, please, for your own peace of mind, for your own sanity, do so. Get as far away as you can and never look back. Kasi if you look back, baka maawa ka, if you listen baka maniwala ka and before you know it, they already suck all your happiness, all your hopes, all your dreams.

Always be careful.

Love,

Mom