Mom and ading (younger sibling in Ilocano) left for a month-long vacation in the Pihilippines because it's her Dad's frist death anniversary. She had her boyfriend and his mom to tag along with her on the said trip. Unfortunately for us, me and kuya, we can't leave Uncle Sam, we're still processing our papers. So we just drove them to the LAX and wished them bon voyage.
It was a 13-hour flight and she didn't bother to call us whe her plane landed on the Philippines to tell us they were safe and ask wether or not we came home safe the night before. Fine! I let it go, maybe she was just too busy.
A week passed, still no phone calls from her, not even a message in the answering machine was left. Her barkadas from Tokyo, NYC, and Texas were the ones who were calling all the time 'coz they will have a rendezvous in the Philippines and they were asking if I know my mom's contact number in the Philippines. I told them she brought my cellphone with her so it can be traded (it broke 6 months after it was purchased in the Philippines, it's guaranteed) and that the landline number in her parents' house was stored in that cellphone. She, mom, was supposed to be the one who should call us first because she'll be staying in Century Park Hotel before going to her parents' house. We don't have the means to call her at all. She only left us $200 as emergency money aside from my $5 daily allowance. I had a flu but I didn't dare use it to go to the doctor because they charge uninsured people way lot than those who are under HMO.
One week became three, still no phone call from her. Dad's raving, "What kind of a mother is your mom?" he said. Kuya's anger's fueled with that question he answered, "She left us 15 years ago, no phone calls during the first three years. She can do it again and it's only been 3 weeks."
A day after that, her boyfriend gave us a ring. He was already here and asked how are we doing. I told him we're fine, sort of, and that his girlfriend didn't bother to call us at all. He connected us to our mother through a three-way party conference. I wanted to be calm but I just burst out when she told me her illogical excuses.
- I tried to call you but I can't access.
- I don't know how to place a call.
- If I was there and you're here, I know how to call you.
I wanted to yell at her that she's a pathetic bitch but she cut the line.