When I was a kid, I remember the times that I am always playing with my cousins. We were so close like siblings! It was not yet the year of iPads and Cocomelons. We always play outside and are scolded when we smell like the sun and have bruises haha!
We have relatives from Mindoro Island. They always visit us during Summers and school breaks. One day, my uncle is looking for a job and we accepted him as our family driver. Instead of hiring other people who we do not really know, we hired him instead. After hiring him, we also hired his wife as a cashier in our little store. They were bought okay and as a relative. They always treat us, their nieces, as their own children.I never thought of wrong about them because they are family. I thought of them as parents. My uncle is my father's older brother. My uncle's wife originated in Mindoro Island.
My mom manages the store. One day, she noticed that the sales are not in sync on how much money should be remitted. For example, Sales is 1,500 PHP ($30) then, the money remitted was 1,000 PHP. In this case, we are missing 500 PHP ($10). My mom never asked our aunt about it. Maybe she just misplaced the bill or it was dropped somewhere.
We were always fetched by our uncle in our school at about 4 pm. He usually gives us 5 PHP ($0.10) to buy any candy we want. He is generous and always looked after us playing in the playground for a while before fetching our aunt in our little store.
My sister noticed that my uncle has the latest phone back then. It was around 30, 000 PHP ($600). "Wow, uncle! You got the latest Nokia phone, that is so cool." My uncle just gave me a smile.
When we were at home already, my sister told to my mom that our uncle has the latest phone. My mom thought that how he could buy that phone if based on their salaries combined with our aunt. My mom just shrugged it. She just thought that maybe our relatives gifted it to him.
One time, I saw my aunt having her pedicure, and then she opened the drawer and gave the lady 50 PHP ($1). I was so young back then. I cannot understand why is she paying the lady from the money that is not hers. I didn't tell to my parents what I saw because I still do not know the concept of stealing things.
There are so many things we are hearing from their neighbors. They said that they order expensive food every weekend and they always buy furniture. Also, they already built a house with marble flooring. I cannot remember who told us their things wrongdoings but I know for sure that they were CAUGHT.
My father confronted his brother and sister-in-law about it. And yes, they are guilty about it. My father was so angry and my mom got depression. My uncle was so sorry about what happened. After the confrontation, they were banished away from our area. It is a disgrace to the whole clan that a relative would steal from their own family. They have no choice but to leave or face embarrassment.
After that, we have never seen our aunt and uncle. All of their furniture and electronics were sold. The house is empty which is my father's ancestral house. I have never heard of them again. I was left confused as a kid. I thought they have other businesses in Mindoro that's why they left. They left without saying goodbye.
Fast forward to where I got matured. We learned what happened and we now understand why they left without saying anything.
Now I understand why she took the bill from the cashier drawer. My heart was broken because of what happened. I never expected that they will do that to us. We showed them differently. We are family. From that point on, relatives are not about blood but the people who love you.
My uncle died last year. I forgave him for what he did. I forgave myself for being too angry. I just pray that we will never experience this again...
You can read my other articles here:
1000 mark! Things I am grateful for. https://read.cash/@Jijisaur/1000-mark-things-i-am-grateful-for-2212bd7d
3 knocks/ my "ghost" encounter https://read.cash/@Jijisaur/3-knocks-my-ghost-encounter-e5fd9ed4
My journey so far on NFT (I sold 1 NFT in one day) https://read.cash/@Jijisaur/my-journey-so-far-on-nft-i-sold-1-nft-in-one-day-6d8b7e56
Siguro naimpluwensyahan yung kapatid ng tatay mo ng asawa niya, tsk tsk.