What Price Greediness Pay?

Greediness according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary is "having or marked by an eager and often selfish desire especially for wealth and  material possessions."

Since the day the first man and woman disobeyed God for eating the fruit of the tree of life, it was considered a grave sin that completely separated man and his Creator. It was because of their greediness to be like God that they were cast out from the garden of Eden.

That characteristic of man had been passed from one generation to the next. It had been the one that had been driving man to achieve things especially power over his fellow. It's man greediness that had lead us to where we are right now. The desire for innovations to make life easier is something related to greed it's because man was never contented with what he had. And in return, he became rich and wealthy with his achievements but had put natures at stake.

Nevertheless, when you saw or hear the word greed or greediness what was the first impression that comes to your mind? Oftentimes, it's about power, wealth and possession, is it not?

Recently, my family had been once again disturbed by our relatives who were trying to get hold of our property. My mom's property, actually. (I have mentioned this in one of my articles.) To where they have built a new house when we were still young. It was adjacent our grandparents house to which was also part of the lot where the new house was built.

When my grandfather was still alive he told my parents to renovate their house because afterall it will be ours when they die. But my parents said it was still sturdy (because old houses here were made of pinewoods and G.I sheets) and needs not to be renovated immediately. So they built a new house, instead. Our grandparents house was supposed to be for my older brother whom our grandparents brought up. Where we were living before was passed on to our eldest sibling.

However things gone wrong when all three siblings of my mother came together to get hold of her inheritance. They connived with false witnesses while elders who knew the truth were afraid to speak up, they kept mum though they can't be bought by money my mothers sisters offered. It had led my mother to lose every case and in return she loss her inheritance. Barangay officials were also not helpful because they were only at one side. My cousins were mostly professionals and has money to offer thats why they were able to win everything. While we during those times were still students. In a glimpse my mother's supposed to be ricefields were seized away from her.

Our grandparents house was eventually divided into two in between my mother and her sister she was next to in birth. This sister even have the audacity to tell mockingly that she sold what she had inherited for her children's education. But we were wondering why the officials didn't get to point that out.

My mother that time was very upset, drained, confused, and her thoughts were disoriented. She was already tired because everything their parents had passed on to her were one by one grabbed from her. Because of that that she just allowed the barangay officials decision for my grandparents house to be divided.

Days passed when some of their cousins were telling her that even the court who will come to see how the new house and the old house's situation was would conclude that they were not separated but it indicates that it is one as a whole. My mom just stood silent because during those meetings non of her relatives didn't bother to show to say a word to help her. They just said words when everything's done.

We have a relative who was our neighbor who conspired with my mother's sister so that they will be able to have the boundary move to make my parents the real culprit. Now, on the lot where my mother's sister was able to seized was an ongoing construction of a concrete house of one of our cousins. They followed the boundary the false witness, our relative whom my aunt conspired with had told.

As of today, the relative-false witness was building his house, his son to be exact. They destroyed my parents house's mini terrace, the stairs of the old house and even its ceiling. My mother became hysterical upon seeing what they did. Good thing we were able to talk her out before they proceeded to our village not to do things that might make things upside-down.

Before the new house was built, our father and this relative lined a thread from one end of the border to the other end. And it was good that's why my father didn't set the house posts at the border so that we may have a front yard. Everything was fine then. And now that both grandparents were dead already that they were doing unnecessary things to the point of demolishing our house. Even the water pipes supplying the house was destroyed by them. None of my mother's sisters came out to help most especially that they were guilty of doing things in the past. This relative even said to my parents to go look for our dead grandfather to help us.

Closing thoughts

The house front wall wasn't completely retouched with cement because this relative built a pigpen infront. With that pigpen that it completely changed the house floor plan. But now that they were constructing a house in that area that they nearly destroyed what had been built for years.

My sister tried to talked nicely with our cousin whose house was being built but he just walked right pass her. How rude for a man in uniform's manner. No wonder he doesn't confront his father because he is just like him.

They were professionals but not acting like one. Even the man's daughter who is a teacher talks in a very unlike manner. I must say that when one is up the wheel that they can trample down who's right under them. Because they are men in uniform that they can belittle anyone not worthy of their sight.

Now, looking back at the lot where my grandfather had my parents built rice granary before. It was also taken away from him by his brother. His brother's son built a house in it but until now they can't live in the house that's why it was just standing there with no one to reside.

One of my mother's sister is facing a case regarding a lot which she bought years back. They bought it as a conjugal property of a couple but the woman didn't signed the paper, only her husband did. Years later that the couple separated or divorced that the woman was claiming back the lot wherein my aunt had already built a house. It was considered not legal because the woman's signature was missing in the papers.

The case went to court and it had my aunt's health deteriorate drastically. Up until this time it was not yet settled.

As for the case my family's facing right now, we just let them be. We were tired. Let karma do it's work for both parties. I told my older sister and parents it's not enough for any of us to risk our health because we know stress can trigger any health condition one has. And it had given so much painful feelings to everyone in the family. That's why we said our ancestors were the ones who knew about those borders. And if it's what makes them happy then let it. That's just some piece of land but it will come back to them someday.

07-02-21

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