to OWN is to HIDE

first text: THE MATS

It is a story about a family trying to accept pain. Pain that is caused by the death of 3 family members. Specifically, the 3 daughters or Mr. and Mrs. Angeles.

After reading this story, I realized 1 thing. The whole family was denying the fact that they are still in pain. They refuse to admit that they are not yet ok. In a sense that when the 3 daughters are being talked about, they cry. They feel the pain once more. As if it only happened yesterday.

Nana Emilia is the most affected person in the story. She cannot talk about the three girls. Or whenever she remembers them, she breaks down. That's why she pushes herself to forget her daughters. Forget in a way that topics about the girls will never be talked about just so she can hide the pain. As if the girls never existed. But the thing is, Mr. Angeles is still in pain and he faces pain as manly as possible. He tries to accept the fact that they are dead but he does not want to forget them. That's why in the story, when there where 3 mats left, Nana Emilia was stunned. She thought that it was over and that they will never have to talk about the deaths again, but then again, Mr. Angeles loved his children so much that even death won't be a hindrance to show his children how much he loves them.

He wants his family to have whatever it is that they need. Meaning if they all need mats, everyone in the family has to have one. Even the dead.

.....

second story: DIVIDE BY TWO

This is a story about 2 neighbors. I had fun reading this story because I imagined things that were unthinkable. At first I thought that this story was about LUST, ENVY and AFFAIR. But then I realized in class that this is about owning something. Or someone? haha

There is a conflict in this story. It is only about this adobe blocks. That their lands were not divided equally and stuff like that. This became a big thing for them. That they even have to write a note to the other family to talk about this blocks that were not placed in the correct area. one inch lang naman ung difference. Ang labo. Big deal n un sa kanila eh. Wala na tayong magagawa. Parang pinalaki nalang eh. Halatang may tinatago. haha

They want to have everything they ever wanted.

...

~So for this texts, the theme for me is--TO OWN:TO HIDE

To own something, like the mats and that part of land is like to cover up the past, to hide the pain, to forget things that you do not want to remember.

...

You would want to move on but still you cannot, because of these little things that make you hurt once more.