National Siblings Day 2015

Today is said to be National Siblings Day. This is another new 'occasion' which, in the absense of social media, might not be as 'celebrated'  or even known.

Presenting my siblings--

Three and a half of them are engineers. One is an accountant. One is a nurse-physical therapist- clinical instructor. And I am the only one working in media.

Nestor, a mechanical engineer, is my eldest brother. Everyone of us calls him Kuya. He was my Lola Ating's favorite grandchild, the first born of his favorite son, Polon. According to Mama, Kuya was so talkative in grade school that he was told by one of his teachers that whenever he is absent, the class is so behaved. We used to tease Kuya as "Motor" because of the last syllable of his first name, and maybe because he really is a motor-mouth-- someone who never runs out of stories to tell, with 'sound effects' at that. Imagine listening to him after he has watched an action movie, and you will realize you have saved yourself money because it will be like you've seen the movie yourself.

George, my Manong Jojong, another mechanical engineer, is the exact opposite of Kuya. He is one of few words and easily cries. When he was small, he is said to mumble to himself when he wants something and if frustrated, he cries while banging his unusually huge head on the table. We called him "Bagjong", more of an endearment than part of our childish teasings because Manong Jojong seldom fought with us as kids. He was always giving of his time and his listening ear. He is one to work best quietly. Quiet as he is, he is very creative. He even invented a gadget that saved Nestle Philippines a few million pesos in maintenance expenses.

Emmanuel, a certified public accountant, is the third in our brood. I call him Manong Bobot. I also call him Itom because of the unusually dark colour of his skin. He is now an elder of Jehovah's Witness, a religion he chose to belong as his family found their collective calling to serve the Lord there. Itom was my arch-enemy when we were young. He was called "pusong" by Mama for he was also glib and found it always easy to come up with a story or an excuse when caught in the middle of a situation or in a conversation. Thinking of Itom's qualities, I would have been surprised if he became a politician, instead of a preacher.

Mary Grace, or Bingbing, or Pikot, is a civil engineer. She is the real brainiac in the family, having facility both in numbers and letters. But unlike me, she is often quiet and rarely raises any issue in the open. When we were in grade school, she used to point to me her classmate who offended her in one way or another. She had always egged me on to take her case and get back at those whom she considers as her tormentors. She is also the most OC among us, keeping her things neat and clean, and planning out her affairs in a manner that leaves surprises out of the question.

Cristina or Christie is my little sister who acts like she is the big one especially when compared to Pikot. She is brave and is often in control of situations in and out of her home. She married a bit late though, and bore her 2 beautiful daughters when she was already in her thirties. She is not only a licensed Physical Therapist but also a licensed Nurse. Easily, she is the most diligent among us when it comes to studies. And this trait shows even among her children.

Apolonio, Jr. or Dodong is the biggest baby in the family. He married young and was a bit of a black sheep until he realised, when he was already in his 30's, that he had to make a go of his life. He is now a very busy individual who is into a lot of businesses, big and small-- a far cry from his 20's self when he would be content just smoking a cigarette and laze around with friends, oblivious to the needs of his family.

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