Nakapagpa-Covid-19 vaccine pa si Ruby Rodriguez dito sa Pilipinas bago tumulak pa-Los Angeles mid May. At natapos pa niya ang commitment niya sa Owe My Love series ng GMA-7.
Pero aniya, dapat ay last year pa nag-settle doon ang buo niyang pamilya pero gaya din ng lahat ng mga plano natin, hindi nila yon nagawa dahil sa pandemic.
Pawang US citizens ang asawa’t mga anak niya, habang siya naman ay more than ten years ng permanent resident ng Amerika kaya’t pabalik-balik siya doon.
But more than their citizen duty, ang rare medical condition ng bunso niyang si AJ ang tunay na dahilan kung bakit napag-desisyunan nilang pamilya na doon na muna tumira.
“Matagal na po kasi ito na magbe-break dapat ako because as everybody knows, my son AJ—hindi ko ikinahihiya and I’m very proud of it—my son is a special student...” panimula ni Ruby na binigyan ng virtual conference ng Viva Artists Agency dahil nagbabalik-Viva siya as a talent.
Patuloy niya: “Meron pa po siyang very rare na autoimmune disease, it’s called Henoch–Schönlein purpura na ang tinitira no’n is the kidney. It’s very rare. Usually daw kapag uma-attack ’yon, one time lang. Kaya lang ’yong kanya, chronic, kaya rare. Kasi hindi dapat paulit-ulit.
“’Yong sa kanya, talagang dire-diretso kaya na-damage ’yong kidneys niya. Na-kidney biopsy na siya kasi he already has Stage 2 nephritis. We had to bring him here since he’s a citizen and get medical treatment.
“Sabi ng mga doktor sa Pilipinas, 'Sige, ipa-check n’yo na kasi they have better medications, they’re more advanced in some ways.' We have a doctor here, and what he’s trying to avoid—with the medication of my son—that he gets dialysis at a very young age or, worst case scenario, kidney transplant because he’s too young.
“Since kailangan niyang mag-medical treatment dito, alangan namang wala ang ina? P’wedeng wala ang ama pero ang ina, hindi. Family first, he’s my son. Bakit ba tayo nagtatrabaho? Bakit ba ako nagtatrabaho? Para sa mga anak ko, lalo na para kay AJ.”
And speaking of trabaho, kamakailan lang ay ipina-alam niya sa kanyang mga Instagram followers na is na siyang empleyado ng Philippine Consulate sa LA.
Sa virtual conference, agad niyang nilinaw na hindi siya in-appoint at lalong hindi niya nakuha ang trabaho dahil sa special channels.
She took the usual route daw ng sinumang nag-apply ng trabaho.
“I went to the proper channels...Hindi po ako appointed,” pagka-clarify niya. “I applied, I submitted my curriculum vitae. I did all the requirements that was asked. I did all their hand tests and all. And when I passed, it was sent to the consulate and it just so happened na may vacancy sila for local hire.”
Tumangging i-divulge ni Ruby kung ano ang posisyon at job description niya. Bawal daw kasi. In fact deleted na ang post niya about it at inaanyayahan nalang niya ang mga Pinoys na bisitahin ang website ng Philippine Consulate kung may mga katanungan man.
Sa kasalukuyan ay sila palang ng panganay niyang si Toni ang nasa LA at susunod palang sa August ang mag-ama niyang sina Mark at AJ.
‘May mga kinailangan lang munang tapusin si AJ para hindi na rin maantala ang online schooling nito na magtatapos na this July.
Si Toni naman is renting her own place daw habang si Ruby ay nasa kapatid niya. But they’re already scouting for a place na p’wedeng titirhan nilang buong pamilya na malapit sa trabaho ni Ruby na umano ay sina-subway niya to and from.
Napag-usapan na rin lang ang mga anak niya, may nangumusta kung paano si Ruby bilang nanay sa adult na niyang anak na si Toni, who is a social sciences graduate ng UP.
“Let’s go with love first kasi ’yong mga ganyang edad, nandodoon sila, e,” pag-i-intro ni Ruby. “I always tell her that I’m very proud of her because maraming nagkaka-gusto sa kanya dito—all races, lahat ng lahi, meron.
“I always tell her to collect and select...and you know, choose the right one. When it comes to love, I always tell her, do not regret anything that you have done, always take it as an experience and use it as a ladder to climb up. So that, you know, when you make a mistake in this relationship, you know that in this [next] one, you’re not supposed to do it. And learn to respect your partner.
“When it comes to love, that’s what I tell her. When it comes to life, I always tell her to love herself, think of herself because she always says—always...naiiyak ako dito kasi for a mother to hear it...”
Saglit na tumigil magsalita si Ruby. May kinalaman pala kasi sa bunso nilang si AJ ang gustong i-share ni Ruby tungkol sa mga naging pronouncement ng panganay niya.
“She always says: I will do anything for my brother. Sabi niya, pa may boyfriend daw siya at hindi niya kayang tanggapin si AJ, goodbye. Iiwan niya ’yon.
“Kasi si Aj, sabi niya...‘my mom is old already, my dad, too, and I know that I will have to take the responsibility for my brother...’”
(Bukod nga kasi sa rare medical condition nito sa kidney ay diagnosed itong may ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) at dyslexia.)
Pagpapatuloy ni Ruby: “I told Toni, ‘I never told you to take care or take the responsibility for AJ. That’s why we’re doing this now.’
“[Sabi niya], ‘Yes, Mom, but who will take care of him when you’re really, really old? I will and if the boy or whoever I’m with doesn’t like AJ, goodbye...’
Aniya, sa tuwing sasariwain niya ito ay naluluha daw siya talaga sa sobrang pagka-touch.
“Di ba? sinong nanay ang hindi maiiyak do’n? Na ganoon niya ka-mahal ’yong kapatid niya. So, I told her naman, ‘Toni, think of yourself. I want you to be happy, too.’”
Bukod pa doon, ipinagmamalaki rin ni Ruby na kahit adult na raw si Toni ay intact umano ay paggalang nito sa kanya bilang authority figure.
“Like ngayon weekend [dito sa LA], and she goes, ‘Mommy can I have my weekend? ‘Of course, it’s your weekend.’
“Nagpapa-alam pa rin kasi kahit noong nasa Manila ako...Like ‘Mom, I’m going out tonight...’ ‘Mom, I have a date tomorrow...’ or ‘Mom I have lunch...’ like this. She always make pa-alam. So, up to now nagpapa-alam pa rin siya. Tapos, nag-a-update siya... ‘Mom, I’m with...’
“Like kanina ’yong text niya, sabi niya, ‘Crazy rich Asians. ’yong mga kasama daw niya mga crazy rich Asians.
“Meron siyang group of friends sa work, tawag nila, the Asian Congregation kasi mga Asians. Kasi ano e, ethnical ’yong pinag-trababhuhan niya so puro mauutak, puro mga Asians nandodoon.
“Non’g pinakilla si Toni sa mga friends ng group na ’yon...‘Oh, she’s Asian...’ ‘No way!’ No’ng nauso ’yong hate crimes, nagpag-uusapan nila. ‘Toni, you’re the only one that’s safe here.’ Hindi daw siya mukang Asian.”
Responsible kid naman daw si Toni but from time to time ay pina-aalalahanan pa rin niya especially when it comes to money matters at ang pagiging ethical sa trabaho.
“When it comes to her life, I always tell her to save up. ‘I know you’re a spoiled brat...’ When she was growing up, I called her bratinella cause I always gave her everything she wanted when she was young. And I told her now: ‘Toni, you’ve tasted it...been there, done that...so now, you want something, work hard for it.’
“And make sure, I said: ‘I will not tell you not to go out and have fun...’ She’s of legal age, she can drink with friends...
“‘It’s alright with me, I don’t care what time you go home but you be responsible to wake up for your job the next day. I don’t want to hear that you’re not going to work because you have a hangover. No!’
“Beause I never did that. Kahit na ako noon, I go out with my friends drinking...but I have a 7AM call time...even if I go home at 5AM, I will go to my 7AM call time.
“‘Wag mong pababayaan ’yon.’ ’Yon ang palagi kong sinasabi sa kanya. Be responsible. Lalo na sa trabaho.”
Marami pang k’wentong-nanay at k’wentong-Amerika si Ruby. But as far as her Viva comeback naman is concerned, online projects muna daw for now. Pero kung may role na worth it niyang ika-uwi ng Pilipinas ay gagawin naman daw niya.
Nevertheless, congrats!
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