'My husband's fed
up with my brothers'

Dear Tita,

My father died after my high school graduation and my poor mother couldn't afford to give me a college education. Fortunately, an aunt offered to help me take a caregiver's course so I could work abroad. We were very poor and when I went abroad to work as a caregiver, I sent my salary to my mother and two brothers.

One day I met a nice American named Clark who began showering me with attention. He was so kind and generous that I found myself falling in love with him. After a whirlwind courtship, we got married and settled down in the States. I told Clark about helping my family back home and he was very understanding. On his first visit here, we bought a house in a nice subdivision and asked my mother and brothers to stay in the house. We furnished the house with expensive furniture and appliances. Clark also bought expensive tools as he loves to fix up the house himself. After a few months we had to go back to the USA. We entrusted the house to my mother and brothers and they promised to take good care of it. We kept sending money for my brothers' college education and their household expenses.

This year we came back to Bacolod with our son and daughter. We were so shocked when we arrived as almost all of our beautiful furnishings and appliances were gone. We were informed by some of my relatives that my brothers had dropped out of college and had been gambling heavily, and were even using shabu. When they ran out of cash, they sold our things. Even Clark's expensive tools were sold by them. We found out that a ladder which we had bought for P6,000 was sold by my brothers for only P600! I asked my mother why she allowed my brothers to do that but she could only burst in tears saying there was nothing she could do as they wouldn't listen to her. For the first time in my life, I saw my husband really angry. He drove my brothers out of the house and warned them that if they showed up again, he would have them arrested. When Clark had to go back to the States, my mother was not feeling well so I decided to remain here for a while with our two kids.

I know my brothers are calling up my mother on the phone asking for her help. She keeps on asking me for money but I know she will only give the money to my brothers. I am worried that if I leave for the States, my brothers might come back to the house. Please advise me what to do.

WORRIED

Dear Worried,

I don't blame your husband Clark for throwing out your brothers. What they have done is unforgivable. Your problem now is how to keep them out of your house while you are abroad. For sure, they will find ways to manipulate your poor sick mother into allowing them to come back. This is where you have to put your foot down. You have to let your mother know that if she does, your husband might decide to sell the house. Your brothers are such ingrates and parasites who think they can just take everything you have here. They have to learn to work for a living so they can survive.

TITA

Second Letter

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