Marvel Guanzon Ruiz is my sister in the mother side.  I'm close to her because she took care of me since I was born.  My mother worked for the Social Welfare Administration in Manila and while she was working Ate Belle cared for me when I was a baby.

Ate Belle lived with my mom, my dad (Ate Belle's step dad), me and my other 2 brothers in the mother side.  We lived in Extremadura compound till I was 7 years old.  For a while we lived in an apartment in Manila.  Then we moved to a new house that my parents built and named after me in 16 A. Mabini St., Espana Extension, Quezon City.  The picture above was taken there.

I was jealous of Ate Belle because my mom buys her beautiful party dresses for all her parties in University of the Philippines.  They were custom-made with organza, tool, sequince, pearls and other beautiful decorations.  She must have a dozen or so of those dresses that my mom bought a glass cabinet.  I always looked at the dresses and when Ate Belle wasn't around, I would wear them and look at myself at the mirror and pretend I'm at the party.  Ate Belle caught me one time and she was so mad.

Ate Belle would keep a diary all the time and I would read her diary.  I knew when she was crying by herself.  She just broke off with her boy friend and I knew what she felt.  I was 11 or 12 then and I thought that I should start looking for someone I pour my heart and soul on.  I decided to have a crush on a jeepney driver.  I named him Junior.  I drew him on pieces of papers in colors and I wait at the jeepney stop for hours.  I go home and cry for that guy whose name I didn't even know.  My brother Soy thought I was in love.  Then I forgot about this and didn't realize the effect of reading all those Filipino Comics and Tagalog Classics.  They're all about fatal attractions.

When I'm older, I confronted Ate Belle because she called me Little Imp in her diary.  Ate Belle changed the subject.

 

UPDATED May 21, 2008, 1:33 PM