though we didn't do much sleeping... None of that either, you perverts! Gently liquored and looking for someone to talk to, Maricel just sort of unloaded about the past few years. I knew there'd been some rough stuff, but I guess I didn't quite see the enormity of it until she sobbed it all out at once. Just for a refresher course:
She was born in my hometown in Ohio, lived there until she was five. Her dad was a executive with LCO, a big multi-national company that probably made something in your line of vision right this minute. Family went back home to the Philipines. (Her mother's home. Her father was of Filipino heritage, but had been raised here) When she was thirteen, her dad just vanished. I guess guerilla groups kidnap business people all the time hoping to get ransom from families or companies. But no demand ever came for her father. The best guess was that the kidnappers had maybe accidentally killed him, so there was no point in the ransom deal. So she lived with her mother in a an apartment in Mainla and then grew up to become a teacher. Then about three years ago her mom got real sick and she spent most of her time caring for her and making her money selling stuff on the Internet. Then her mother started going downhill fast and at the same time, the guy she'd been dating for six years dumps her to marry a 19 year old. Her mom died and she's just been in a weird place ever since. She packed up their apartment and moved into a spare bedroom at her Aunt's palce. And she just doesn't know where she's going from here.
I guess I don't have a lot of problems. My parents are still here to annoy me and even though She-who-shall-not-be-named did a number on me, I guess I'm okay.
But Maricel cried for hours before she finally went to sleep. She's sleeping now and I'm trying to be quiet. I just really, really like her. Know what I mean?
See you in the funny papers...
Simon
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