One of my male cousins visited us yesterday. The last time I saw him was three years ago. Within that period he got stabbed and hospitalized. He also became a father at age 50 or so. I was really surprised to see Kuya Willie ("kuya" is a term of respect Filipinos use to refer to an older male sibling, cousin, friend, or acquaintance). I even said, "Oh, you've resurrected!" He replied, "I was never dead." "I know. Why haven't you visited us in ages?" I clarified.
While talking to my mom - his paternal aunt - I learned that he had a falling out with his two sisters. Kuya Willie is the middle kid, by the way. His eldest sister, one of my beautiful spinster cousins, has been working in Dubai; while the other one is a single mom, a nutrition graduate, who has dedicated most of her personal time taking care of her twins, my smart nieces. Kuya Willie revealed that they got mad at him when he got his girlfriend pregnant. They didn't approve of her and Kuya didn't want to abandon her.
