By Atty. Antonio P. Pekas
“But the worst which might be killing other parents is the possibility of a kid’s getting into illegal drugs.”
A friend of mine, a retired police officer recounted to me his problems with one of his sons. He could have finished medicine if only he were religious in his studies. But the way things were he had to give his son an ultimatum.
He took him to task by ordering first a Black Label. “Let us drink so you can tell me what you have to tell me because this is your last chance. Go back to college even if you have to start all the way from first year. If not, it is your choice. But I would be done with duties as your father.”
Many times in the past, the son would not come home at night and his cellphone would be off. When he would come home, my friend, the father would deliver something like this: “I was lucky I did not die from a bullet in the performance of my job as a police officer, but I and your Mama might die of a heart attack worrying about you when you don’t come home and your cellphone is off. I’m worried sick when the phone rings. It might be from the police or from the funeraria.”
The son is good with computers so he was in computer science. He chose the field of animation and he was good at it. But how could he graduate if he did not care about the general education subject? He might have been bored taking up English, History, Humanities, etc. but these are required for a student to graduate.
So that ultimatum night, he had to decide. He made up his mind to go back to college but not in Baguio because, for him, there might be a lot of bad influence around. So he enrolled out of town.
This story of my friend was in response to what I told him that my kid in high school had just discovered the “joys” of cutting classes. Another friend texted that it is a part of growing up.
Of course, but what I was worried sick about was if it will come to a point where he would not even come home. As to the effects on his academics, it was not so sickening because what he will learn from having a failing grade might be more important than passing with flying colors.
But the worst which might be killing other parents is the possibility of a kid’s getting into illegal drugs.
Once drugs destroy a person’s brain (“deep fried” as the PDEA people would say), it will forever be that way. Such a person would be crazy or utterly useless. He could even become a vegetable.
*** *** ***
I just heard about an interesting controversy in Tabuk, Kalinga. This is just a rumor and I will need time to get all the details confirmed by other sources.
It is about the acquisition of a parcel of land where a police station will be built.
Allegedly, the price is “unconsciounably” high. Well, the last election there was quite expensive so some politicians might be trying to recoup what they spent. But the people of Tabuk will not be fooled. They will deal the political backlash.
We will fill in the details as they come.**
