Chinese Ancestry

This was the tea set that I brought out to play with.

This was the tea cup that I thought was Chip. 

  

Ang Lola kong Instsik

(My Chinese Grandmother-Ancestor)

            When Disney’s Beauty and the Beast made a huge success in the big screen back in the 90’s, I thought our antique china wares stored inside our old wood cabinet would come to life as well. After watching the movie at the cinema, the following morning I secretly opened the wooden cabinet and brought out the teapot and the cups.

            As a child, I thought that they would also talk, sing, dance and move like a normal human being.  So I transferred those things to our living room and since it is daytime our main door was widely opened. Suddenly, there was this old Chinese lady appeared and told me “Yan ay di laruan kasi di mo na yan makikita sa panahon ngayon” (those china wares are not toys to play with; you cannot find those tea sets collection anymore).

            As obedient young one, I brought out every tea set that could be found inside our antique wooden cabinet. When I was already at the street carrying the tea set, our mother scolded me scornfully she said “Angelica Cyril C. Adivoso! Bakit mo yan dala?! Kung mabasag mo yan wala na yan kapalit! Mas matanda yan sayo!  (Angelica Cyril C. Adivoso! Why are you carrying that tea set?! What if you accidentally broke it could you still replace that? Don’t you know it is older than you!)

            At that moment I was confused. I went back inside the house and good thing I did not broke it or else I’m dead. With full strength, I explained to my Mommy what had happened and she shook her head and told me “Sinong matandang babae ang tinutukoy mo? Walang ibang tao dito sa bahay kung di tayo lang. (Who is the old woman are you talking about? We are the only ones here in the house.) Even I was shocked to know that we were the only ones inside our abode. I gently replied to my mother that “Sabi niya siya ang may-ari ng mga gamit na yan, di daw yan laruan at wala na akong makikita na ganyan na gamit ngayon. Kaya ko yan nilabas ay para ibalik sa kanya. Instik na matada siya yun ganito ang mata....(nilagay ko yun dalawang daliri ko sa gilid ng dalawa kong mata para iapakita na maliit nag mata)"

(She told me that she was the owner of those tea sets with that I should take good care of it. Those things are already old so you cannot buy those sets anymore. I brought those things out because I want to return it to her. She is an old Chinese lady, her eyes are like this.......’I placed my pointer fingers at the outer canthus of my eyes just to emphasize that she had squint eyes’.)

            

             Furthermore, no matter how much I tried to explain it my Mom did not believe me. Just to ease her headache, I shared to her the story about the Beauty and the Beast and asked her how come those cups and tea pot did not made a single move. Then she told me that those things were just stories to teach us moral values (based from her facial expression I know she’s mad).

            Days passed by, our Late- Grand Aunt came to visit us from Camarines Norte, Bicol. Upon entering our house, we greeted and offered her place to rest. Then she saw me touching the tea sets and she sweetly told me that those china wares were already antique. I asked her what was the meaning of antique then she told me it means old. I shared to her the story of the ‘tea set’ that happened to me. She just told me that the true owner of those sets were our Chinese ancestors including their beloved mother.

            Up until this day, I could not forget that incident it is still fresh as if it happened only yesterday. Though we may leave this world one day and of course we could not bring material things in the other life. But I think antique objects should be well taken care of since they carry with them the legacy of your family especially the memories of their real owners. But ....but....... but........if a certain antique is not truly owned by your family think twice if you will keep it. Since it is genuinely not yours, you don’t know the history of it.