Daily Report: Goodbye Jasaan

For the time being, Epril has been forced to leave Jasaan.

You see, after I left for America, Epril really had nothing to do. So I encouraged Epril, "Invite your friends over, have some fun. Go out if you want." Second, since I was waking up at 2:00 a.m. (Philippines' time) every night... and Epril, not wanting to go to sleep before she could hear me wish her a good night, was staying up until I awoke... usually hanging out at the house (or, again: out... usually singing karaoke or something) with her friends.

Unfortunately, as Filipinos are the worst gossips on the planet, the rumors immediately began flying and pretty much the entire town of Jasaan was making up stories about Epril and the things going on at my house (drugs, orgies, you name it)... and accusing her of not "acting like a married lady" by going out all the time. (Of course, the fact that she was hanging out with other married ladies and/or ladies with children at home didn't stop those rumors: Since the married mothers Epril hung out with were from better-off families, the lower-class gossip monkeys didn't spread rumors about them.)

I told Epril to ignore all of this, and pretty much she did. Unfortunately, her mother, who is a long-term sufferer of paranoid delusions that demons have possessed various people around her — especially people who associate with her children — could not ignore the gossip... believed it all. She came to the house yesterday, barged in, and assaulted Epril and her friends. (Fortunately, nobody is going to press charges.)

Epril and I decided that it was best if Epril just left town before her mother's mental condition further deteriorated and more violence ensued.

So, like I said: for the time being, Epril is going to be staying away from Jasaan. We're figuring out what to do with the house. Older sister Susan is still there as well as a kano friend of a friend who is staying at the house for a while.