Ever since summer, my dad has rekindled his desire to go back to the province and settle down there for good. You see, with my brother’s wife giving birth to a second daughter, my parents’ house has become a little too small for all of them to live in. As a result, dad has decided to just take to the mountains (in Bicol where he was born) and start taking care of the farmland my grandfather, giving way to my brother and his family.

Honestly, I have no quams about them living in Bicol except for the fact that mateo might probably grow up to be distant to them. I mean, the air there is so much cleaner. The food is fresher and the whole environment is a million times less polluted than here so it might actually be healthier for them to stay there. However, because Bicol is just too far away from us, I, andrea, and mateo will not be able to see them very often. How would mateo get to know them if they’re more than 10 hours of bus ride away?

Also, even though Bicol is so much cleaner than Quezon City, it still is underdeveloped in terms of so many things like health services, infrastructure, communication, and all sorts. What’s going to happen if my dad suddenly had a heart attack? It’s not like they have AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators) there to use in case of emergencies. Nor do the ambulances have direct access to their place (because of underdeveloped roads). Who would be competently trained enough to take care of them if something bad happens?

There are so many reasons to oppose this idea of parting ways. However, I can not honestly express my apprehensions because I can see the genuine happiness in my dad’s eyes whenever he talks about going back. I could imagine the grand vision he has in developing his land in Bicol to serve as a vacation place for mine and my brother’s families. I’m not selfish enough to deprive him of that.