Embarrassed as he was, he wondered why he felt happy. In school, he could still see her in his mind. The girl left an imprint in it. The cute Tagalog with a Cebuano accent, the small pair of expressive eyes, the long legs and the shiny, long black hair. He knew at that very moment that his stay in his sister’s house would never be the same again. He was love struck, but too shy to admit it.

One Saturday morning, it was just him, the nanny and his nephew in the house. He was reading the newspaper in the living room when she approached him. “Kaanu-ano ka ni Ate Yolly?” were her first words to him. That question led to a long conversation, to a regular talk and finally, to him asking her to be his girlfriend. He was really shy but his love for her brought out his inner courage.

The road to happiness was not an easy one for them. His sister was against their love. She thought her younger brother deserved better than her nanny. She tried to brainwash him but to no avail. Their love prevailed. Once he graduated from college, they got married and started a family of their own.

A hundred marital problems and four children later, they are still in love with each other. The once shy boy and the promdi girl with opposite personalities (he was shy and she was strong-willed) fought against all odds and worked to be the best parents they could ever be to their children. I’m one of them and you have just read my parents’ love story.