After College, It’s Called Alcoholism
Isn’t it annoying when parents go mad about the things that COULD HAVE but NEVER really happened to you?
Like, that one inglorious Friday night, when I went out with my new workmates for the first time and I got real drunk, wasted, and shit that I didn’t even know how I managed to go home at around 4AM, Saturday, without my mobile phone, any money, and ATM card. I mean, I got home safely no matter how wasted I was, but my dad still frets over the bad things that COULD HAVE BUT NEVER REALLY happened to me, until now. Please take note that it’s already Tuesday.
There are four talking points in the first sentence of the previous paragraph. Let me lay it out for you.
1. It’s my first time to go out with my new workmates
Going out with my new workmates for the first time is one thing, being really wasted in front of them is another story. Sure, it’s cool that one week into my job, I was able to meet new cool people, and actually drink with them, but since I am the new guy, I should have had the decency to spare them of the hassles of taking care of a drunk guy. Or I shouldn’t have puked in my officemate’s car, at least.
As my dad said, I’m lucky that the people I went out with were decent, educated people who would never leave a drunken colleague out there in the streets. Had I been with some rude bastards, God bless me if I’m still alive right now.
2. I got real drunk, wasted, and shit
My dad told me that it’s only okay to drink if you have self-control. Okay. In my defense, I normally stop whenever I feel that I’m already pretty buzzed. But I don’t know what happened this time. Maybe it’s because we’ve had a big bottle of Absolut, and there were just five of us, and the other one wasn’t drinking, so there were technically just four of us against that ungodly bottle of Absolut. I thought it tasted better without any mixes, so I drank the Absolut pure.
I normally know my limits, believe it or not.
3. I didn’t even know how I managed to go home at around 4AM, Saturday
Dad has been telling me that I live in the metro and that the metro is way too dangerous and unpredictable than the provinces. The metro is habitat for evil people. You’ll never know when you’ll encounter one. I could’ve gotten stabbed along the way, considering that I was drunk, and staggering.
I told him I have lived in the metro since I was 17, and that last Friday night wasn’t the first time I went home drunk, and staggering. And I’m now 21 years old, and he should trust that I know my limits (although this one time, I really went beyond my limits) and I know how to look after myself.
Guess what! He didn’t buy it. Instead, he continued on bitching how unsafe Metro Manila is for drunk people especially at the wee hours of the day. I just told him, “Dad! Antipolo isn’t even part of Metro Manila!”
I also told him to just get me a car so whenever I’m going out with friends, or just whenever I’m getting wasted, I have a car to sleep in until the sun rises or until I sober up a little, so I can go home safely. Of course, that just ignited a bigger flame.
4. Without my mobile phone, any money, and ATM card
It’s as if how I managed to go home isn’t intriguing enough. I had to realize that I didn’t have my cellphone, any money or ATM card when I went home. I have a partial recall that they hailed a cab for me to Antipolo from I don’t know where. If that’s the case, how did I pay for it? Let’s say, I wasn’t really able to pay for the cab ride. How do you think the cab driver reacted to that? My dad said he could’ve stabbed me, or smashed me with a metal tube, or he could have just easily ran me over.
When he said that, I was terrified for my life. Although I arrived home safely in one piece, intact, without any bruises of some sort, I realized how dangerous it really was. So, I rested my case.
My only issue is that this happened last Friday. Saturday, Sunday, and Monday have passed. It’s now Tuesday, aka FOUR days after that incident and he still gives lectures to me about it whenever he sees a chance. Over dinner, while in the car, over lunch. And I already missed Jason Mraz’s concert because he wouldn’t let me go out.
Yes, I was wrong, but I already learned my lessons. And NOTHING BAD HAPPENED TO ME. I get all his arguments, and I understand where he is coming from but I wish he stops soon or I’ll go insane.
