Getting a dose of her own medicine

NOBODY'S perfect, and that includes my daughter Sofia. In spite of her wonderful traits and extraordinary diligence, she has this tendency to embellish stories and in the process put words in some other people's mouth.

But yesterday, my future little teacher got her unintended comeuppance, courtesy of younger sister and my pusong mamon-of-a-daughter Pep.

For two days now, Sofie failed to report to school because of an ear problem. Ever deferential -- to the point of being fearful -- to her teacher, absenting from school is the last thing that would cross her mind. But what we thought was another bad tooth-related pain that would soon pass away persisted; so yesterday, I motored back to Grandview just before lunch to fetch Sofie so that Lynn and I can have her seen by an EENT.

To make the story short, she was given the necessary treatment that somehow eased the pain. But when Pep reported back from school in the afternoon, the relief quickly turned to blazing anger towards her younger sister.

It appears that Pep, instead of telling her ate's teacher about the real score, offered a lame, damaging and ego-busting excuse when asked why Sofie has not been reporting to school: "Tinatamad po ma'm."

According to Budi who saw everything, Sofie went ballistic right after, and was only pacified when Pep got a stern warning from their mother and a quick rap in the butt. This morning, Pep dutifully brought Lynn's letter to Sofie's teacher explaining her absence, with Dr. Delfin Rosales's prescription attached.

While my son was explaining to me last night what happened, I can't help but smile: probably without realizing it, my eldest daughter just got a dose of her own medicine.

Pep and Pia during their Ateneo dance recital.