RED HOUSE

As a requirement for one of our courses, my classmates and I had to do a survey about family planning. My group was assigned to cover the Sampaloc district.

    Getting interviews every four houses wasn't bad at all. I didn't have to walk far. I reached my last sample household for the day and knocked on the door. A dark plump woman with hair in a bun opened it. She reminded me of a character in the movie 'South Pacific", the one who sang "Happy Talk". 

    "Kayo po ba ang maybahay?" (Are you the housewife {of this household}?), I asked.

    "Oo. Bakit?" (Yes. Why?), she replied with an Ilocano accent.

    After explaining my purpose, she agreed. The living room accommodated only a small couch and one straight-backed wooden chair. There was a cotton curtain with psychedelic design separating the room from the other parts of the house. Hardly had I started to ask questions when a man and a woman who was in kamison (chemise) came out to the living room. The middle-aged man looked at me with appraising eyes and asked: "Ne, tagarito ka?" (Young miss, do you live here?). As I replied with a "No", another couple came out. The middle-aged man said goodbye to my respondent and left. The young woman went back to wherever it was behind the curtain. I felt a little uneasy. I turned to my respondent and asked her about her children.

      "Wala akong anak. Dalaga ako" (I don't have children. I'm single). She misunderstood "maybahay" (wife) for "may bahay" (house owner) when I asked her permission to conduct the interview. I apologized for taking her time and quickly rose to my feet. As I was leaving, the man said: "Ne, babalik ka dito, ha?" (You'll come back here, won't you?). I didn't bother to answer or look back. I walked quickly to the variety store on the opposite side of the road. My classmate was aready there having a chat with the storeowner.

       "Bakit ka pumasok dun?" (Why did you enter that place?), the storeowner asked me. "Putahan yon! Buti na lang walang nangyari sa iyo." (It's a whorehouse! It's good nothing happened to you).