The Love Story of Jose Sta. Ana Jr.

I considered it as one of the most integral parts of my life to search for love. The
idea of companionship relieves me most as I reached the peak of my puberty and
later on started with my young adult years. This is an important portion of my life
because it's quite a huge story to tell, and that's what I'm about to share with you.

I remembered it clearly, that when I turned 23, I've encountered the first woman
that entered my life. With her brother working at the same textile factory as I
was, fate so allowed it that I meet a woman named Baby. Aside from that, there
were active family connections between us which I'm quite unaware not until we
got to share a moment with each other. Baby is a notable character in my life, not
because it was a successful love, but because it really did not work out to send
both of us lessons at the end of it all.

There was a specific instance in our lives that I'm supposed to escort Baby to her
house safely after work initiatively, but because of unfortunate odds, we happen
to get stranded on a motel by nightfall and spent the entire evening there until
morning rose at its sunlight's peak again. To say the most of what happened at
the motel, Baby and I exchanged the warmth within each other's embrace against
the drifting cold breeze of the dead hour. I'm fully aware of Baby's feelings that it
eventually escalated to something quite orally sexual as we locked lips and kissed
delicate parts of our bodies. However, it was unfortunate to say that I really
cannot feel anything towards her at the time that even when there's a strong
surge of lust, I cannot seem to penetrate her and take away her virginity which
was absolutely significant and precious at the time. It was clear to me that I would
never have entered anyone's flesh without any certainty to my intent, let alone
that doubting, feeling nothing and having second thoughts for Baby also meant
my incapability to foresee and establish a future and family with her. Eventually,
as the activity ended, we mutually apologized to one another and slept together
to conclude the vulnerability, exhaustion, confusion and everything else involved
within that particular evening. The next morning bore questions from my uncle as
he claimed nothing else but disbelief in the fact that Baby and I never had sex
together, which at the time was somehow a huge deal as I endeavored to get
married. Nonetheless, I stood firm in the truth that parting ways by morning was
consensual for us both.

The second woman in my life arrived at the same age as I met Baby. Months later
came a delicate woman named Cleotilde. Her brother pursued Theology at the
time and that particular bond never really worked out as well due to religious
differences (because I am a Catholic and she's an Iglesia ni Cristo).

The last woman, who happened to be my wife, is really quite the story to tell so
that not just for being last, I saved it because it's the best, the impossibly unreal
and yet the greatest love of all I had in life. Corazon, who was owning an Umali
family name at the time, was the woman I fell deeply in love towards. However,
Cora and I were complete opposites as I've struggled my way through academics
while she's a running Cum Laude at the time. Despite this difference, I believed
opposites attract so I really asked to court her which apparently only lasted for
one month until she was able to say yes and make me the happiest man.
However, this was all because of the good words my uncle told Cora and her
family about mine.

My uncle urged generous words regarding my family background that whenever I

pursued marriage, he claimed that my family will be so willing to support, share
inheritance and do all the good things possible for me that strikes one convincing
message: that Corazon's future is ensured if she was to marry me. Hence came
our marriage quickly a few weeks later after the family approval. At the time of
our wedding, everything was grand, beautiful and special. But it was only an
illusion as the tables have turned the moment I tried to bring Cora home so she
can see how good I renovated my personal room. However, my father quickly
opposed to this desire as he arrogantly questioned why we were there to stay for
a while. With that, we were forced to evict from the house and my wife wasn't
even avle to at least check the great retouches I made to my beloved room. We
only had a single night of honeymoon in Baguio with a 500-peso bill which was
already quite a money way back. The remainders of our budget were used for
sewing machines as we sheltered ourselves on a makeshift hut (barong-barong).
Aside from this devastating turn of events, my wife was badly insulted at how
things ended up ill for her because of marrying someone like me, to which,
despite being a hardworking man, Corazon was heavily affected by ridicule that
she ended up always staying inside our home, leading her to stop pursuing the
needed degree to become a college dean at the University of the Philippines.

This downturn in our life translated into a positive energy within me, thus
pursuing fabric-making jobs, and ultimately the love I had for chef work abroad.
By being an international chef in Iraq, I was able to save enough money from
every shift without spending any amount for myself to construct our dream home
in Taytay. Regardless of the homesickness and the threats of the ongoing war at
the time, I've done my best to make sure my wife gets the future she deserves
upon my promise and that she would've proven anyone wrong about choosing
me that, by the time she had her last words on the hospital bed before her
passing, Corazon was able to utter the most heartfelt of words for me, she said,
"Thank you, for everything."
Dear Mel Tiangco,

Good day!

I am a very close friend of the person concerned to be mentioned in this letter. To his intent,
having to write this letter for him is much of a long-awaited chance because he's an avid fan of
yours, Ma'am Mel. The name of that person is Jose Sta. Ana, which I better refer to as "Tatay
Jose". Tatay Jose has been a fan of yours since you were hosting Tawag ng Tanghalan at ABS-
CBN, but he has loved your shows more now that you are televising the story-driven episodes
of Magpakailanman on GMA. Tatay is also a heartfelt fan of yours due to the fact that your
birthdays are next to each other. He celebrates a day after your birthday at August 11th while
yours happens first at 10th. Tatay Jose is also heavily inspired by your generous initiative to
begin foundations and charities that positively encourages and changes lives, to which he also
dreamed to achieve and become capable of doing. However, Tatay Jose has been facing a
property dilemma for almost 22 years since the conflict emerged in 1999. Together, as his
writer and dearest friend, we are both hoping that you give him the opportunity to share his
dramatic journey that overall created an amazing life story for him to tell in your remarkable
television show.

We are hoping for your attention and kindest consideration regarding this humble request.

Thank you and God bless you always!

Sincerely,

Angelo

Jose Sta. Ana Jr.