My Brother-in-law & Other Stories
By Johnny Novera

Our strict uncle

Mabini Street today in Ermita, Metro Manila, is no longer the night stretch that you used to know.  Gone were the bars and discos and the girls that line up the street every night to cater to customers.  They must have transferred somewhere else because we learned that he City Mayor of Manila did not approve of the kind of business that they do up to the wee hours of the morning.

My elder brother who studied in Manila stayed at our uncle's house located in this area before.  Being a “provinciano” and new in the city, my brother told me that Uncle Paeng, on the very first night of his arrival, gave him an important briefing of the city after dinner.  There is one particular night spot in Mabini that he said my brother should avoid. He threatened to report him at home if he goes to the spot.

My brother told me that he became secretly curious of that particular night spot why Uncle Paeng should ban him to go there.

And so the next Friday night he told our uncle that he has group study in one of his classmate's home and might stay late.  He went to the night spot.

When my brother arrived, he immediately knew why Uncle Paeng did not like him to go there. There was nice dance music, mostly sweet, lights dimmed, and so many beautiful young girls and the main event is the midnight show.  The men present were mostly of Uncle Paeng's age. Our uncle was a confirmed bachelor who never married but kept his own home.

My brother said that he enjoyed just listening to the music and watching the girls as he waited for the show.  Then, nearing midnight , there was a blaring of trumpets and beating of the drums. The show would now start!

The spot light was on and focused at the center of the stage to the lady performer, first fully clad, but as the music plays and her dance progressed, she removes the pieces of clothing that she wore one by one until the music reached a high note with just the last piece she wore, a bikini, to be taken off.  Then complete darkness came and the music and drums stopped. The show ends.

The lights were turned on the whole room for the customers to now leave and my brother was horrified of what he saw!  Right in front of him at the next row the man who was wildly shouting and hailing during the show was Uncle Paeng! My brother got pale and disappeared fast like magic, running out of the establishment!