Kids Fight Like in a Telenovela

I haven’t spent time with my two nieces for longer than two hours for more than a year now. It was my off-day, had nothing to do—or just too lazy to do it, and it was oven-hot in my room. So I went to my cousin’s house, just a couple of blocks away and only my nieces, and a relative, were there. Eventually we decided to have a snack or rather a ‘merienda’.

The older one, is in second year high school and her sister is in the fourth grade. So they went to the kitchen to get leftover spaghetti and had it reheated.

After eating ‘merienda’, I felt like I was watching a LIVE TELENOVELA with a spontaneous script and I even had the best seat in the house. So here’s what happened: 

Setting: We ate at the sala, and the plates, glasses and Coke bottle were on the center table.

No one was standing up to clean, including me—bad uncle, haha!.

Anyway..

The younger one stood and was about to bring her glass to the sink.

Elder niece: paki-sabay mo naman yung plato (Danielle, please bring the plates with you too.)
Younger niece: Ako na naman! Ako mas bata, ako pa kikilos! (Me again! I’m the younger one and I’m the one doing chores!)
E: Eh isasabay mo lang naman yung plato, papunta ka naman dun, hindi mo magawa. (You’re already going to the sink, why is bringing the plates with you so big of a deal)
Y: Lagi naman ako eh! Ako din nagpapakain ng aso! (Because it’s always me! I’m even the one who’s always feeding the dog.)
E: Sayo naman yung aso na yun ah! Ikaw may responsibilidad dun. (Well, you own that dog. You have the responsibility for it)
Y: Hindi ko naman pinagdadamot. Nilalaro mo rin naman ah masama ba’ng alagaan mo din. (I’m not being selfish. You even play with it, is it bad if you pet it too.)
E: Ako kaya nagpaligo dun nung isang araw. Napakahirap ba isabay ang pinagkainan namin diyan sa baso mo?!? (I’m even the one who gave it bath the other day. Is it so hard to bring the plates we’ve eaten on with that glass?)
Y: Ikaw naman kasi kumilos ka din, kasi sa’ting dalawa ako na lang lagi, eh ikaw ang ate! (You should also do chores, because between the both of us, I’m always the one doing stuff, an you’re the elder sister!)
E: Bakit, ‘pag may utos, sino ba kumikilos hah! Mas marami akong papel dito! (And why is that? When there are errands, who does those errands? I have a bigger role here!)
 
I was trying so hard not to disturb their exchange. I tried so hard to make it appear like I was so fascinated by the flower vase just to prevent notice that I was enjoying myself. But humor was up to my brim and I accidentally let out a snort. Catching the two off-guard, both of them suddenly realized how dramatic their lines were and they ended up laughing as well. That’s when I pointed out that as sisters, they shouldn’t be fighting on petty matters. I also told them, or rather an attempt to talk in between giggles, that they were fighting like characters in a telenovela and advised them to reduce time watching drama series.
 

And both of them brought the plates and glasses to the sink, laughing together. I didn’t know that hanging out with them is this much fun.

photo courtesy http://joemer.blogetery.com