Nanking Store

NANKING STORE

         
SUMMARY                    

The short story tells about a young boy who reminisces and narrates about the vivid memories of the couple Lind and Peter. Tua Poy was only three years old when Linda and Peter got married. He was chose as the one who will jump on their matrimonial married to ensure that the couple’s first child would be a boy because he was robust and fat. During their first year of being a married couple, they were very happy and they had a playful atmosphere along with Tua Poy. After three years of marriage Tua Poy sense that there is something between the couple. Linda left the bajada house and moved to upper floor of Nanking store. Nanking Store was a gift given by Peter’s parents, which compose of a store on the first floor and a residence on the second floor. Peter was still living on the Bajada house. Tua Poy finally found out the real reason of the couple’s problem. It was because Peter and Linda cannot produce a child and the blame was on Linda. Linda had an appendectomy when she was single. The problem between the two had become more complicated. Peter’s father was a sole survivor of the Zhin family. The family name was in danger of dying out and it is the worst thing that could happen in a Chinese family, for the bloodline to vanish from the world. Linda and Peter had lived miserably.  Peter had become different; he loses his playfulness and alertness attitude while Linda lived like a three stay in sales girl and young mestizo driver who cooked their own meals and washed their clothes. The Chinese community suspects that it was all because of Peter’s mother. Peter had learned to go to nightspots and he began dating a Bisayan girl. Bad woman is the first impression of the Chinese citizens to the girl and they were curious why he chose her. He brought the girl at expensive restaurants and one day he already had a baby. He wants to keep it as a secret to several people but the Chinese community already knew about it. There were bad things talking about him but overall they were happy for him.Peter gained new respect and he is back to an old him, a happy one.  As for his parents they acted, they did not know but they knew it all along. When nobody was talking about Linda and Peter, People began to accept her fate. It was natural for her being nagged and insulted by her mother in law in public. When a Bisayan woman gave birth to Peter’s second child, it no longer created a stir to a community. Then suddenly Peter died in a car accident. Linda went to the burial but ignored by her mother in law. A few weeks after Peters mother want her out in the Nanking store but Linda did not agree and still working in the Nanking Store. In fact, she took over Peter’s work. The mother was very angry with Linda. She puts all the blame on Linda when Peter had an affair with a bisayan girl and being a laughing stock of the community. Linda wanted to avoid her mother in law but followed her. She insulted her, slapped her, and grabbed her hair that made her lost her composure. At first, she fought back defensively but it turned out to be a wild woman appeared on her sight that made her slapped her mother in law. Peter’s mother was retreated and shouting threats to her. Some of the citizens did not approve her actions but many people cheered for her. The two parties end to had an extreme fight that it reaches to the point of hiring a lawyer but at the end the in-laws suddenly moved to Manila.  After several months the community was shocked by an ultimate horror, Linda was pregnant and the suspected father was only the driver. People had mixed reactions, when she cannot produce a child she was a disgraced and now she finally had a baby she was still disgraced but Linda did not care what others told about her as long as she was finally  happy about her current state. The father of the baby left to visit his parents in the Iligan City while Linda also left the Nanking Store to Cebu to visit her parents along with the driver afterwards.  All of this events happened two years ago but Tua Poy still wondered if Linda really gave birth to the child since he did not heard about her. 


REACTION

The main core of the story is about the love of two people , their obstacles as a married couple and also the viewpoint of parents. At first their love was a genuine one. They were both happy to be together but because of a certain and sensitive circumstances they became upset and both lived miserable. I think its because they did not have a close bond and they did not stand for their love for each other that others opinions affect their relationship. Unhealthy marriage not only talks about the lack of love but also the friendship build in your relationship. As a married couple they had a vow that they will together through thick and thin, for better or for worse and through sickness or in good health. The fond of their relationship is not that strong to overcome different difficulties in their married  lives but for Peter I think its because he obeys his parents so much that he is confused who will he choose. For the parents, they have given so much love for their children that it reaches to the point of being aggressive to protect their family. They feared for their children's future and they are worried how the world reacts about their relationship but I think sometimes they need to give their children their happiness and be selfless even though it is very had on their part. As a child sometimes you need to fight for your loved one but in a polite way, without losing any respect to your parents.  I think you need to settle down your family matters before marriage and explain to them your decision as a matured one.