The scholar addict

(Author's Note. This is a reprint of an article I wrote in this column some time ago, a family story inspired by true events related to me by Sister Raquel.)

When Rene drew a knife on his mother for refusing to give him shabu money, she decided that the whole family should visit Sr. Raquel Reodica, RVM, for healing right on Christmas Day.

SISTER: All honor students, I suppose?

MOTHER: The girls are in La Salle, top honors. Rene was at the top of his class at Ateneo, until he joined a shabu gang (Rene bows his head in shame, mumbling in anger). Rene, go to the chapel.

RENE (18 years old): Why, am I not part of the family?

MONICA (Youngest, 14 years old): Just give us a chance to explain.

RENE: Sister, I'm going home.

SISTER: Wait, I am on your side. Rene, please, let's talk one-on-one later. Let me first get your mom's side. Talk to Jesus. Bring out all your ill feelings to Him. (Reluctantly, Rene goes to the chapel)

MOTHER: Rene has been a shabu addict for three years, advanced stage. We can no longer cope with him. We were thinking you could heal him.

SISTER: I am not the one who heals. Jesus heals.

MONICA: He does not sleep or eat for two days when high on shabu.

JENNIFER (Eldest, 21 years old): When the drug wears off, he drinks a liter of water, then sleeps for two days.

SISTER: Wow, that bad? Your anger will not do any good. We have to know why he's taking drugs. (Actually, Sr. Raquel already knew)

JENNIFER: Bad company, sister.

SISTER: There is a deeper reason.

MOTHER: He threatened me with a knife when I refused to give him shabu money.

MONICA: We said that if he refused to see you, Sister, he goes to rehab. He agreed instantly. He is super scared of rehab. (Sister gets up, goes to Rene)

SISTER: It's our turn to talk, Rene.

RENE: I started taking shabu when my family began ignoring me. They talk among themselves. They don't talk to me. I don't feel any love from them (Rene is now in tears). It's like I don't have a family.

SISTER: Okay, let's pray. Jesus knows your problem. He will fix it for you. Follow after me: "Dear Jesus (Rene follows). Please help me get rid of my addiction. Please help my family to give me love. (Rene bursts into tears, then calms down. Sister goes back alone to the three women)

SISTER: Don't be angry, but you three are the ones who need healing. Is it hard to understand that you are the reason he got into drugs? He felt that you did not love him. He took shabu to deaden his pain, the wounds of being unloved. He felt rejected by the whole family.

MOTHER: But, sister….

SISTER: The more you got angry, the more he took shabu. You drove him to addiction. (All three are silent. They start to sob)

MOTHER: It's all my fault, sister. I put all the attention on the girls.

JENNIFER: We never thought of that. We have been so blind all these years. It's also our fault, mommy.

MONICA (Running towards Rene, shouting): Kuya, kuya, forgive us. Forgive us.

Rene embraces Monica. Jennifer and the mother join them. They shed a Niagara Falls of tears. It is an instant catharsis for the entire family. It was the greatest Christmas of their lives.

SISTER: Love is the cure for drug addiction.

RENE: Thank you, Sister, for returning to us our lives. Shabu is slow suicide. I promise to go to rehab. I will remove this poison from my veins. Please pray for me, Sister. Rehab is hard.

SISTER: You can do it, Rene, if you ask Jesus for help. When you are loved, your deepest anger will vanish. Let us all pray.

They go home in silence, absorbing the lightning bolt Sister had hurled at them. After a week, Rene calls Sister.

RENE: A miracle, Sister. Thank you, I'm healed.

SISTER: Don't thank me. Thank Jesus.

RENE: I stayed in church until 5 a.m., just sitting there. I felt a warm mist envelop me. I don't need rehab. The Lord has healed me. My addiction has suddenly vanished. I don't care for shabu anymore. I don't know why, Sister. My healing was instant.

True enough, Rene never went to rehab, but was instantly healed. He was back on top of his class.

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