On Abused Wives, Abusive Husbands

I have just arrived from an audition for a so-called TV plug for a women's desk program of a local channel. The role is that of an abusive husband, a non-psychotic one, I was told by one of the panel. When I was asked to act out using ad lib based on a working script, I admitted it will be difficult for me since I have great respect for women. One of the members of the panel teased me by exclaiming "Laki ka sa Lola mo (you were raised by your grandmother)" and I jokingly said, "Nope. I'm a mama's boy." There was laughter in the hall as the camera went on rolling. The conversation made me comfortable that I started really reading the small piece paper and then suddenly I recalled a real incident where I defended a close family member from a verbal abuse paired with a regular gun shot in the air instigated by her husband. I started recalling his voice and the stance he always had but my role was to be of a more domineering and boastful executive. As I was told to deliver my lines ( where I talk about my wife as a lap dog) talking casually with the two male members of the panel, I felt my left eye brow rise and I felt lines forming on my forehead. I was ready to be mean! The exchanges went on until one of them shouted "Nakakainis ka!" Whew! It was all I could give them for the closest I got to acting was acting in plays for speech and drama classes. This audition was pure fun yet it made me realize and remember that there are many wives who would still fight for their love amidst the pain of the many forms of abuse from their husbands. They may not have realized that such tolerance is already a form of self-abuse. Can we still call it love?