A very touching story I would like to share with all of you .....
from unknown author
Ever since it was diagnosed that I am having a posible heart
enlargement in the last APE, I have exerted more effort to do physical
exercises. I do jogging during week days and do long - ride mountain biking every
Sunday.
But this Sunday is a special Sunday to me. While I was on my way to
the mountains of Busay (cebu)hoping to strengtened my heart by this
exercise, instead, I personally encountered a heart-breaking scene
that changed me.
I already passed the Marco Polo Plaza ( formerly Cebu Plaza Hotel )
when I decided to stop to buy bananas at a small carenderia located along the
road. I haven't taken any solid food that morning so I need fruits to
have the needed energy to get to my destination - the mountain top. I
am almost done eating with the second banana when I noticed two children
across the street busily searching the garbage area. "Basureros" I said to
myself and quickly turn my attention away from them to sip a small
amount of water. I cared less for these kind of children actually; to make it
straight, I do not like them, and I do not trust them evenmore. You
see, several times I have been a victim to these kind of children who
are pretending to be basureros looking for empty bottles and cans when
in fact the 'plangganas' , 'kalderos', and 'hinayhays' are their
favorites.
I remember one afternoon while I was watching a Mike Tyson fight when
I noticed that the TV screen suddenly became blurred. I checked outside
and saw two young basureros running away with my newly installed
antenna. Hatred may be a little bit stronger word to describe my feeling towards
these basureros, but I do not like them honestly not till I met these
three children.
I was about to embark on my bike again when I heard one of the two
children, a girl of about 7 or 8 of age saying aloud to the other , a
12-yr old boy , " kuya si dodong kuha-a kay nag-sige'g tan-aw sa mga
nagkaon, mauwaw ta" (kuya si dodong kunin mo kasi tumitingin sa mga
kumain, nakakahiya), only then that I noticed a small boy standing near to me
biting slightly his finger. He's a few inches shorter if compared to my
5 years old son ( but I knew later that he's also 5 yrs. Old). Though he
did not asked for food to anyone in the carenderia, the way he looked
at the customers who were eating , enough to convinced me that he
intensely craving for it. The older boy then quickly crossed the street and
gently pulled out the little one who politely obeyed. As I watched the
two crossing back the street to the garbage area, I heard the tindera
saying " Lo-oy kaayo nang mga bataa uy, mga buotan ra ba na" (kawawa
naman yung mga batang yun mababait pa naman). I learned further from
the carenderia owner that the children are from a good family , both
parents were working before , and that their father got a stroke 3
years ago and became partially paralized and their mother died of
heart attack while their father was still confined at the hospital. The
parents were still in their early forties when the catastrophe happened , and
the children became basureros since then to meet their daily needs and for
their father's medication.
Deeply moved by what I heard, I went to a nearby bakery and bought
20 pesos worth of bread and gave it to the children who initially
refused including the little boy. " Sige lang noy, salamat na lang,
magpalit lang nya mi kung mahalinan na mi" (sige lang po, salamat na lang,
bibili na lang po kami mamaya kung makabenta na kami) the young girl said to me.
I explained that they need to go home because it started to rain . "
Naanad na man mi ani " (nasanay na po kami)the girl answered again.
Again, I explained that the rain can make them sick and if they'll
become sick there's no one to take care of their father. Upon mentioning
their father, they nodded and acccept the bread but I noticed that the older boy did
not eat. When I asked him if he does not like the kind of bread I bought for
them he smiled but as he's about to explain, the little girl, who is the more
talker of them interrupted, "Domingo man gud ron ,noy, basta Sabado ug Domingo
hapon ra siya mokaon kami ra ang mokaon ug pamahaw pero dili na pod mi mokaon inig
hapon, si kuya ra. Pero basta Lunes ngadto sa Biyernes, kay klase man , si
kuya ra sad ang seguro-on ug papamahaw, kami hapon na sad mi moka-on Pero
kung daghan mi ug halin mokaon mi tanan." (Linggo po kasi ngayon, pag
sabado at lingo hapon lang po sya kumakain, kami lang po ang kumakain
ng agahan pero di na po kami kakain pagdating ng hapon si kuya lang po.
Pero pag lunes hanggang biyernes, kasi may pasok, si kuya lang po nag-aagahan,
kami hapunan lang pero kung marami kaming benta kami pong lahat
kumakain) she continued. "Ngano man diay ug mokaon mong tanan,
bahinon ninyo bisan ug unsa ka gamay?" (bakit kung kumain kayong
lahat, hati-hatiin nyo na lang kahit kunti lang ang pagkain?) I countered.
The young girl reasoned out that their father wanted that her older
brother to come to school with full stomachs so he can easily catch
up the teacher's lessons. "Inig ka trabaho ni kuya mo undang na man mi
ug pamasura, first honor baya na siya " (pag nagkatrabaho si kuya,
hihinto kami sa pamamasura, first honor kasi sya) the little boy added proudly.
Maybe I was caught by surprise or I am just overly emotional that my
tears started to fall. I then quickly turned my back from them to
hide my tears and pretended to pick up my bike from the carenderia
where I left it.
I don't know how many seconds or minutes I spent just to compose
myself; pretending again this time that I was mending by bike.
Finally I get on to my bike and approached the three children to bid
goobye to them who in turn cast their grateful smiles at me. I then
took a good look at all of them specially to the small boy and pat his head
with a pinch in my heart. Though I believe that their positive look at life
can easily change their present situation, there is one thing that they
can never change; that is , their being motherless. That little boy can
no longer taste the sweet embrace, care, and most of all , the love of
his mother forever. Nobody can refill the empty gap created by that
sudden and untimely death of their mother. Every big events that will
happen to their lives will only remind them and make them wish of their
mother's presence.
I reached to my pocket and handed to them my last 100 peso bill which
I reserved for our department's bowling tournament. This time they
refused strongly but I jokingly said to the girl " sumbagon teka ron
kung di nimo dawaton" (suntukin kita dyan pag hindi mo tinanggap yan). She
smiled as she extended her hand to take the money. " Salamat
noy makapalit gyud me ron ug tambal ni papa " (salamat po, makakabili
kami nito ng gamot ni papa) she uttered. I then turned
to the small boy and though he's a few feet away from me, I still
noticed that while his right hand was holding the half - filled sack ,
his left hand was holding a toy ? a worn out toy car. I waved my hands and
said bye bye to him as I drove towards the mountains again. Did he just
found the toy in the garbage area or the toy was originally his - when the
misfortune did not took place yet? - I did not bother to ask. But one
thing is crystal clear to me, that inspite of the boy's abnormal life,
he did not given up his childhood completely. I can sense it that way he
hold and stare at his toy.
My meeting with that young basureros made me poorer by 100 pesos. But
they changed me and made me more richer as to lessons of life are
concerned. In them, I learned that life can changed suddenly and may caught me
flat footed. In them, I've learned that even the darkest side of life,
cannot change the beauty of one's heart. Those three children, who sometimes
cannot eat three times a day, still able to hold on to what they
believe was right. And what a contrast to most of us who are quick to point
out to our misfortunes when caught with our mistakes. In them, I've
learned to hope for things when things seem to go the other way.
Lastly, I know that God cares for them far more than I do. That
though He allowed them to experience such a terrible life which our
finite minds cannot comprehend, His unquestionable love will surely follow them
through.
And in God's own time they will win.
from unknown author
Ever since it was diagnosed that I am having a posible heart
enlargement in the last APE, I have exerted more effort to do physical
exercises. I do jogging during week days and do long - ride mountain biking every
Sunday.
But this Sunday is a special Sunday to me. While I was on my way to
the mountains of Busay (cebu)hoping to strengtened my heart by this
exercise, instead, I personally encountered a heart-breaking scene
that changed me.
I already passed the Marco Polo Plaza ( formerly Cebu Plaza Hotel )
when I decided to stop to buy bananas at a small carenderia located along the
road. I haven't taken any solid food that morning so I need fruits to
have the needed energy to get to my destination - the mountain top. I
am almost done eating with the second banana when I noticed two children
across the street busily searching the garbage area. "Basureros" I said to
myself and quickly turn my attention away from them to sip a small
amount of water. I cared less for these kind of children actually; to make it
straight, I do not like them, and I do not trust them evenmore. You
see, several times I have been a victim to these kind of children who
are pretending to be basureros looking for empty bottles and cans when
in fact the 'plangganas' , 'kalderos', and 'hinayhays' are their
favorites.
I remember one afternoon while I was watching a Mike Tyson fight when
I noticed that the TV screen suddenly became blurred. I checked outside
and saw two young basureros running away with my newly installed
antenna. Hatred may be a little bit stronger word to describe my feeling towards
these basureros, but I do not like them honestly not till I met these
three children.
I was about to embark on my bike again when I heard one of the two
children, a girl of about 7 or 8 of age saying aloud to the other , a
12-yr old boy , " kuya si dodong kuha-a kay nag-sige'g tan-aw sa mga
nagkaon, mauwaw ta" (kuya si dodong kunin mo kasi tumitingin sa mga
kumain, nakakahiya), only then that I noticed a small boy standing near to me
biting slightly his finger. He's a few inches shorter if compared to my
5 years old son ( but I knew later that he's also 5 yrs. Old). Though he
did not asked for food to anyone in the carenderia, the way he looked
at the customers who were eating , enough to convinced me that he
intensely craving for it. The older boy then quickly crossed the street and
gently pulled out the little one who politely obeyed. As I watched the
two crossing back the street to the garbage area, I heard the tindera
saying " Lo-oy kaayo nang mga bataa uy, mga buotan ra ba na" (kawawa
naman yung mga batang yun mababait pa naman). I learned further from
the carenderia owner that the children are from a good family , both
parents were working before , and that their father got a stroke 3
years ago and became partially paralized and their mother died of
heart attack while their father was still confined at the hospital. The
parents were still in their early forties when the catastrophe happened , and
the children became basureros since then to meet their daily needs and for
their father's medication.
Deeply moved by what I heard, I went to a nearby bakery and bought
20 pesos worth of bread and gave it to the children who initially
refused including the little boy. " Sige lang noy, salamat na lang,
magpalit lang nya mi kung mahalinan na mi" (sige lang po, salamat na lang,
bibili na lang po kami mamaya kung makabenta na kami) the young girl said to me.
I explained that they need to go home because it started to rain . "
Naanad na man mi ani " (nasanay na po kami)the girl answered again.
Again, I explained that the rain can make them sick and if they'll
become sick there's no one to take care of their father. Upon mentioning
their father, they nodded and acccept the bread but I noticed that the older boy did
not eat. When I asked him if he does not like the kind of bread I bought for
them he smiled but as he's about to explain, the little girl, who is the more
talker of them interrupted, "Domingo man gud ron ,noy, basta Sabado ug Domingo
hapon ra siya mokaon kami ra ang mokaon ug pamahaw pero dili na pod mi mokaon inig
hapon, si kuya ra. Pero basta Lunes ngadto sa Biyernes, kay klase man , si
kuya ra sad ang seguro-on ug papamahaw, kami hapon na sad mi moka-on Pero
kung daghan mi ug halin mokaon mi tanan." (Linggo po kasi ngayon, pag
sabado at lingo hapon lang po sya kumakain, kami lang po ang kumakain
ng agahan pero di na po kami kakain pagdating ng hapon si kuya lang po.
Pero pag lunes hanggang biyernes, kasi may pasok, si kuya lang po nag-aagahan,
kami hapunan lang pero kung marami kaming benta kami pong lahat
kumakain) she continued. "Ngano man diay ug mokaon mong tanan,
bahinon ninyo bisan ug unsa ka gamay?" (bakit kung kumain kayong
lahat, hati-hatiin nyo na lang kahit kunti lang ang pagkain?) I countered.
The young girl reasoned out that their father wanted that her older
brother to come to school with full stomachs so he can easily catch
up the teacher's lessons. "Inig ka trabaho ni kuya mo undang na man mi
ug pamasura, first honor baya na siya " (pag nagkatrabaho si kuya,
hihinto kami sa pamamasura, first honor kasi sya) the little boy added proudly.
Maybe I was caught by surprise or I am just overly emotional that my
tears started to fall. I then quickly turned my back from them to
hide my tears and pretended to pick up my bike from the carenderia
where I left it.
I don't know how many seconds or minutes I spent just to compose
myself; pretending again this time that I was mending by bike.
Finally I get on to my bike and approached the three children to bid
goobye to them who in turn cast their grateful smiles at me. I then
took a good look at all of them specially to the small boy and pat his head
with a pinch in my heart. Though I believe that their positive look at life
can easily change their present situation, there is one thing that they
can never change; that is , their being motherless. That little boy can
no longer taste the sweet embrace, care, and most of all , the love of
his mother forever. Nobody can refill the empty gap created by that
sudden and untimely death of their mother. Every big events that will
happen to their lives will only remind them and make them wish of their
mother's presence.
I reached to my pocket and handed to them my last 100 peso bill which
I reserved for our department's bowling tournament. This time they
refused strongly but I jokingly said to the girl " sumbagon teka ron
kung di nimo dawaton" (suntukin kita dyan pag hindi mo tinanggap yan). She
smiled as she extended her hand to take the money. " Salamat
noy makapalit gyud me ron ug tambal ni papa " (salamat po, makakabili
kami nito ng gamot ni papa) she uttered. I then turned
to the small boy and though he's a few feet away from me, I still
noticed that while his right hand was holding the half - filled sack ,
his left hand was holding a toy ? a worn out toy car. I waved my hands and
said bye bye to him as I drove towards the mountains again. Did he just
found the toy in the garbage area or the toy was originally his - when the
misfortune did not took place yet? - I did not bother to ask. But one
thing is crystal clear to me, that inspite of the boy's abnormal life,
he did not given up his childhood completely. I can sense it that way he
hold and stare at his toy.
My meeting with that young basureros made me poorer by 100 pesos. But
they changed me and made me more richer as to lessons of life are
concerned. In them, I learned that life can changed suddenly and may caught me
flat footed. In them, I've learned that even the darkest side of life,
cannot change the beauty of one's heart. Those three children, who sometimes
cannot eat three times a day, still able to hold on to what they
believe was right. And what a contrast to most of us who are quick to point
out to our misfortunes when caught with our mistakes. In them, I've
learned to hope for things when things seem to go the other way.
Lastly, I know that God cares for them far more than I do. That
though He allowed them to experience such a terrible life which our
finite minds cannot comprehend, His unquestionable love will surely follow them
through.
And in God's own time they will win.
