filipino globe community
May 2008
21
KUWENTONIADAN
Ang sumusunod na salaysay ay tunay na pangyayari, bagama’t iniba ang mga pangalan. Maaaring naranasan mo na rin ito
M
adalas makita si Jessie na
may tangang isang bunton
ng bulaklak na may
mahabang tangkay. Pero bago siya
kainggitan at isiping meron siyang
papa, ang totoo ay hindi bigay ng
manliligaw o kasintahan ang mga
bulaklak. Binibili ito ni Jessie sa
kanyang suking tindahan sa Sai
Wan Ho.
Ang mga bulaklak ay bilin sa
kanya ng kanyang alagang popo
sa Tai Koo. Tuwing ikatlong araw,
hindi natagalan ng isa pa niyang ate
binibigyan siya ng matanda ng $30
ang mabagsik na amo sa Tai Koo.
na pambili. Matagal nang balo ang
Bukod pa sa na-homesick ito at na-
89 taong gulang na lalaki ngunit
miss ang asawa’t anak na naiwan sa
matalas pa din ang pag-iisip at hindi
probinsiya.
nakakalimot.
Tanging si granny ang alaga at
Lalo na kung ang pag-uusapan ay
kasama sa flat ni Jessie. Nakabukod
ang kanyang asawang iginupo ng
na ang mga anak nito; tatlo sa
sakit na kanser. Para sa mahal na
kanila ang may sarili nang pamilya.
asawa ni popo ang mga bulaklak na
Dating marine engineer ang
binibili ni Jessie.
matanda ni Jessie at matatas
Ayon sa dalaga, inilalagay ni
magsalita ng Inggles. Bukod sa
popo ang mga bulaklak sa sala at sa
ipinagluluto ni Jessie si popo,
kanyang kuwarto na punung-puno
sinasamahan din niya ito sa mga
ng litrato ng asawa. Bago malanta
gimik. Minsan nga maghapon
ang mga ito, kailangang mapalitan.
silang naki-join sa isang field trip sa
Nasa pangalawang kontrata
New Territories. Puro senior citizen
na sa matanda si Jessie ngunit
ang kasama.
walang nakikitang pagbabago sa
Hindi rin nakakalimutan ni Jessie
pagmamahal at pagtatangi ni popo
na painumin ng gamot sa tamang
sa yumaong asawa.
oras si popo. Marami na rin kasing
“Stick to one si popo,” aniya.
nararamdamang sakit sa katawan
“Dami ngang nagkaka-crush diyan.
ang matanda. Tuwing ikatlong
Tumatawag sa bahay, niyayaya
buwan, sinasamahan niya ito sa
siyang mag-yam cha. Tinataguan
duktor para magpacheck-up.
niya.”
Nagkakaroon din sila ng di
Maputi at maganda si Jessie.
pagkakaunawaan minsan ng
Palakaibigan ang 23 taong gulang
matanda. Kung hindi mo kilala
na dalaga. Taga-Urbiztondo,
Pangasinan. Gaya ng karamihan ng
mga Pinay dito, libangan ni Jessie
ENDLESS LOVE
ito, aniya, mapapaiyak ka kapag
nagbitiw ito ng maanghang na
salita. Pero madalang naman daw
na mag-internet at sumayaw. Sa
itong mangyari.
katunayan, miyembro siya ng isang
“Generally, mabait si popo,”
dance troupe.
Matagal nang balo ang 89 taong gulang na lalaki
aniya.
Nagtatrabaho din sa Hong Kong
ngunit matalas pa din ang pag-iisip at hindi
Para kay Jessie, napakasuwerte
ang kanyang madir at isang ate.
ng naging asawa ni popo.
Nasa Tai Po si nanay, nasa Stanley
nakakalimot. Para sa yumaong asawa ni popo
Dalangin niya na sana tulad nito
naman si ate. Apat pa nga silang
makatagpo din siya ng tunay at
magkakasama dito dati ngunit
ang mga bulaklak na binibili ni Jessie wagas na pagmamahal.
A trip is a kind of learning experience with our children
W
hilst I write this letter from “The best and sweetest mangoes I Prayer was an integral part of the
Beijing, my memories
CHINAHAND
ever tasted,” her face beaming with gathering.
transport me back to letter from beijing joy at what seemed to be one of her The unpredictable summer weather
our recent one-week sojourn to rare discoveries. (it rained hard on the second day)
the Philippines. Our son, Paolo, A visit to the tarsiers in captivity was not a deterrent to dampen the
along with seven other Filipino capped the whole-day tour as the kids’ spirit for talent night. Our
and Chinese kids, represented our kids found out more about this rare, delegation brought and spread the
church community here in Beijing in
Doris
smallest primate found in Bohol. Olympic spirit in Bohol through an
the 11th International Kids Village As kids discovered more about the entertaining dance rendition of the
(IKV) held at Holy Name University,
Novicio
tarsier – a nocturnal animal that can Fuwa Song.
Tagbilaran City, Bohol. modern technology, the IKV served turn its head 180 degrees to the left Clad in their colorful Fuwa shirts,
It was a first-time experience as a refreshing event where kids and the right; can turn “suicidal” if our kids joyfully sang “Beijing,
for most of us, especially the kids learned, shared their skills and separated from its natural habitat; Beijing, Huan Ying Ni, Welcome to
and we were part of the “foreign talents, enjoyed and made new now an endangered specie, etc., Beijing” while proudly waving the
delegates”, bearing both the Chinese friends via clean fun and enjoyable – we parents were simply amused Olympic flag with the Philippine and
and Filipino flags. It was the first activities. when they started to ask funny and China colors on both sides.
trip to the Philippines for all but one The countryside tour of Bohol was thought-provoking questions like The meaning of the whole IKV
of our Chinese friends, including a real learning experience for all
Like the other kids, Paolo
“do tarsiers take a bath?” “do their experience can be best described
two priests, who had the meaningful especially the kids. They saw how
marvelled at Chocolate Hills.
parents love them?” “if they eat from the point of view of a child and
chance to concelebrate holy masses the native delicacy “kalamay” was insects, do they also drink blood?”. I’d like to share some excerpts from
during the opening and closing prepared, learned how the people
to know that there can be more than
Ah, the thrill of being with kids! Paolo’s essay about the event:
activities of the annual gathering. of Bohol continue to protect the
10 churches even in a small parish in
And as we passed through the stretch “During the IKV, I made new
“Kids Power: Pray, Share and environment by planting more trees
Bohol. “Awesome” was how my son
of Bohol’s pristine beaches, we heard friends, learned to pray, share and
Build” was the theme of this year’s in their 800-hectare man-made forest
and his friends described the Loboc
excited expressions of “ooohs and build and never to give up. We sang
gathering that was participated in by and how the amazing chocolate hills
River Cruise cum-lunch while our
aaahs” of our friends from land- praise songs and watched other
more than 5,000 kids from all over increased its number from the orginal
Chinese friends simply stood in awe
locked Beijing, obviously fascinated children perform and share their
the Philippines and other countries. 1,228 to 1,776.
as we were serenaded with Filipino
with the clear, blue waters. talent. My favourite song is “I’ve Got
In these age and times when Our Chinese friends marveled
folk songs by a local guitar and
Although it was my fourth visit to The Power” especially these lines: I
children are bombarded with at the exquisiteness of century-old
ukulele ensemble.
Bohol, I continue to be captivated by pray that one day, we’d follow Jesus’
inevitable negative influences churches like Baclayon and Loboc
And this is what one of the Chinese
its charm, splendor, diversity and the name, no more war, a world at peace,
brought about by the media and churches and were equally surprised
kids has to say about our mangoes:
kindness and warmth of its people. a world where love is.”
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