Another Shade of Light
Jonalyn woke up from her deep slumber. Her hair was wet with raindrops from their dilapidated roof. She cautiously looked around the area, her siblings were still asleep, succumbed by the coldness of the weather yet only their bodies in fetal position giving them warmth.
She rose with a slow pace not to disturb the peace surrounding their wooden home and carefully went to the kitchen area where she blindly searched for something edible to eat. Nothing.
She placed her modified black garbage bag ala raincoat and placed it on her thin and frail body. She decided to buy pan de sal at a nearby bakery.
The air was chilly and the drops were heavy but she shrugged the two aside thinking that her siblings would be darn hungry by the time they wake up, after all, they can't afford dinner anymore. Jonalyn braved the murky water and the floating specimens around their neighborhood. It was really a common thing in sight and did not bother her anymore.
A few minutes later she arrived at her destination, the neighborhood's sole bakery whose choices include a variety of bread with different colors and forms but of same tastes, a peso for each. She bent and looked hungrily into the glass case with eyes of starvation and greed. She wanted to buy all of them! Each and everyone of those pieces of bread! She would buy them and give them all to her siblings and maybe, if there would be left, she can get one or two pieces to gnaw on to last her for the rest of the day. Only if her money would suffice.
Alas, she snapped out of her daydream and slowly counted her money, their family's money. Twenty pesos. Enough to buy 20 pieces of bread for breakfast but not enough for the whole day. She looked at the pieces of wet coins like a mother to a child, she held it tightly and asked the baker for 15 pieces of pan de sal and 5 pieces of Spanish breads for variety. She heaved a sigh of relief. At least they'll be full for the morning. For lunch would be a problem not for the next six hours or so.
The baker gladly gave her the red transparent plastic where the warm breads were encased and moisting from inside. Jonalyn looked at the breads with delight but she also looked at the coins where she has no choice but to hand them over to the baker. She took the plastic and slid it under her modified raincoat and went on her way home. She clutched the plastic with her life. She was a little anxious for it might slip under her hands.
Once again she braved the murky water and the floating clutter around their neighborhood. The rain has not stopped but dwindled a little. She hurriedly walked a bit faster hoping that she could prepare them their breakfast before they all wake up. The plopping of her torn slippers across the neighborhood was increasing and she decided to make a final dash. She was still clutching the plastic which houses their only means of survival for the day.
Finally, she was able to return to their house safe and sound albeit wet. She carefully took off her raincoat and tiptoed her way across her siblings and turned on the oil lamp placed at the middle of their table. She got four saucers and placed them symmetrically across the table. She always liked it neat and in place. She also placed the plastic of bread not too close to the lamp but enough for it to be slightly warmed.
One by one she tapped her siblings' shoulders and whispered to their ears that it was time to wake up and nearly time for school. The children yawned and rubbed their eyes with their little hands and looked around as if searching for something. They all started to get up slowly from their blackened and torn mattresses and headed to the dining area. Jonalyn finally opened the plastic of bread, the precious pieces source of life, and carefully placed five pieces to four of her siblings, four pan de sals and a piece of Spanish bread. The youngest looked at her with worry. She looked back at her sister and smiled. She smiled in an "I will be fine" way. But still the youngest sister lifted her saucer and slowly handed it to her sister while chewing a minute piece. Jonalyn smiled again and she took the saucer from her sister and returned it back in front of her sister. She looked again at her sister who was still looking a little worried for she knew they weren't able to eat dinner but now is breakfast time, yet her sister refuses to eat. Jonalyn looked away across the dining table and outside their dilapidated wooden house. She walked away from them, walked towards the kitchen, got a kettle, and turned on the faucet. She will prepare for school too just like her siblings who are all still in their primary education.
She is Jonalyn, 12 years of age, barely out of elementary, head of the family, and a garbage collector together with her siblings.
She rose with a slow pace not to disturb the peace surrounding their wooden home and carefully went to the kitchen area where she blindly searched for something edible to eat. Nothing.
She placed her modified black garbage bag ala raincoat and placed it on her thin and frail body. She decided to buy pan de sal at a nearby bakery.
The air was chilly and the drops were heavy but she shrugged the two aside thinking that her siblings would be darn hungry by the time they wake up, after all, they can't afford dinner anymore. Jonalyn braved the murky water and the floating specimens around their neighborhood. It was really a common thing in sight and did not bother her anymore.
A few minutes later she arrived at her destination, the neighborhood's sole bakery whose choices include a variety of bread with different colors and forms but of same tastes, a peso for each. She bent and looked hungrily into the glass case with eyes of starvation and greed. She wanted to buy all of them! Each and everyone of those pieces of bread! She would buy them and give them all to her siblings and maybe, if there would be left, she can get one or two pieces to gnaw on to last her for the rest of the day. Only if her money would suffice.
Alas, she snapped out of her daydream and slowly counted her money, their family's money. Twenty pesos. Enough to buy 20 pieces of bread for breakfast but not enough for the whole day. She looked at the pieces of wet coins like a mother to a child, she held it tightly and asked the baker for 15 pieces of pan de sal and 5 pieces of Spanish breads for variety. She heaved a sigh of relief. At least they'll be full for the morning. For lunch would be a problem not for the next six hours or so.
The baker gladly gave her the red transparent plastic where the warm breads were encased and moisting from inside. Jonalyn looked at the breads with delight but she also looked at the coins where she has no choice but to hand them over to the baker. She took the plastic and slid it under her modified raincoat and went on her way home. She clutched the plastic with her life. She was a little anxious for it might slip under her hands.
Once again she braved the murky water and the floating clutter around their neighborhood. The rain has not stopped but dwindled a little. She hurriedly walked a bit faster hoping that she could prepare them their breakfast before they all wake up. The plopping of her torn slippers across the neighborhood was increasing and she decided to make a final dash. She was still clutching the plastic which houses their only means of survival for the day.
Finally, she was able to return to their house safe and sound albeit wet. She carefully took off her raincoat and tiptoed her way across her siblings and turned on the oil lamp placed at the middle of their table. She got four saucers and placed them symmetrically across the table. She always liked it neat and in place. She also placed the plastic of bread not too close to the lamp but enough for it to be slightly warmed.
One by one she tapped her siblings' shoulders and whispered to their ears that it was time to wake up and nearly time for school. The children yawned and rubbed their eyes with their little hands and looked around as if searching for something. They all started to get up slowly from their blackened and torn mattresses and headed to the dining area. Jonalyn finally opened the plastic of bread, the precious pieces source of life, and carefully placed five pieces to four of her siblings, four pan de sals and a piece of Spanish bread. The youngest looked at her with worry. She looked back at her sister and smiled. She smiled in an "I will be fine" way. But still the youngest sister lifted her saucer and slowly handed it to her sister while chewing a minute piece. Jonalyn smiled again and she took the saucer from her sister and returned it back in front of her sister. She looked again at her sister who was still looking a little worried for she knew they weren't able to eat dinner but now is breakfast time, yet her sister refuses to eat. Jonalyn looked away across the dining table and outside their dilapidated wooden house. She walked away from them, walked towards the kitchen, got a kettle, and turned on the faucet. She will prepare for school too just like her siblings who are all still in their primary education.
She is Jonalyn, 12 years of age, barely out of elementary, head of the family, and a garbage collector together with her siblings.
a very touching story :')
ReplyDeletealmost cried..
nice one.
(hope you can visit mine too http://eveningsthoughts.blogspot.com)
thanks,
lovelove,
yamyam
Something to make us make a reality check.
ReplyDeleteI missed blogging and reading, G.