This story that I’ll tell you is about our neighbor. So, I must credit it to them even I didn’t ask for permission to publish it. Well, let me not cite their names for some purposes. This is about how their family struggle for many difficulties upon letting their son go to school and finish his college.
They were four in the family, father, mother, son (eldest), and the daughter (youngest). They lived simply. Their means of leaving is making bamboo set and fishing in Laguna de Bay. Ate (the mother), told me this story.
In making set, they only profited Php 150.00, and know what? They made almost 5- 6 sets weekly, how much money did they earn? It’s only Php 750.00 to Php 900.00, and their children both went to school. How can they get trough it? She said their income is really not enough for everyday living. Kuya (the father), sometimes go on fishing, but the thing is it’s very difficult because they have no motor banca, only the “lunday” the one that needed a paddle to move. How difficult it was for him. There are many fishermen in our place since we’re living in an isle and of course, fishing is the main source of income. The saddest thing for ate is when it’s time for all the fishermen to go home, Kuya is always the last one to come, why? Simple because he paddle and paddle only until he reach our place. And he is also the lowest earner because of the very same reason.
Eldest one is in college that time while the youngest in in high school. Every week, son needed five hundred pesos for his allowance, for that time is definitely having low cost of living, while now, what for is the five hundred pesos? So ate kept that money for their son. Can you imagine, ate said to me, I cannot buy a piece of panty and bra, my panty and bra both looks like bacon, I just pinned it or sometimes sew it my hands to make it okay again. My pair of slippers are stubby, there’s a hole in both sole part. We ate rice with no viand for many times, and I ask her, “e pa’no kayo kakain kung walang ulam?” she said, I always bought tira- tira (candy made up of sugar) on the store to give some taste to rice, and the store owner said to her, “ang hilig mo sa tira-tira” then she replied, uhm, it’s my husband’s favorite dessert. She didn’t said the whole truth because she was shy. “wala naman masama mag ulam ng tira- tura, kaya lang kung palaging gan’un parang nakakahiya din kaya ‘di ko naamin” ate said to me. Sometimes, she cook champorado for breakfast, but how can I say that it’s really champorado, if it’s not chocolate in color? ‘coz I only put one pack of cocoa powder and a bit of sugar to taste. When the pan de sal boy came in the morning, she cannot buy, she just smell the aroma in the air, she said to herself, when can I eat pan de sal?
Her daughter asked for P.E uniform and they weren’t able to buy her one. The daughter cried and cried but they can do nothing to buy it. She cried herself that night for he pitied her daughter. Ate and Kuya talked that night, ate said, parang ‘di na natin kakayanin na pagtapusin ang anak natin, pag uwi nya ay kausapin na natin sya. When son cam home, ate said, our living is so tight, we can’t send you to school anymore. Son is speechless, but ate saw his tears. She felt pity for her son and also for her self. She want to give nothing but the best to their kids, but how?
Until one day, a fellow folk who is a teacher said that “when your son was able to graduate in college, and you see him in uniform, you’ll feel proud and happy rather that you see him with a bolo on his waist to go to the forest getting bamboo shoots (since our place is rich in bamboos) you will cry in pain.”
Those words encouraged her to let his son go on schooling. No matter how hard it is. They’re not able to pay for the boarding home rental with the total cost of five thousand pesos so she went to the landlord and promised to pay when she got her loan on a micro leading business. They even got loans from 5-6, I don’t know how can I explain it, all I know is it’s penalty is higher than the legal ones. I think it’s profit is 20% a month.
The son goes on his schooling. Until the most awaited day finally comes. Graduation is really approaching. Ate and Kuya is so happy and nervous at the same time. They cannot explain how they feel. Then the moment of truth. When ate saw kuya and her son walking in the red carpet wearing toga, she goosebumps. She didn’t know how it feels, it’s a feeling she cannot really express in words. All she want to do is to cry so she let her self go in a place where there’s no people around and she cried and cired a lot saying thank you so much Lord, finally my son finished his studies. All the sacrifices they made paid off.
Now his son has his own family, owned his business, trying to help her sister done her studies but she refused because she has her own family too. Ate and Kuya can now buy the things they wanted to especially the pan de sal. They can buy delicious viand, they lived abundantly this time. They sometimes buy tira-tira, for dessert, but it made her smile, remembering those times that it serves as their viand. All those things happened in the past is now the things that made them happy for they surpassed those difficulties.
Upon hearing this story from ate, we both cried in tears. But after, we both smiled and yes, indeed, it’s a very inspiring story. I know it’s not unusual, many can relate and experienced the same but it can leave a good thing, never surrender for tomorrow is another day.
Thank you for giving time to read. Hope you guys enjoyed my shared story. ‘till the next one!
