Let's go for another fiction shall we? So the disclaimer goes like most: There is no Carla, no Janine, no Ramon. . . no Ghetto and no communities of such names mentioned in the story below. Any similarities... you know how it goes..
No love story this time.
"...You are in the middle of my beautiful mess... "
Carla was sitting with a friend, Janine one time. They have not seen each other for a long time. Janine was quite a busy woman working in the community. Carla used to work with her in that area.
Carla gave up. She decided to move to other community - Anetos community. Janine almost did, too. After much musing and praying about it, Janine decided to stay.
"What?", Carla asked.
"You are in the middle of my mess." Janine repeated. "That is what I always think everyone has on their heads- every kid, every young adult, every adult that I meet in this area."
Both finally got a chance to catch up and Carla was able to ask the question, "How in the world do you survive?"
And after a long pause, pouring Carla her cup of coffee, and pouring one for herself, that was Janine's response.
Carla and Janine met in this community. Both of them were college then. It is part of their, we can say, "passion and calling" to work with the community - helping kids, adults, young adults in depressed areas. With high hopes and prayers that at least one from each family does not miss out an opportunity to straight up finish college. You know the works - get a degree, get a job. Maybe fish out their family from the area. Or maybe while doing so, get to build their own family with a better footing and leverage this time around.
Before I bore you further.. .hahahaha... please do check these people out. They
have awesome stories relayed from their beautiful minds and hearts. 
It is voluntary and a Sunday thing.
Before this community, that we can call Khaos Ghetto, both of them were able to work with other communities. There was the Karis community, Eirene community, etcetera.
Most of which were easy communities to deal with. Janine was in Khaos Ghetto a month before Carla came in. Carla was directed by a common friend to Janine.
The first shock that Carla experienced in that community went like this:
The session for seven-year-olds to ten-year-olds were ongoing in their rented building. As usual the kids were happy, noisy, playing around. Even when there were already an ongoing session, there were some who were talking above Janine's voice then.
In the previous community Carla was involved in, telling the kids that no one will get to have their snacks if they are caught not listening or participating, works. Here, the threat would only last for few minutes. But Janine was not fazed at all she continues to tell stories and engage with kids who were listening.
And then, in the middle of that session, a group of about fifteen kids, came rushing into the hall and with a loud voice was asking for some kid whose name was "Ramon".
They go, "Show us Ramon and he will be given his lesson."
These were kids, with angry tone. No one showed "Ramon" or no "Ramon" raised his hand but what happened next was a complete riot of kids - female and male - throwing punches at each other. Lots of painful words passed one to another. Carla and Janine struggled to pull each kids apart. They were really punching, strangling each other, scratching each other, and they won't seem to stop until the neighboring residents already intervened and helped.
The kids who barged in the session also attend their sessions but a different time slot mainly for reasons like what happened.
Apparently kids from Street A and Street B and Street C have their own respective "gangs". Yes, no kidding as early as seven years old. So Janine and the team working on this community, decided to have different schedules for these kids.
So what did this Ramon do? Apparently, Ramon from Street A, passed by Street B and screamed "Cain is g*y!" . Laughed. and then screamed the same lines. Ramon felt free maybe because no one from Cain's gang was in the streets at that time. But one of Cain's friend heard it and relayed the story and the rest is history.
This is just one of the scenarios Carla witnessed. She stayed a bit for some time after Janine was able to convince her that this is exactly where their hearts will be put to test.
Carla tried. But the community was heavy with a pattern of drugs, violence, teenage pregnancy, abortion, deception, etcetera. And it seems that the parents themselves do not care anymore. It was too much for Carla. The previous communities have the support of parents. But for Khaos, it was a pattern passed down from generation, that people there were already just numb.
Carla remembered three teenagers she was able to "build a relationship with". She thought she was connecting with them already. Saying they understood why they need to stay away from drugs, some friends at school, etcetera .. only to end up crying one time and no longer attending because, you guessed it, one night of drug sesh and one night of "trying to fit in" now they are young teenage parents.
Janine cleared her throat to explain to Carla. She goes,
"Unless we grew up in the same home and family, we meet people in the middle of their messes. Some culture, behavior, survival skills have taken root in their system already. They also have that unspoken determined future - which is the same as everyone else's. Neighbor A did that and they seem to be alive still. Neighbor B said drugs is ok because Neighbor B was in to it and he is fine. Things like that. We came in the middle of their mess and and unless I understand their messes and fight with them and battle with them on my knees, they will not see what we are giving them as attainable hope. It will remain, uhm, ideal. It will remain "that's good but not for me". I can only direct them, pray for them and communicate to them that their lives are meant for more. I cannot expect things to happen overnight. Or I cannot hold it against them that even though they said they understood, they will be more aware of their choices next day. Because they do have it in their head but they are battling a lot of things inside them. Hopefully, prayerfully, they battle well and the good and hopeful steps up. But until then, I myself have to stay hopeful. These are beautiful lives, Carla. Not entirely ideal and comfortable, guidable and directable but they are. Now I have three or four about to graduate and get their degrees. Not without a lot of fight and struggles, but getting there. Just three or four kids from this community to let other kids know and see they can have a better future. Eventually it will ripple. Inspire one to break out of the mold."
"I stepped in the middle of their mess and, golly it was messy, but nothing that makes the Maker love them less. so why should I love them less?", says my brain.
Eeek. Ok that was long enough. There's a Carla in us and a Janine in us. Pick your player. :D
There are a lot of people we will meet along this journey called life. And we will be meeting them in the middle of their becoming. Most of them we will like, some of them we will not like in a heart beat even if we've just met, and have not had a single encounter yet and then there are those that we thought we'd get along with but it's a prank in the long run.
Nonetheless, may you aim to impact lives well. Well .. choose the positive impact. Impact can go both ways - not care that's an impact, care some .. that's an impact, care more and be the bigger person that's an impact. Piss them off that's another impact. Choose your weapon well.
Hello Read-itizens! Did everyone yawn yet?
© Pichi28
All Original Content
Unless specified otherwise...
Even if this is a fictional story, there's a hint of reality into it. There are communities that are driven by peer pressure and doing all of those mess as a whole. Yung mga lugar na puro siga ba tapos illegal ang paraan ng pamumuhay.
It's also a great feeling to impact others in a good way that we inspire them to do better.