> > > --- On Wed, 6/10/09, hermes adriano > <hermes_adriano@ yahoo.com> wrote: > > From: hermes adriano <hermes_adriano@ yahoo.com> > Subject: Fw: The Basurero (a story with very good lesson) > To: "Maura Torralba" > <mauramtorralba213@ yahoo.com>, "brenda sese" > <bas...@gmail. com>, "connie tiglao" > <tiglao...@aol. com>, "Angelica Carlos" > <angeecarwin@ yahoo.com>, "Emmie Santos" > <emmie0...@yahoo. com>, "gil mendoza" > <gil_men...@yahoo. com>, "Nora Pamintuan > Boone" <ccn...@yahoo. com>, "Enrica > Lagman" <rica...@hotmail. com>, "christine > temblique" <christinetemblique@ yahoo.com>, > "denz daito" <[email protected]. au>, > "ElyAnong Concepcion" > <elyan...@optonline. net>, "Asuncion Gavilla" > <amgavi...@yahoo. com>, "Carol Valenton" > <mamsie_...@yahoo. com>, "Cesar Corcuera" > <c...@repchem. com>, "Cesar Etruiste Jr." > <cesaretruiste@ gmail.com>, "cynthia manalo" > <cynthia_n_manalo@ yahoo.com>, "Divine Riding > Lucero" <divine_riding@ yahoo.com>, "Eugene > Mateo" <eugene.mateo@ tvipacific. com.ph>, > "Francisco Moral" > <moral_francisco@ yahoo.com>, "Rory > ArgenteKiamco" <ag_...@yahoo. com>, "visimar > mores" <tripaliumswife@ yahoo.com> > Date: Wednesday, June 10, 2009, 3:40 AM > > > THIS WILL TOUCH YOUR HEART....... > GOD BLESS ALL OF US! > > GOD IS ALWAYS KIND TO THE WIDOWS > AND ORPHANS and children, in > general.. Let's appreciate our > parents > who took care of us unselfishly- > who put to heart the moral > responsibility > of rearing God given children. And > for this - it is our moral obligation > to do the same to our kids. > > > Read on. > > > ===== > > > Very touching and a great eye opener for all of > us. > > > > > > From a Cebuano, a touching and a worth-living > story. > > > > Ever since I was diagnosed with having a possible heart > enlargement, I > have followed > a strict regimen of physical > exercises. I jog during week days > and take a long > ride biking to the mountains every > Sunday. > > But this Sunday turned out to be a special Sunday for me. > While I was on > my way > to the mountains of Busay (Cebu) hoping to strengthen my heart > by > this > exercise, > I personally encountered a > heart-breaking scene that changed > me. > > I had already passed by the Marco > Polo Plaza (formerly Cebu Plaza Hotel) > when I decided to stop to buy > bananas > at a small carinderia > located > along the road. > I haven't taken any solid food > that morning so I wanted some > fruits to have the needed > energy > to get to my destination - the > mountain > top. > > I was almost done eating with a second banana when I > noticed two > children across > the street busily searching the > garbage area. "*Basureros* " > I said to > myself and quickly turned my > attention away from them to sip a small > amount of > water. I couldn't care less for > these children, to make it straight, > I do not like > them and I do not trust them at > all. > > You see, several times I had been a victim to these > children who are > pretending to be *basureros* > looking > for empty bottles and cans when in > fact > the 'palangganas' , kalderos', and 'hinayhays' are their favorites. > > I remember one afternoon while I was watching a TV program > when the > screen suddenly > became blurred. I checked outside > and saw two young > *basureros*running away with > my > newly installed antenna! > > Hatred may be too strong a word to describe my feeling > towards these *basureros*, but I > honestly just > do not like them. Until 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 years of age, > saying aloud to the other, a boy of > about 12 years, "Kuya si > Dodong > kunin mo kasi tumitingin sa mga > kumain, nakakahiya." > Only then did I notice a small boy > standing near me > biting slightly > his fingers. He's a few inches > shorter compared to my own > 5-year old son > (I came to know later that > he's also 5 years old). > > Though he did not ask for food from anyone in the carinderia, the way > he > was > looking at the customers who > were > eating was enough to convince me > that > he was intensely > craving for food. 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 "Kawawa naman yang mga batang > yan mababait pa naman." > I > learned further from the carinderia owner that > the children were from a > good family. > Both parents were working before > and that their father had a > stroke 3 years > ago and became partially paralyzed > while their mother died of > heart attack > as 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 the cost > of > 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 > po, salamat na > lang, bibili na > lang po > kami mamaya > kung makabenta na kami," the young girl said to me. > > > > > > I explained > that > they needed to go home because it > was starting to rain. "Nasanay > na po > kami," the girl answered > further. > > Again, I explained that the rain could make them sick and > if they get > sick > there'll > be no one to take care of their > father. Upon mention of their > father, they nodded and accepted > 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 > and as he was about to explain, the > little girl, who is the more > talkative of them, interrupted > "Linggo po kasi > ngayon, pag sabado > at lingo > hapon lang > po siya > 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 ang nag-aagahan, kami naman hapunan lang. > Pero kung marami kaming > benta, kami > pong lahat (kumakain)," > she continued.. > > > > > "Bakit hindi nyo > na lang hati-hatiin ang pagkain kahit > kakaunti para > makakain kayong > lahat?" > I countered. > > The young girl reasoned out that their father wanted her > older brother > to come > to school with a full stomach > so he can easily catch up on the > teacher's lessons. "Pag nagkatrabaho > na si > kuya, hihinto na > kami sa pamamasura, > first honor kasi siya," the little boy added > proudly. > > Maybe I was caught by surprise or I was just overly > emotional that my > tears > begun to fall. I then quickly > turned my back from them to hide my tears > and pretended > to pick up my bike from the carinderia 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 my > bike. > > Finally, I get on to my bike and approached the three > children to bid > them > goodbye > and they 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. Although I believe that > their positive look at life > could someday > change > their present situation, there is one thing that > they > could never > change anymore, that is, their > being motherless. That little boy > can no > longer taste the sweet > embrace, caring, and most of all, the love > of > his mother > forever. Nobody can fill the empty > gap created by that sudden and > untimely death of their mother. > Every big event that will happen to > their > lives will only remind them of > their > loss and make them wish for their > mother's > presence. > > I reached into my pocket and handed to them my last 100 > peso bill which > I was > reserving for our department's > bowling tournament. This time they > refused strongly but I > jokingly > said to the girl, "Suntukin kita pag > hindi > mo tinanggap yan." > > > > She smiled > as she extended her hand to take > the money. > “Salamat po, > makakabili na kami > 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 hand and said > bye bye > to him > as I drove towards the mountains > again. Did he just find the > toy > in the garbage area or was the toy > originally his -- before the > misfortune > struck? I did not bother to > ask. > But one thing is crystal clear to > me, that > in spite of the boy's abnormal > life, he has not given up his childhood > completely. I can sense > it by the > way he held and stared at his toy. > > My meeting with those young *basureros* made me poorer by 100 pesos > but > it changed me > and made me richer in > lessons of life. > > In them, I learned that life can change > suddenly and just anyone may be > caught completely unprepared. > > In them, I've learned that even the darkest side of > life, cannot change > the beauty > of one's heart. Those three > children, who > can infrequently > partake of > three meals a day, were still able > to hold on to what they believe was > right. What a contrast to many of > us who are quick to point to our > misfortunes > to justify acts of impropriety. > > In them, > I've learned to hope for > deliverance even when things seem to > go > the > other way. > > Lastly, I know that God cares for them. That while He may > have allowed > them > to suffer such a terrible > life, > which our finite minds cannot > comprehend, > His boundless love will surely see > them through. And in God's own time > I know they > will > prevail. GOD BLESS!!! > > > > Dr. Fabian M. Dayrit > Dean, School of Science & Engineering > Professor, Department of Chemistry > Ateneo de Manila University > Loyola Heights > 1108 Quezon City , Philippines > > > > > > > > > > > Get > your new Email address! > Grab the Email name you've always wanted before someone > else does! > > > > > New > Email names for you! > Get the Email name you've always wanted on the new > @ymail and @rocketmail. > Hurry before someone else does! > > > > > > > > > Fast, Ad-free, Unlimited Storage - Yahoo! Mail allows you to have it all at http://ph.mail. yahoo.com ________________________________ Surf faster. Internet Explorer 8 optmized for Yahoo! auto launches 2 of your favorite pages everytime you open your browser.Get IE8 here! (It's free) ________________________________ New Email names for you! Get the Email name you've always wanted on the new @ymail and @rocketmail. Hurry before someone else does! Jazz up your status message with Emoticons.Now you can with the all-new Yahoo! Messenger. http://ph.messenger.yahoo.com
