Our Life Charity

Five years ago I saw this little boy at my Uncle's farm in Rizal. It is their farm helper's son and he was frantically jumping up and down running madly around with no clothes or undies. He was super dirty, had a runny nose and wears no slippers. But he has this smile and this laugh that is sooo contagious. Washed and cleaned he is super adorable. I didn't see him again after our visit to the farm. After a few months I was told that that kid was strangled by his mom when suddenly his mom went berserk. So he was "kidnapped" by my uncle's friend and brought him to my lola's house in Q.C. When I saw him again I fell in love with him (not in a malicious way you perv) 'coz he has this innocent stare (kinda like puss in boots style) that just melted our hearts away. Even my grandfather who is normally stiff and uptight (coz he's a judge and it comes with the job description) got fond of him because unlike my other cousins who are brats (haha) he is obedient and charming. He knows how to play the charity game. Ha clever trick. So yeah he won our hearts and he became everyone's baby boy :) He stayed with us in Marikina for more or less than 6 months and I swear I acted like a concerned Mom all the time! It's freakin' crazy! I was still working in BPI then. That's why I understand Moms when they say they it's hard to leave their children when they go somewhere 'coz that's exactly what I felt when he was here. I would leave at around 6 am but before I head off I always kiss him goodbye and whenever he wakes up with me still there it only always end up with me being late for work. Kids are the cutest in the morning! They have this bewildered look that is so endearing. I always try to put him back to sleep or bribe him with whatever things so as to distract him so I could finally leave. So anyway, for those few months he was the reason why I was excited to go home everyday. Before heading home I see to it I have some pasalubong for him...juice, milk, cookies, toys, name it. I am a sucker mom. A fake sucker mom. What more if he was really my kid? Haha! So one day imagine my heartbreak when my Aunt texted me that his Dad would be fetching him from my Lola's house. Seemed like his mom's a little sane now so they are taking him back. I tell you it seemed like the heavens collapsed on my head haha. And since I work in a bank and I can't cry in front of clients I had to sneak and cry in the pantry or the ladies room. I was also constantly on the phone asking if he'd been fetched or if they're already on their way home. After 2 weeks I saw him again at my Lola's house :) My uncle was able to sneak him out of the farm hehe. I never left his side the whole day and when we finally had to go home to Marikina I cried (even my Mom!) 'coz we know we might not see him again for quite some time. After that, I vowed never to get too attached to him again.


So fast forward to present, he's now 7 years old and he's still living in my Lola's house in Q.C. His parents finally decided to let us (as in our whole clan) fake adopt him 'coz they think it is the right thing to do. Good thinking. When we visited the farm again I got to converse with his Mom and all I ever heard from her are Thank Yous. She said she feels blessed that we are there to look after their son and she thinks he would do better with us. I felt kinda bad for her 'coz I felt how she loves John Dave (that's his name). I was holding her son then, she then turned to him and told him that she was the one who bought the shirt she's wearing, I taught him how to say Thank You. She then left with tears streaming down her face. It was a sad sight but I know that she knows it's all for the best. After all they wouldn't be able to provide for him in that farm. Now, he's in Grade 1. We recently hired a tutor for him because his reading comprehension is a little slow. I heard from my Mom that his tutor said he's now more confident in mouthing words and more active in class. It's slightly because of his inferiority complex. I think he's scared to really express what he feels because he is aware that all the other kids he's playing with are not his real cousins. But now I think he's getting better. Whenever we ask him if he still knows his mom and dad he would just shrug his shoulders. Well when he's ready we would whole-heartedly take him back to his family. We have no plans of adopting him legally, our only purpose is for him to get a good education, get a nice job in the future and go back to his family so he could help them. That is our only wish for him. He's one lucky kid, everyone in the family loves him. He's part of every family celebrations, his birthday is more outlandish than that of my other cousins 'coz he has more "sponsors", and he often have new things. I sometimes take him out for a stroll in the mall. And I love taking him out 'coz he's just a quiet little kid who doesn't run around and who doesn't piss me off. It was a breeze when I bought him new shoes for school. Haha.

But more than that, I think we really are the ones who are lucky to have had him in our lives. We learned the gift of giving, compassion and kindness through him. We learned how to be contented with what we have (especially when it comes to material things) 'coz he is like that. I hope we are worthy teachers who would be able to forever instill in him good values that he could carry out 'til he grows up..that he could share with his family and other siblings when he finally reunites with them.