As the dawn breaks, my mother’s voice fills the air waking us up for our daily routine. After breakfast, we go directly to our scheduled tasks. My brothers go to the farm with my father to sow corn seeds or most of the time, to help him in coconut farming. I and my sister, do the housekeeping and the laundry while my mother attends to my youngest brother. During lunchtime, we feast together to anything prepared in the table. We share whatever food we have. Nobody learns to complain. Our parents teach us to be grateful for whatever we receive. After lunch is siesta time. My parents take their afternoon nap while we rush into the river (20 steps away from the house) to take a bath and do our river games. At 2:00 p.m., we get back to our tasks. After dinner, my mother plays the guitar and my father sings to the accompaniment while we, their children listen and sing as well. By the way, my father is a good singer. His voice is as such of those who serenade in the Bikolano radio stations on Sundays. My mother sings nicely, too. No doubt, we their children inherit that trait. This is how summer passes during our days in the barrio. Those days when we learn the value of family and work….
My childhood years took a great part in my individuality. I am very much thankful that I was born with farm workers blood in my veins. I appreciate my father’s effort to earn a living even as a Kasama' to a 10 hectare land of a distant relative. I admire my mother’s contribution; I mean great contributions in raising us up with simplicity and patience, with love and concern for each other. We’re composed of 9 children: 6 boys & 3 girls. Being considered as large family didn't matter at all. We are raised as loving individuals. We love each other. We care for one another. We live simply and we’re happy.
However, to eat three times a day is not enough. Other necessities have to be satisfied. Idea of improving our lives lingered in the minds of my elder siblings. Their desire to alleviate us from poverty encouraged them to do something. My eldest brother tried in his own way to be of help after his high school graduation. He went to Manila to find a suitable job for him. He was hired as a security guard in certain factory.
My sister, second in the family, graduated as high school valedictorian. She was awarded with College Scholarship and took BS Accountancy Course in PUP, Lopez. After finishing her first semester, she decided to work as nanny in Singapore than to continue her college scholarship to help us, her younger siblings in our schooling. We thanked God anyway. She found a Roman Catholic Chinese family who treated her with kindness and concern. She stayed there for six years until my sister decided to end her contract to establish family of her own.
On her third year overseas, my brother next to her also tried life abroad. His eagerness to change our simple life inspired him to obtain high school diploma in RECTO (You guys probably know what I mean) since he just finished third year academics that year. He was employed in a fishing vessel which sailed across Pacific Ocean. Unfortunately, his first time sailing experience was never been good. He dealt with diversity of nationalities, different cultures and various attitudes and the worst, a selfish captain who never played the game squarely. He didn’t receive the salary due to him and to his co-workers. Their extra earnings were claimed by this captain. He was very frustrated. The scenario almost defeated him but the thoughts of us, his family back home, strengthened him. He returned home with some money on his pocket along with great frustration.
Our 4th sibling, a very kind and a gentle brother, finished his secondary education with flying colors. Believing that having a degree will alleviate us from poverty, he urged our parents to send him to college. Unfortunately, our parents cannot afford to send him yet. Unknown to us, he left with a distant aunt to try his luck in Manila. He worked as a factory worker/delivery helper in a cartoon box factory in Valenzuela. In one of the deliveries, an accident took place. He was hit and run. He was left paralyzed and eventually died due to complications.
Our 3rd sibling then tried his luck for the second time. He sailed again. Fortunately, he found better employer and a far better captain who entrusted him the engine, a more challenging yet not so laborious job. There he got his own cabin and he received other benefits which were deprived of him on his first sail. This great opportunity helped us a lot. My parents were able to buy our own farmland. We bought new branded appliances which I and my elder brother chosen for our 2 storey house in the town proper which was the fruit of my sister’s hardwork in Singapore.
Since then, our life has changed. My parents were able to acquire our own farmlands and raised various farm animals.The younger kids, including me, continued studying.
Yes, we're still poor in finances but we are rich in love, that's what matters most.
