Who says Christmas is for kids?
Last Christmas I wrote about three old men, one of whom was already dead at the time. Earlier this year one of them died as well and the last one is barely hanging on. I wish for him to live a little bit longer as we are planning a huge event to honor him while he still can see how much he is loved.
But this holiday season for me is all about kids.
Last Saturday, five days before Christmas, our radio program’s main guest was little ten-year old Nicole.She was very small for her age but quite tough and feisty for someone so young. It’s no surprise really. This kid sells rags on Manila’s mean streets right after school, weaving in and out of deadly traffic to earn thirty pesos everyday. Her family lives in Tatalon, a nasty barangay of drug addicts, other petty crimes and grinding poverty. Her father is house painter who is usually out of job while her mother is a laundrywoman. We asked little Nicole why they are poor, she told us it’s because government officials pocket money meant for the poor. We asked little Nicole what must be done, she yelled, “Oust gloria!” and “Imperyalismo ibagsak!” We asked Nicole what she wanted for Christmas and she told us she just wants a day at the Quezon Circle with her family. We asked Nicole what she really yearned for Christmas she told us she wanted a day at StarCity (a carnival). Nicole told us in a quivering voice she has never been to StarCity and that none of four siblings (two of whom have become adults) have been to a carnival.
I saw Fred, the booth technician, hanging on to the kid’s every word. It took a lot from me to hold back tears.
Last Sunday, I met Bechay and her parents. I had the happy task of telling them that ten-year old girl will be sponsored by one of CERV’s former volunteers. She will be receiving education support from Rebecca Snell of Australia, ensuring her fare and lunch money—two of the biggest reasons why millions of Filipino kids drop out of school. But while making one kid happy is more like my idea of Christmas, I kept thinking about Nicole.
Monday came and it was the day I promised I’d take my seven-year old niece Chloe to Snow World inside StarCity. We brought Andrea along, Pom’s precocious ten-year old niece. My entire side of the family was there too. It turned out that Chloe couldn’t bear the minus 15 degree chill but Andrea was showing a lot of teeth throughout—grinning like a horse from sheer joy. We all had a good time bonding but my thoughts were punctured by Nicole and her dream of visiting the place.
On our way home and while waiting for the traffic light to turn green at a street corner, a woman with a thin and frail child in her arms tried to grab the soda my sister was drinking. My startled sister cried out. That put a damper on our upbeat mood. But if I was that woman and my child is dying with hunger in my arms, I would do far worse. I’d kill even if needed to save my child.
Driving around the city these past few days I saw a lot more kids begging on the streets. Most where caroling but in the Philippine context, they were really begging. And they were joined by a lot more adults. Most were namamasko but in the Philippine context, it is really begging.
Christmas came and Pom and I gave dozens of gifts to our godchildren, nieces and nephews. We felt like kids ourselves when we were opening gifts. (Of course, we grinned and shrieked like kids for every gift we liked and obligatorily smiled for every gift we didn’t like so much—especially when the giver was present.)
Now, it’s the day after Christmas. I again remember Nicole and wonder if she received any gift at all. I remember all the kids who asked me for pamasko but who I failed.
There will come a time, hopefully in the near future, when I may be able to raise funds to take Nicole and her siblings to StarCity. But there will never be a time when I can afford to give gifts to every kid who knocks on my car window. There are just too many poor kids around.
Something is really wrong with this country. We can not even assure our children of a good Christmas, not to mention assure them of a life the rest of the year. Perhaps, it is time we listen to kids like Nicole.
