CHAPTER 4

Life is really full of trials. I could still remember the time when I had to sell “kangkong” and other kind of vegetables just to earn money. During the first hour in the morning, my mom would go right away to her vegetable garden and pick some just so I could have something to sell on the day. I was still a kid that time and I was not mindful of the things that I was doing. Selling a “kangkong” was nothing to me. I was not humiliated of doing it. The only thing on my mind was on how I could help my mom earning money. That’s why at the very young age, I’ve already experienced how to work hard for living. I even cried as I saw my mom having a big problem regarding money. She didn’t know that every time she cried, I also cried. That’s how affected I was to the situation we had. I was still thankful to GOD that I had a responsible mom. Unlike my father he didn’t even be in motion when the storm is coming. He didn’t help to find a way on how we could prevail over from the deprived situation. For him as long as he could sleep, eat and talked to somebody else a day, then that’s enough. That’s how reckless my father is.

October 2000…

I was grade 4 when my older sister was in 3^rd year; she had to leave to Baguio to retain her being the 1^st honor ‘till 4^th year. Because that said “YOUTH CONGRESS” was a great points for her extra-curricular and it was a big lost for her if she couldn’t go there. But thanks to my aunt—that she is always there to save us from falling down.

June 2001, I was already in grade 5 and as always, we were still into selling anything with my mom. By that time, we already have a small store outside the campus and every program of the school or of the town; we went to the crowd and sold mango, hotcakes, etc.

I am really proud of my mom for being hard working. She did everything just so we could eat three times a day.

Until we’ve given a chance to have a space for business in the public market and that was December 2001. We rented it from the government every month. From then on, our small business went into progress. From selling of a banana que, mango and checheria, we were then into managing “Carenderia.” And thanks to ALLAH, the business is making progress. (Nakaluwag na kami sa wakas.)

Year 2002-2003…

I was in my last year in elementary. I’ve got a lot of friends whom I considered as my “barkada.” They were good influence to me, because before I used not to wear my veil. But when we became friends, I learned how to wear my veil again. In this year I realized how great it feels to have friends around.