Friends find her occasionally obnoxious
and more often abrasive; that is because she dares verbalize what others only
entertain in their minds. She is often
misunderstood; but, if you were a friend seeking for the truth about yourself, she
is the go-to friend. It seems that one
abiding trait she has is that she is a stickler for the truth, the truth and just
the truth. If you, therefore, wish not
to hear the ugly facts of life, don’t ask her honest opinion because that is
exactly what you will get.
Her older siblings think of her as the
evil that visited their family. In a
clan of deep-throated females, she stands out as the only one with the
high-pitched voice. A voice she uses to
advantage because when she raises it, even her older brother quakes in
anticipation of what she may do. You see, she just does not care what others
may think or do. Often, she had been
advised by her mom that should she wish to pursue the profession she is engaged
in right now, she would have to develop better people skills.
But, how do you develop people skills in
someone who has such an impressive history of mayhem to stand on? For the record, she had been able to make
all, yes, ALL, of her classmates in primary school cry. Oh, except one. This exception being a real nice one who was
and still is all smiles and sunshine at all times. In fact, she looks back in recollection and speculate
on why most of them are still her friends by now. How did they withstand the pranks she played
on them?
Then, too, there were the teachers with
whom she had been able to get away with everything short of murder. She had this one homeroom teacher who
repeatedly asked that she “bring Mother” so that her antics could be properly
reported. Her mother, however, never
found out about it until she was in high school. She knew her teacher was forgetful so she
never told her mother. Talk about exception
to self-incrimination!
With all these so-called faults, however,
she is a very caring and self-sacrificing individual. She will think nothing of sticking her neck
out for those that are near and dear to her.
Despite her meager earnings, she never minded throwing her last peso to
whoever might need it more.
Her counsels are often beyond her years
such that even those that are much older would seek her suggestions on
situations that may baffle them. I guess
the older one gets, the more one can appreciate a stickler for facts and truth.
When she was in pre-school, her older
sister was stricken with an expensive, debilitating illness. Both her parents became too busy with her
sister who required hospitalization every month. Even being youngest, she never dared call
attention to her own needs. She wrote a
note to her mother with the message, “Mama, it is ok if you don’t give
money. Water for snack is ok.” Her school shoes were too worn that one sole was already almost detached. Her
teacher took pity on her and wrote her mother asking for money so she could
accompany her student to buy a new pair of school shoes. That was the only time her mother noticed
that her shoes, indeed, were no longer useful so they immediately went shopping
for a new pair. Her mother gently
explained that there will always be funds for a little girl’s needs so there
was no reason to scrimp on them.
True to her nature, she never demanded
anything for herself. She simply took on
tasks and finished them without even telling anyone that the jobs had been
done. As soon as she gained employment,
she endorsed her ATM card to her mother so that the latter could withdraw
whatever amounts she may need. Never
caring about money, she is quite happy with little and shares them openly with
everyone. When budget is discussed at
home, she would endlessly offer whatever she may have. Ironically, she is the one who earns the
least among her siblings!
Frequently, she gets underestimated and
undervalued especially by those around her.
It could be because she never applauded herself publicly. As we say in Tagalog, “hindi marunong
magbuhat ng sariling bangko.” (Doesn’t know how to lift one’s own chair.) Maybe it is because she is more than her
weight in gold that she does not need to lift her own chair anymore.
Nevertheless, she is one person I will
always want to have beside me in a storm.
Low-key, spunky, straightforward, stable, realistic, clear-thinking and
creative – she is all these and more.
One moment, she irritates and in another, she fascinates.
As she turns the annual page of time
today, I pay this tribute to her inner strength of character.
I love you, my Tiny. Happy Birthday!!!
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