10.19.09
The Sun
He heads back from work each day when the sun is no longer to be found, not even behind the distant mountains specked with coconut trees. In the course of his homeward trips, he would dream of finally outrunning the sun home, but he would always reach the doorstep long after the sun has descended from the heavens to repose beyond the mountains. But the sun, he thought, in truth never ever descends, it is only the earth momentarily turning one of its many faces away from the sun, and the sun, the sun was always home. There was no chance of beating that.
.
.
Then there was “home”. What he currently calls home is a concrete frame of a house lent by a more privileged relative. With a plastic bag in one hand filled with daily necessities and books on the other, what he comes home to, is a kind but powerless mother who his worthless father long ceased to be faithful to, and a little sister – another manifestation of a failing educational system – whom he had to tutor in basic academics regardless of exhaustion from his laborious but minimum-waged office obligations. He prays that a drunk father would not be what greets him the moment he opens the door, although that is not his main worry, for his father is rarely home anyway. Nevertheless, this fact does not spare him from a flying chair hurled violently by his dipsomaniac father every now and then.
He is a man who has seen too much and knows too much for someone in their mid-twenties, but he has ambitions. Among others, ambitions of improving the corrupt state of his country, and earning a lucrative degree, but only so he could provide for his mother and sister and an imagined future family. Yet in a land where education demands a high price, his meager salary and the time his job requires from him are not ideal formulas that could result to the fulfillment of his dreams. In any case, he is a genius forced to live a harsh and ordinary life. He philosophizes about life and everything around him, he strives to repay the goodness of a mother who dutifully raised him despite being a mere high school graduate, he struggles to ensure a future for his sister even without any stark manifestations of hope, and he braves emotional and physical abuse from his father but always regains his dignity every time the sun reappears in the morning, and for this he knows so much.
What he does not know is that he has already achieved his ambitions. What he does not know is that he is an unsung Filipino hero, and what he lacks is a hero’s welcome and a place he could truly call home where he could ponder leisurely of matters such as the sun. The constant sun who is always home.
.
mika said,
October 19, 2009 at 9:14 am
this is heartbreaking, yet somehow, i don’t know why, still inspiring and hopeful. makes me realized how blessed i am with my home and family. what a painful home some people return to at the end of the day. grabe…
Miracle ♪♫ said,
October 19, 2009 at 9:33 am
*sigh* my heart broke too, while writing this, Mika. Although I may be detached from such conditions, these harsher realities of life keep tugging at my heart. We are truly blessed. I wrote this in honor of those struggling heroes.
TóTómel said,
October 19, 2009 at 12:26 pm
this makes me cry Mir….but thank you very much. you are one of the few who never forget….Thank you.
elaine said,
October 19, 2009 at 4:58 pm
this blog reminds me of my older brother. he is acting somehow as the padre de pamilya by helping my mom in earning money for us. i can see how selfless he is… not thinking about himself but us. i do hope he leaves some for himself. doing another volunteer work a week ago, i saw the condition of their life which is primarily focused on survival rather than self-growth.
it’s heart-breaking.
jonathan hawk follows closely said,
October 19, 2009 at 9:22 pm
It is wonderful. We try to remember our elders, what they give to us. You honor those who toil without recognition. The youth of today, often don’t look at those who pop culture, or the masses don’t recognize overtly. It may be a sad truth, but at least a recognized truth that you honor those who give quietly, and steadily, without fanfare. :-)
Miracle ♪♫ said,
October 20, 2009 at 8:30 am
To TóTómel:
*hug*
=)
¤ ¤ ¤
To Elaine:
You are blessed to have another hero for a brother, Elaine. =)
It is indeed heartbreaking, but I am comforted with the assurance that God will reward them justly for all their sacrifices and goodness.
¤ ¤ ¤
To Jonathan:
Glad my comment box wasn’t hostile to you this time, Jonathan. =)
I shall forever look up to these people and learn from them. I should do more than just write about them… but I know appreciating them and knowing their worth, and calling attention to them is a trivial but pretty good start. =)
becky desiderio said,
October 28, 2009 at 11:56 am
hi mira,
been a long time since i last visited you in cyberspace. was busy with so many things and the Lord somehow gave me a flu to remind me to slow down and smell the roses again and feel the warmth of the sun. this story is very moving, indeed, the sad truth of life. after reading this, i said a little prayer to those people experiencing this kind of life. May the Lord strengthen them and encourage their hearts. i was so happy to read about your article regarding the kids and teaching them on praising the Lord. May they always greet each day, no matter what the circumstance is with a thankful heart and sing to the Lord all their lives. ( i am not a singer, but i sing for Him in the secret room of worship =) )
May God bless you dear, may you inspire more souls through your gifts and encourage the lonely hearts with your music. May God’s anointing be upon you as you go and serve the Lord =)
p.s. you made a woman with a flu in the middle of the desert smile with your kindness
Miracle ♪♫ said,
November 2, 2009 at 7:38 am
Hi, Dr. Becky!
Thank you so much for your the encouragement. I hope I can serve Him all the days of my life. Do get well soon. I can only reciprocate your wishes for me.