LABJOY & ANGGI, SINO SILA?

Ngayon ko lang sila kinilala. Matagal na silang pabalik-balik dito sa bahay, pero ngayong umaga ko lang inalam ang mga pangalan nila.

I woke up earlier this morning to prepare myself for some reasons which I won't share anymore. O diba, minention ko pa kung hindi ko rin naman pala sasabihin. :p Anyway, at around 8:30am, nag-ayo na naman sila sa amin. I mean, these kids who frequently come to our house and ask for plastics and tin cans. Kung hindi naman mga yan ang hinihingi nila, piso, pan, biscuit, o tubig naman. Scripted na yung mga batang yan. Like this:

"Ayo... Te, mangayo lang mi ug plastic ug lata...

(Wala baya gang...)

Te, mangayo mig piso... 

Te, mangayo lang mi ug pan ug biscuit...

Te, inom lang mi ug tubig, te...."

Memorize ko na yan, gang. Minsan nga, pag nag-ayo na sila, ginagaya ko na yang script nila. :p 1 year na rin silang pabalik-balik sa amin. I'm not quite sure though, pero basta matagal na rin. I know them 101% by face. 

Anyway, balik tayo sa story. Kanina, humingi sila ng plastic at lata. Pero since wala kaming naipon na para ibigay sa kanila, sabi ko sa kanila na wala at bumalik na lang sila next time. Tapos bigla silang humingi ng damit. So sa isip ko, "Ah, sila pala yung tinutukoy ni Papa na babalik daw para sa damit." Kasi the last time they came over, si Papa yung naka-entertain sa kanila and told them na balik na lang sila para sa damit na gusto nila hingin. So yun, I reached out some pieces of old clothing that were readily available for them if ever they come back.

While waiting for me to put the clothes into a decent plastic bag, diretso silang pumasok dahil wala kaming gate. Nung papalabas na ako para ibigay sa kanila, nagulat ako kasi nakadungaw na sila sa screen door waiting for me. Suddenly, I felt their excitement. My heart grew even bigger with their thank you's.

(Pag-abot sa kanila)

Girl1: Salamat, te.

Ako: Ok. Balik na lang mo sa sunod gang kay mangita pa ko.

Girl2: Kami lang duha, te?

Ako: O, kamo lang duha.

Girl1: (Nakakita ng lata sa basura namin.) Te, pangayuon lang nako na ang lata, te.

Ako: Ay, naa dira? O sige, gang. (sinigang? haha joke!)

(Then I thought of initiating a conversation with them by asking for their names. Actually, the reason why inalam ko rin ang pangalan nila eh para next time bumalik sila, alam kong sila yung sinabihan ko na bumalik para sa damit. Tsaka gusto ko sila lang yung bigyan, depende na sa kanila yun kung babahagian nila yung iba nilang mga katropa. Haha.)

Ako to Girl2: Unsa imong pangalan, gang? (registration period ni sya, gang! haha)

Girl2: Labjoy...

Ako: Katong isa? (busy kuha sa lata haha)

Labjoy: Anggi, te...

Ako: Ah... O sige, balik na lang mo sa sunod ha? Para sa mga sinina.

Labjoy: Kami lang duha, te?

Ako: Oo, kamo lang duha ha. Para dili kaayo daghan.

Labjoy to Anggi: (Nilapitan si Anggi.) Kita lang daw duha sa sunod.

(Then, as they were about to leave...)

Anggi: (Nakuha na yung dalawang lata.) Salamat, te.

Ako: O sige2. Ingat mo.

Labjoy: Babye, te. (dala hand gesture and warm smile)

And pagbalik ko sa loob ng bahay, I was like... PLEASE LANG, LABJOY! Nagmelt ang heart ko sayo! :)

After that short talk, I realized that it feels good to engage in a conversation with this kind of people. These kids go to "work" as early as 8:30am? Di ako sure, baka nga kanina pa yun sila 6am o 7 nagstart. We don't even know if they already had their breakfast. Tapos sako pa yung dinadala nila. Wala pa masyadong laman yung sako nila ngayon, pero mamaya mapupuno na yun. It's heavy for their small bodies. I'm also sure that in a "working" day, there are some households that shun these kids away for reasons that they are annoying, disturbing, or whatever. Ganyan lang ang "trabaho" nila, but that fact doesn't make them any little less than being a human. To engage in a conversation with them is one way of treating them nicely and humanely. In their typical "working" day, malamang yung nasasabi lang nila eh yung script lang nila, at yung naririnig lang nila eh yung mga salitang "wala" (minsan pasigaw pa), "naa", o di kaya "balik na lang sa sunod". Kailangan din nila ng makakausap paminsan-minsan. And if you try to talk with them, you'll definitely realize a lot of things.

Yan din siguro ang isa sa mga magagandang bagay na natutunan ko being a Mass Comm graduate. Talk to strangers. We were told not to for some security reasons or so, but no. Talk to them. As long as they are not causing you any harm or the topic doesn't go too personal, do it. Engage in a conversation with people from all walks of life because behind every stranger is a story to unwrap and share. It's also the best way to develop your communication skills.

Sa susunod na bumalik sina Labjoy and Anggi, I'll definitely ask further questions about them or their "work". Videocam, please? Dokyu na ito! HAHA. :D