Have you noticed that we each has a colorful life? Take for example, the story of Argot.

Argot is one of those plain-faced ladies with supple and sumptuous bodies.  When she walks, those lustful neighbors salivate with how the hips sway and how her legs sparkle with smoothness.  One of them brags at how he will make her scream in ecstasy provided that a towel is available to cover her ugly face which is not ugly at all but plain.

Argot fell in love with one of the hunk neighbors who because of his ego entertained her obvious moves.   He was, to add insult to injury, is to be wed to one of the neighbors, too.  This, being all a secret to Argot.

Argot, one day, after months, was seen by her friend back to her brother’s house, looking bloated, or fat, if that was the more appropriate description.  A friend was not aware that she was conceiving that time.  Argot tried to abort the baby but it clung.

Argot gave birth to a cute baby boy who was denied by his father, that one who is one of the neighbors, and who is about to be wed.   But she gave birth, being a woman with no choice.  The baby died after a year because he was blue baby.  Argot left him alone in the house though she knows the baby will die unattended when he cries continuously.

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His mother left him to work abroad when he was still young. It was his aunt who had took care of him like a child. His father was just a symbol. He never did anything for him except to bring him to school then back home during the elementary years. Now, he had graduated from high school and he had plans for his life that does not include his father.

His aunt asked him once why he treats his father with disrespect. It’s plain and simple he said. His father did not act like one. He had never spent so much for his upbringing. He had witnessed how he spends his mother’s earnings abroad. He never saw him long for his mother.

He admitted that he had lost respect totally when he learned that he had another woman who he frequents. He knows where this woman lives when one day he followed him from work.

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I had just finished reading The Opposite of Love by H. Benedict and this book reminded me of one story.

In the midst of a squatter’s area in Manila lived a poor family. It was only the father who worked because the mother lacks the initiative to help. And so it was the father who worked almost all his life for the family until his death (but this is another story). The eldest of his children was his favorite it seemed. He had never let her do hard work like doing the laundry though most of the time the eldest helped in preparing and cooking food for the family when the mother is not around or is lazy to do the cooking.

Because of the weak body of the eldest, it was the second to the eldest daughter who was assigned to do the laundry. The mother had given the responsibility of doing these house chores early to her daughters. She had even more time to stare at the skies than her daughters. The second to the eldest of course was very annoyed at the situation. She had vent her anger to her older sister. She had always been angry and disrespectful.

One time when she was doing the laundry at the base of the three-stepped house, she started doing the laundry and also started speaking harsh words intended to her older sister. The older sister tried to ignore but her younger sister could not be silenced. As minutes roll by, the older sister got irked and began to speak, “Stop that nonsense or I’ll throw these hangers to you.” The second sister really had this intention to provoke her older sister so she kept on talking ill things about her while the neighbors across and around started to gather. “Stop, or I’ll throw these hangers to you!” went the angry voice. But she could not be stopped. The next thing the second sister knew was that a few hangers landed on her face.

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One day, someone knocked at the door of  a disabled (half-body paralyzed).  It was a burly man who handed the disabled a letter that says:

To whom it may concern:

 

This is to appeal from your benevolence.  The Christian Youth Organization, **** Chapter will have a fund-raising project for their annual Summer Basketball Fest which will be held on the first month of the second quarter of this year.

 

In this regard, we would like to solicit any amount which you would lovingly share.  This will greatly help these teens develop love, camaraderie and unity. 

 

Signed,

 

Chairman

Christian Youth Organization 

Enraged, the disabled returned the letter and said, “Look, I am less than capable of earning money but I just don’t ask money.  I work to be useful!”

The burly man went away without a word.

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She was one of the many pretty, innocent, young girls in a remote place of a province in this ill-fated nation. She was one of those who imagine coming to Manila, the most popular dream destination of little girls like her. The stories about this place make little girls like her desire to visit, stay and make their fortune in it. The stories even haunt their dreams that become frequent as days go by. The stories make the place called Manila a fantasy land or a magic place where everything could be possible.

So it was the stories that forced her to work the possibility of leaving her home and come to Manila. She searched for the lady who was allegedly been giving little girls the opportunity to work in Manila and earn lots of money. After a few weeks, she was already talking to the lady who had promised her almost the nicest things she dreamed of.

Off they went to Manila with several other girls her age. They were instructed to put a little make up so that they would look older than their age. The lady told them the jobs that they will be referred to need girls aged eighteen and above. All of them are underage.

It was a long journey but for her it did not matter at all. Her focus was on her dream of coming to Manila, the place full of bright lights and bright promises and future. After almost two days, they reached their destination. All of the girls, including her, were amazed to discover that the talk about the bright lights is true. It was almost midnight when they reached their destination but there are still many bright lights and people come and go as if they do not rest and sleep.

They were led to a room on the second floor. The lady left them there and locked the door.

She is among the many beautiful, delicate roses in a jungle called Manila, wilted and wasted away by her false hope and dreams. She is a rose in Manila, desired because of the beauty, lusted because of her innocence, and craved for because of her youth. 

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