Hazy Reality

I spend four hours or more of my time during workdays riding on a public transport. These hours I try to spend as fruitful as possible whether reading books, contemplating my work, or simply surveying things that surrounds me.

I was heading home one night and noticed a couple of kids selling sampaguitas at EDSA-Kamuning. If you're not familiar with EDSA–this hi-way is notorious for the prescence of erratic bus drivers, and over speeding cars. They were just probably 3 to 4 years of age wandering the busy hi-way, knocking on windows of private cars to sell their sampaguitas. I began to wonder: where are the parents of this kids? They're selling sampaguitas but do they already know how to count their change? Why such fate at a very young age?

Di ako marunong bumasa o sumulat,
at di ko rin inasam na matutunan pa.

Sa humintong dyip dagli-dagliang sumampa
baka sakaling may maawa.
Gumapang sa pagitan ng mga sapatos at sa mga paang pagod sa maghapon
Agad na pinunasan ang bawat isa sa mga iyon.
Hanggang sa umabot papalapit sa tsuper
aking tiningala ang lulan nya.

Sa mata nila iba't-ibang emosyon ang aking nakita.
May inis, awa, paghamak.
Pero ang aking ipinagtataka
ay yung mgataong di ako nakikita...
Alam ko ako'y nasa tabi na nya
Pero ni lumingon ay di nya magawa.

Ayan ang aking hanapbuhay sa edad na apat.
Marahil makakabuting ako'y magpahinga muna.
Masakit na ang aking lalamunan at likuran.
Bukas naman ulit...