I was starving- no breakfast, no lunch. Meron maliit na tinadahan na merong mga kaldero, we sat down and ate lumpiang prito. The owner was very hospitable. In fact she just wanted to let us eat a few pieces for free.
I ate two pieces, Edmund had 3. Masarap, freshly cooked. Limang piso bawat isa.
We had a tiny cold bottle of coke each, for twelve pesos each. The coke came from the other store, owned by her sister.
Life here is simpler and cost of living is cheaper. For ten pesos, you can have ginisang upo, or tapsi. One hundred pesos can provide a medium sized family a decent meal three times a day.
Masarap mag-istambay sa tindahan na ito, nakaka-bawas kahit papaano ng pagod. At medyo makwento yung may ari, si Elsa at si Romy, na libang din ako for a few minutes.
Ang daming-daming kwento ni Elsa about her life. We were total strangers and yet she was parang naghahanap ng maku-kwentuhan ng buhay nya.
Her first husband died of sickness (hapo daw, that’s either lungs or tb) ten years ago. Then after a few years, her 33 year old eldest son, died from the same sickness. She has four living adult children.
A——“Meron ka ng mga apo Elsa?”
Elsa—“Hayan nga mam ang problema ko, apat ang anak ko, ang gaganda ng mga anak ko, dalawang tomboy, dalawang bakla”.
A——-“Nakatapos ba sila ng pag-aaral?”
Elsa—-“Ayaw nila talagang mag-tapos. Yung isa may kinkasama na, yung isa tumutulong dito sa amin, yung mga bakla, namamasukan sa bayan”.
A——-“Di bale, basta mababait naman sila at walang mga sakit”.
I admire them both for being so hardworking. They don’t close their store. They take turns sleeping at night. Kasi daw minsan madaling araw merong magpapa-luto ng tapsi-log or hotdog. Sayang din daw ang kita dahil they support their other relatives too.
