A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after having fought in Vietnam. He called his parents from San Francisco.
"Mom and Dad, I’m coming home, but I’ve a favor to ask. I have a friend I’d like to bring home with me."
"Sure," they replied, "we’d love to meet him."
"There’s something you should know the son continued, "he was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mind and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us."
"I’m sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live."
"No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us."
"Son," said the father, "you don’t know what you’re asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can’t let something like this interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He’ll find a way to live on his own."
At that point, the son hung up the phone. The parents heard nothing more from him. A few days later, however, they received a call from the San Francisco police. Their son had died after falling from a building, they were told. The police believed it was suicide. The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their horror they also discovered something they didn’t know, their son had only one arm and one leg.
The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love those who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don’t like people who inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who aren’t as healthy, beautiful, or smart as we are. Thankfully, there’s someone who won’t treat us that way. Someone who loves us with an unconditional love that welcomes us into the forever family, regardless of how messed up we are.
Dahil sa tindi ng kahirapan sa probinsya, namasukan si Inday
bilang katulong sa Maynila. Habang ini-interview ng amo…
Amo: Kelangan namin ng katulong para mag ayos ng bahay, magluto,
maglaba, magplantsa, mamalengke, at magbantay ng mga bata. Kaya mo
ba ang lahat ng ito?
Inday: I believe that my trained skills and expertise in management
with the use of standard tools, and my discipline and experience will
contribute significantly to the value of the work that you want, my
creativity, productivity and work-efficiency and the high quality of
outcomes I can offer will boost the work progress.
Amo: [nosebleed]
Nakaraan ang dalawang araw, umuwi ang amo, nakitang me bukol si junior.
Amo: Bakit me bukol si junior?
Inday: Compromising safety with useless aesthetics, the not-so-well
engineered architectural design of our kitchen lavatory affected the
boy’s cranium with a slight boil at the left temple near the auditory
organ.
Amo: [nosebleed ulit]
Kinagabihan, habang naghahapunan…
Amo: Bakit maalat ang ulam?
Inday: The consistency was fine. But you see, it seems that the
increased amount of sodium chloride (NaCl) affected the taste
drastically and those actions are irreversible. I do apologize.
Amo: [nosebleed na naman]
Donya: Bakit tuwing pag-uwi ko, nadadatnan kitang nanunuod ng tv?!
Inday: Because I don’t want you to see me doing absolutely nothing.
Donya: [hinimatay]
Kinabukasan, sinamahan ni Inday si junior sa principal’s office
dahil di makapunta ang amo at donya.
Principal: Sinuntok ni junior ang kanyang kaklase.
Inday: It’s absurd! It was never a fact that he will inflict a fight.
I can only imagine how you handle schizophrenic kids on this
educational institution. Revise your policies because they suck!
Principal: [nag resign]
Pag dating sa bahay, nandun na ang amo, galit na galit.
Amo: Inday, bakit nagkalat ang basura sa likod ng bahay?!
Inday: A change in the weather patterns might have occurred
wrecking havoc to the surroundings. The way the debris are scattered
indicates that the gust of wind was going northeast causing damage
to the path it was heading for.
Amo: [nosebleed ulit]
Habang nagluluto si Inday ng hapunan, malikot si junior…
Inday: Stop your raucous behavior. It is bound to result in
property damages and if that happens there will be corresponding
punishment to be inflicted upon you!
Junior: [takbo sa CR, pinunasan ang nagdudugong ilong]
Pagkatapos magluto, nanood na ng TV si Inday.
Nabalitaan nya umalis si Angel Locsin sa GMA 7.
Junior: Bakit kaya sya umalis?
Inday: Sometimes, people choose to leave not because of selfish
reasons but because they just know that things will get worse if
they’ll stay. Leaving can be a tough act, and it’s harder when
people can’t understand you for doing so.
Junior: [tuloy ang pagdugo ng ilong]
Nung gabing yon, me nag text ke Inday. Si Dodong, ang driver
ng kapitbahay, gusto maki pag text-mate…
Inday: To forestall further hopes of acquaintance, my unfathomable
statement to the denial of your request - Petition denied.
Di nagla-on, dahil sa tyaga ni Dodong, naging syota nya rin si
Inday. Pero di tumagal ang kanilang relasyon, at nakipag-break
si Inday ke Dodong.
Inday: The statute restricts me to love you but you have the
provocations. The way you smile is the proximate cause why I
love you. We have some rules to think of. We have no vested rights to
love each other because the upper household dismissed my petition!"
Dodong: Perhaps you are mistaken, what you seem to contrive as
any affections for you are somewhat half-hearted. I was merely
attempting to expand my network of interests by involving you in my
daily recreation. Heretofor, you can expect an end to any verbal
articulation from myself"
Me dumaan na mamang basurero, at narinig ang usapan ni Inday at Dodong.
Basurero (sabi ke Inday): Be careful in letting go of the things
you thought are just nothing because maybe someday you’ll realize
that the one you gave away is the very thing you’ve been wishing
for to stay.
Narinig ang lahat ng eto ng amo ni inday.
Amo: [nagpakamatay]
Accepts you as you are, Believes in you, Calls you just to say "Hi!" Doesn’t give up on you, Envisions the whole of you! Forgives your mistakes, Gives unconditionally, Helps you when you need a hand! Ignores your little flaws, Just wants to be with you, Keeps you close to their heart, Loves you for who you are! Makes a difference in your life! Never judges unfairly, Offers support, Picks you up when you’re down! Quiets your fears, Raises your spirits, Says nice things about you, and Tells you the truth when you need to hear it! Understands you, Values the good things in you, Walks beside you through sun or rain! Xplains things you don’t understand, Yells when you won’t listen, and ZAPS you back to reality when you need it!
