He had always thought he was a failure with children. She was afraid of spoiling them or strangling them to death. Although the former was more likely.
Then one day I was stuck in an outreach program where I was assigned to manage three kids. The first time I heard it I was mortified…er…almost panicked to be exact. I instantly imagined little kids running and dodging my every grab, pulling at my clothes and messing up my hair. My little sister gave me the phobia when she was four years old and I was nine. (If she reads this, she will kill me).
However, the havoc the little ones could wreak wasn’t really the problem. I was afraid they would hate me. What was he going to do with them? I was never good at babysitting and most people thought I was too serious and boring.
I still performed at Family Park. A sense of responsibility made me. I couldn’t resist it. I was just hoping that the lessons I learned in the Educational Psychology classes I took in college would work.
When the banner was hung and the chairs were placed on the field, the children bounded in. Children of different colors and sizes. I immediately saw two of them knock over two chairs. I thought, oh boy, this was going to be a forgettable day.
Soon the children lined up like cherubs as my colleagues and I handed out their name tags. I looked up my adopted children Joely (6 years old), Jeimes (four), and Beam (14).
As I walked back and forth, I saw this skinny, tanned little girl with long braids and bangs looking at me. Suddenly, a small hand grabbed me by the sleeve of my shirt. It belonged to another girl with hair down to her shoulders.
She pulled me closer while accusing a chubby, grinning boy of pushing her.
Somehow I managed to get the boy to behave and appeased the girl with words of a mother, words that came out of nowhere. I then asked them if they knew Joely and they pointed to the girl with bangs.
Getting along with Joely was easy. She was sweet and gentle. She even gave her mineral water to another girl who was thirsty. He was so proud of her that he couldn’t bear not to show it, and it was easy to tell that she was pleased. Although she seemed to want to back away from her out of embarrassment at my utter admiration, the blush on her cheeks couldn’t hide the fact that her eyes were dancing.
Unlike Joely, I had a pretty rough time with Jeimes. I had to keep an eye on him and make sure he didn’t run away, which he managed to do from time to time. I couldn’t blame him. It was getting hotter by the minute. Other children became restless as well, and the demand for water increased rapidly. I had to go up and down the stage for the supply.
Then there was Beam, a tight-lipped loner. He was taller than me, with skin a shade darker than Joely’s. I kept encouraging him to join the games so he wouldn’t get bored and be another Jeimes on the run.
I was surprised that I was having fun with the sack race, even though my only role was to yell. And yes, there was the job of picking up a child or two at every stumble. I had to hold their IDs and nametags so they could move around freely and enjoy the game without being distracted.
Jeimes avoided me even at lunchtime. I thought that he would grow up as a man with his own mind. I told him to wander off and help me find Beam. Instead, he stayed still. Reverse psychology… of course! I eventually won the cute one.
Beam, on the other hand, lowered his head whenever he spoke to him. However, he was a gentleman. He helped carry boxes of Zesto and other things.
Suddenly I became everyone’s sister. The children took turns carrying me to her side. They snuggled close to me and didn’t even touch my hair! They would lean over and ask me questions like what grade I was in (kids don’t know much about high school and especially college).
I replied that I was already working. Joely looked surprised. To make sure he was telling the truth, he asked me if he had finished first grade, second grade…and so on. When another boy declared that he would soon marry me, Joely verified it again with a sullen expression on his face. I couldn’t help but laugh. I was on Pluto when it comes to marriage.
Then Jollibee came along and the angels around me, who were hanging on my every word, turned into mobsters. I had to help my colleagues keep the children at bay. They were murdering the poor pet. It was a nightmare for poor Jollibee’s ass. It was only when he returned to his truck that the children finally became human. I was asked if Jollibee was a man and not a large mutated bee that could dance. I looked at his expectant faces and responded in a way they could understand, laugh at, but always remember. I told them that Jollibee was human too and that he could get hurt too. Kamo bay tabangag sumbag di ba mo mabun-og, I told them. If you were the one being beaten to death, wouldn’t you be all black and blue? They laughed, but their faces softened in a new light.
In fact, I enjoyed being with the children. I got a lot of hugs. I never felt so alive and so young for so long.
Before he left, Joely asked me if he would see me again. I told her yes, that she would be a good girl and that, she promised me. She gave me a big hug, though she only managed to wrap her hands around my waist. But this told me: Ate Ella She, you are a very good person. I wish you were my sister.
Does a six year old lie? He was asking me. Why did I say I hate children? Maybe it was because I was afraid of responsibilities and commitment, but I’m not nine anymore.
