Lamelight

“Get out of here!” Aling Diding shouted angrily, as she was throwing Marga’s stuff out on to the street. This is the scene that met Marga when she returned home one Wednesday afternoon. Aling Diding is the owner of their rented house in Tondo, Manila. Marga is eighteen, and lives together with her mother and younger sister Melanie, who is fifteen. Marga had just come back from job hunting; she had been looking for some weeks now without success. She’d finished working in a Chinese restaurant chain two months ago, after her temporary contract expired. So now, the little family were more in debt than ever, as they no longer had any form of income. Marga was the only one who could work, because their mother was very ill and the younger sister was still going to school. Marga pleaded with the landlady: “Aling Diding please, please give us a few more weeks.” “You’re always asking for more time! It’s been three months since you last paid the rent,” she angrily barked at her. “We promise to pay you soon – please give us a grace period. I’m sorry because we had to use the rent money to buy my mother’s medicine,” she explained. “I’ll give you one last chance, Marga. If you don’t pay by next week, then I’ll call the police to get all your stuff out of my house,” she heatedly warned them. “Thank you very much, aling Diding, and I’m sorry.” Marga was very grateful that aling Diding had agreed to her request. “Make sure you keep that promise, Marga,” she said, turning around and walking away from them. When aling Diding left, the gossipers in their compound also vanished. They’d been watching the whole scene as if they were watching some dramatic telenovela. Marga went out on to the street and picked up their belongings one by one that the landlady had thrown out on to the street. “You came just at the right time, ate, otherwise we don’t know what we would have done,” said Melanie with teary eyes “I’m very sorry child that I can’t help with this situation – don’t worry, because I can go to the Henares’ house to do their laundry tomorrow,” their mother Linda said sadly. “Let it go, it’s okay. It’s okay, okay?” Marga said, even though she didn’t know where she was going to get the money for the rent. “What if I work too, ate?” Melanie suggested. “Put that thought out of your head Mel. You’ll do nothing of the sort! Your job is to finish your studies. Is that clear!?” “Yes, ate. I’m sorry,” Melanie answered meekly. “Let’s trust in God, because He will help us and we will survive,” Marga said with hope in her heart. “We have to overcome the trials that God sends us.” ~ “So why don’t you apply for a job at the place where I work?” Kris suggested while puffing on a cigarette. She and Marga were hanging out at aling Bebang’s sari-sari store. Kris is Marga’s childhood friend. They grew up together in Tondo, Manila. “And where is that? In the club where you are working? My mother wouldn’t like it,” Marga declined immediately. “And then what? Look for those jobs that will take you forever? You know that aling Diding has given you only one week to pay,” she said. Marga didn’t answer her straight away. She was quiet – thinking about the rights and wrongs. But she had no time to waste – that was true. “You know you don’t have a choice, but to grab any opportunity that comes your way,” Kris added. “Ah, don’t worry – I’m sure I’ll find a good job tomorrow morning,” she said with a hopeful heart. “It’s up to you, but if you change your mind you know where to find me, and you’re lucky because madam wants you to work for her,” Kris continued, talking about Madam Gracia who owns the club where she works. “Thank you, but I’m going to get the rent in a good way,” she answered. “It’s your decision, but don’t wait until you die with your eyes wide open, because of your principle,” she said. Kris was a good friend, but because of the difficulties in her life, she had ended up in that job in the club, which literally meant she had to sell her body to survive. It’s sad to think that life is often like that – unfair. ~ The next day Marga woke up early to go and look for a job. “I’m going now, nay,” she called to her mother. She kept calling her but got no answer. “Mel, is nanay in the bedroom?” she asked her sister who was cleaning the kitchen. “Yes, ate. Maybe she’s still sleeping?” her sister answered. “I’ll go and see,” Marga said, and walked into the small bedroom. “Nay–! Nay?! What happened?! “Mel!” she called her younger sister for help. She was terrified to see her mother lying on the floor, unconscious. “Ate – oh no, what happened?” They both burst into tears, but managed to pull themselves together, so they could help their mother. “I don’t know, call help. Come on!” Marga ordered her younger sister to go out on to the street and ask for help. After a few minutes, Melanie came back with one of the barangay police officers. “Marga, let’s get Linda to the hospital straightaway!” The barangay policeman urged her. “All right,” Marga immediately agreed. “But we don’t have any money for a hospital ate,” Melanie pleaded hopelessly. “I’ll take care of it myself,” Marga told her. Marga didn’t know what to do or where to get the money from to help her sick mother. But she needed to be strong for her mother and younger sister.