In my mind there was a question I really wanted to ask Laura, and I asked it.
“Ikaw, dili na gyud ka makigbalik sa imong gi-ipon nga tua sa bilangguan? Dili ka malooy niya?” I asked Laura point blank.
Laura answered, “Dili na ko mam oi. Ikaduha na man siya nahong giipon man ug nakahukom ko nga dili na gyud ko niya.”
I kiddingly said: “Naa siguro kay lain?”
At this point, Laura only replied with a smile.
The smile only intrigued me so I asked, “Naa na kay lain, Laura, no? Di ba? Naa na kay lain? Wala kaha to siya magselos nimo? Mao tong gipahimungtan niya si Mary Joy? Di ba Laura? Mura no? Di ba?”
Laura vehemently denied that she already has a new boyfriend.
“Wala ma’am oi. Gihunahuna na lang nako karon mao ang kaugmaon sa mga bata,” Laura told me.
With Laura’s answer, I then looked at Dave and from the expression on his face, he had some reservations about what Laura told me.
My thoughts returned to Mary Joy, and I seemed to be jolted from where I was standing, as I saw her holding a pencil and getting ready for her drawing exhibition. I hurriedly positioned myself just across her and both of us were already seated on the floor. First she wrote her name. I was awed. Then she got some pieces of crayons, looked at me, smiled at me and paused. She really paused as if thinking seriously of something.
I filled in the lull and asked, “Makasuwat na diay ka?”
She nodded and answered with her very sincere and sweet smile. Dave and I witnessed how she wrote her name on the sheets brought by Dr. Macuno. She can already write with her temporary hands and her penmanship is superb.
“Maayo kaayo siya ug agi,” Dave remarked.
At the background, Dr. Mutya Kismet Macuno was listening to our conversation and said, “Naa sa iyang mind ang pagka-artist,”
The temporary pair of hands which Mary Joy was using to write her name is called an assistive device. And Mary Joy moved with ease as she used this assistive device crafted by Jeff Real.
Then Mary Joy requested for more crayons from Dr. Macuno and her team. As Dave and I watched the entire “drawing proceedings”, I saw the definitiveness of the young girl to heal and to move on and go on. I turned to Dave and he blurted out: “Desisyon na gyud niya nga mo survive siya ug mabuhi gyud siya.” The statement gave me goosebumps. It seemed as though Dave knew what was in my mind.
And there was no moment to stop Mary Joy from drawing. I went on with our conversation by asking, “Unsa may imong gibati ron Joy sa imong gihimo?”
“Nalipay jud na sija mam nga naa mo nga mga bisita. Kaila ko niya ug sigurado ko nga nalipay siya nga nia mo.”
“Unsa man ang imong ambisyon sa kinabuhi, Mary Joy?” was my question.
Without any hesitation, Mary Joy said, “Gusto man ko magmaestra.”
“Hala pareha ta. Teacher man pud ko, Mary Joy,” I quickly said.
Mary Joy said, “Teacher diay ka mam? Pila na ka tuig?”
I did not answer the question. I sensed that we were again going back to the issue of age – nga 80 years old na lagi ko sa iyang tan-aw. So I immeditaley shifted the topic.
“Gamita kuno ng crayon, Mary Joy, beh. Ipakita kuno naho nga mag drawing ka ug kina favorite nimo nga drawing,” I said.
Mary Joy did not say anything. She simply looked at me. She became mysterious again to me.
Dave said, “Nahilum na sad siya no?”
“Announcer ra ba mi ni Sir Dave. Ug maka drawing ka karon namo, among isibya sa radio nga aduna kay talent sa drawing. Okay ra ka?” This was my deal and challenge to her.
And she quickly said, “Unsa man ang akong e-drawing?”
“Ikaw ang magbuot. Ikaw ang modesisyon,” I said.
I noticed that she became pensive again. She seemed to struggle between doing the drawing and not doing it at all. But, eventually she started moving the assistive device and gently scribbled some lines on the drawing book and some more figures and and some more colors.
Then she said, “Kanang makaya ra naho mam ha”
“Of course, Mary Joy, kanang makaya ra nimo, Ayaw pugsa imong kaugalingong,” I said..
And I saw her draw a house colored red. I asked, “Nganong pula man ang color nga imong gibutang sa balay, Joy?”
“Gusto lang ko ug pula. Color man na sa akong heart,” she answered.
“Naa lagi mga tanom sa imong drawing nga gibutang nimo sa palibot sa imong pula nga balay,” I said.
“Aron naay hangin kay aron hayahay,’ she answered.
“So kinahanglan diay ta ug hangin?” I asked.
“O Kay dili mag evaporate kon walay hangin,” she explained to me.
“Nganong naa may mga bintana ang imong balay nga gi drawing? Dili ba mahimo ang usa ka balay walay bintana?” I asked again to pick her mind.
“Aron naay gihapoy hangjn,” she again told me.
“Naa man gani poy kurtina anang balay nga akong gi drawing. Design man na,” she said.
“Naa lagi pud kay mga flowers sa imong drawing,” I quipped.
“Naay flowers na kay gusto man ko malipay. Gusto man ko ug flowers kay gusto man ko malipay. Gusto man ko malipay ug balik. Makalipay man ang mga flowers. Kinahanglan man ta malipay. Pero naa may panahon nga dili ta malipay. Naay mga bukid s ahong drawing. Malipay man pud ko anang bukid pero tungason man na. Naay panahon inig tungas kapuyon ta mao nga dili na pud ta malipay,” she said.
I was so awed at her statements that I felt like asking her more questions. I know she can be a very good student in literature.
Then I asked, “Unsa may buhaton nimo, Mary Joy, aron mabuhi nang imong tanum nga mga flowers?”
“Akong alimahan ug bubu-an ug tubig. Maayo lang ug mu-ulan kay mamuwak man nang mga tanom,” she said.
Indeed, after the heavy rain, the flowers bloom, I told myself.
I requested Ruth, my secretary, to give me my wallet. Mary Joy looked at me very intently as Ruth handed me my wallet. I pulled out a P1000 bill.
I told Mary Joy, “Akong paliton nang imong drawing ug one thousand pesos.”
“Ayaw mam oi, akong ihatag nimo akong drawing. Ayaw lang palita,” Mary Joy insisted.
“O sige, ihatag nimo nako ang imong drawing, pero ihatag pud naho nimo ning akong gift nga one thousand pesos. Dugangan pa naho ni ha,“ I said simultaneous with the re opening of my wallet.
And like a little child given a toy by the parent, I saw Mary Joy’s eyes sparkle.
“Imong ihatag naho ng one thousand, mam? Tinuod ka mam nga imong ihatag ng kuarta naho? Gift nimo na naho na mam? Buotan ka mam no? Mga buotan mo no? Aho nang tigumon aron makabayad ko para maballik ahong mga kamot. Maayo unta to ug naay motabang naho nga mabalik ahong mga kamot. Di ba mam?” (To be continued)