By Ardy & Dave
I glanced at the screen of my phone as I really tried to read the message.
My eyes were not that cooperative given that I, too, am suffering from an eye disease. Ma’am Ardy and her family know that this disease is preventing me from seeing clearly even in a well-lit room. Just the same I tried to read what was on my phone.
Upon reading, i wanted to laugh to heart’s content, but I managed to control myself.
“Tingali ganahan si Laura nimu no,” was what I read from the text message from Ma’am Ardy.
I just dismissed it, and treated it as a joke.
Ma’am Ardy was just teasing me because Laura wanted to be up, close and personal with me. She made an effort to reach out after hearing that I am also a broadcaster.Perhaps, she wanted to ask me to play her favorite song on air.
But I stopped the thought to look around and saw that the family will do quite well despite what happened to them. I just hope that the family of Mary Joy will have its own source of livelihood to sustain them.
I was assured that Mary Joy will have a chance to get a higher education as she was promised a scholarship grant from a benefactor. I was told that somebody will be helping them sustain their daily needs. Until when? I was told that people come every now and then to bring them food. For how long?
Then again, I was thinking more about the now rather than the future of Mary Joy.
Mary Joy is a smart girl and I am definite that she will be doing quite well in school. She dreams of becoming a teacher and not just an ordinary teacher but a great teacher.
But SHE NEEDS A PAIR OF HANDS. Yes, it is just that her dreams may be going in a zigzag direction if she is unable to find a sponsor for her artificial hands.
We have heard about how costly the artificial hands are. They cost as much as a brand-new car!
I cannot fathom how we can raise that amount of money for Mary Joy. We can try, with God’s help to raise the funds.
Again, I looked at my phone still smiling and looked at Ma’am Ardy and smiled at her.
“Udto na!” I blurted out. I wanted to tell everyone that it was time to go and perhaps call it a day.
But I really wanted to ask another question since there is this thing in my mind that needs to be satisfied. But before I could do it, Ma’am Ardy approached me and said, “Nahinumdum ka nga dihay gihunghung naho si Mary Joy ganiha nga mura ko ug nahilum?”
“Yes,” I said.
Ma’am Ardy continued by saying, “Ang iyang gihunghung naho, gabalik balik sa ahong hunahuna ron. Makatandog kaayo sa balatian. Makalibog pud,”
I insisted, “Unsa man lagi, Ma’am?”
“Adto ra sa Tagbilaran ta mag estorya, unya,” Ma’am Ardy answered.
I insisted some more, “Unsa lagi iyang gihunghong nimo, Ma’am?”
Ma’am Ardy said, “Basta, tana, mamauli na ta. Gamahay gyud ko nganong mi-uban ko oi. Daku gyud ang akong pagmahay.”
I said, “Ngano man lagi ma’am? Ngano man?”
Ma’am Ardy also insisted, “Hipusa na lagi nang mong mga butang aron ta manglakaw. Ayaw na ug daghang langas kay nahibaw ko nga gigutom ka.”
I was most insistent this time, “Ma’am, ngano man lagi? Ngano man?” (To be continued)