Mallory
I was nine when I first saw him. He was thin, and frail, and dirty. But his honey eyes stood out in stark contrast to his sunken and dirty face. I woke up thinking that it would just be a normal Sunday for us. Magsisimba kaming pamilya, kakain sa labas at uuwi na. As we were walking out of the church after a mass, a kid's scream caught our attention. Nagmamakaawa ang bata na pakawalan siya habang hawak siya sa likod ng maduming damit niya ng isang malaking lalaki.
Dad wanted to know what was happening. Pinigilan siyang mangialam ni mommy pero hindi siya nagpaawat. Iniwan niya kami ni mommy na nakatayo sa harap ng simbahan at nilapitan ang lalaki. The kid calmed down as the big guy and dad talked. He took out his wallet and gave the man a bill. Maya-maya pa ay nakapatong na ang kamay ni daddy sa balikat ng batang lalaki habang naglalakad sila pabalik sa kinatatayuan namin.
"Sino ang batang yan?" Tanong ni mommy ng makalapit sila.
"Ano ang pangalan mo, hijo?" Daddy gently asked the boy.
"Tisoy." Maikling sagot nito.
"Tisoy, totoo bang nagnakaw ka ng tinapay sa bakery?"
"Gutom na gutom na kasi ako. Babayaran ko rin naman yun, wala lang akong pera ngayon." Nakayukong sabi nito.
Daddy and mommy looked at each other with pity in their eyes.
"Gusto mo bang sumama sa amin kumain sa labas." Mommy asked him.
He paused for a few seconds before nodding his head. Kasama namin siyang sumakay sa kotse. Dad sat on the driver's seat and mom sat next to him.
"Daddy, he's dirty." Sabi ko ng papasok na siya ng kotse. "Baka madumihan ang seat 'pag umupo siya dito."
"Mallory, that's not a nice thing to say!" Galit na sabi ni daddy sa akin. Parang nahiya naman napaurong siya.
"Hijo, sumakay ka na." Dad said. Tisoy hesitantly got in the car and sat a seat away from me. I made a face. He didn't smell so good too.
"What do you have to say to him, Mallory?" Tanong ni Dad sa akin while he was looking at me in the rear view mirror.
"Nothing." I shrugged.
"Ano'ng mararamdaman mo kapag sa'yo sinabi ng iba ang mga sinabi mo kay Tisoy?" Mom asked turning her head to me.
"I bathe and change my clothes everyday." I said grumpily crossing my arms to my chest.
"Maswerte ka dahil di lahat ng bata nagagawa ang mga nagagawa mo. That's why you should never take anything for granted." Mom said, shaking her head.
Hindi na ko nagsalita pa. I felt really pissed off. I didn't understand kung bakit kinakampihan nina mommy at daddy ang batang 'yun. I was their daughter and he was just a boy who stole bread from a bakery. Pumihit ang ulo ko sa kinauupuan ni Tisoy. Totoo naman na madumi siya and he smelled really bad. Naging brown na sa dumi ang puting sando niya, ang shorts niya sira-sira at nangingitim na ang mga paa niya sa putik. He wasn't wearing any slippers.
"Bakit wala kang suot na slippers?" I couldn't help but ask as I was looking at his feet. "Kaya ang dumi dumi ng paa mo."
He looked down at his feet and wiggled his dirty toes. "Nasira na kasi ang tsinelas ko."
"Hindi bale, ibibili ka na lang kita ng bago." Lumingon si mommy kay Tisoy at nginitian ito.
"I want a new pair of slippers too." I said.
"Okay pa naman ang mga slippers mo at saka marami ka naman sa bahay. Mas kailangan ni Tisoy iyon." Mom said.
I wasn't used to sharing my parents' attention with anyone. Wala naman kasi akong kapatid kaya sanay akong ako lang ang binibigyan pansin nina mommy at daddy. And then this dirty, stinky boy came. I felt it was unfair. Bakit siya bibilhan ni mommy ng slippers at ako hindi? I wanted to push him out of the car.
