Largesse

4. Bistek and Amor

"Hello po..."

"O Amor...Bistek...pasok kayo..." Lola Char greeted the pair as they entered the room.

"Kamusta na kayo? Kamusta ang bagong kasal?"

"Okay naman po kami...kamusta na po kayo, si Sep?"

"Okay naman kami. Dun na kami kina Mam Nadia nakatira..."

"Ah talaga po?"

"Oo...may maliit na bahay sa gilid ng garden...doon kami ni Strawberry...kapag nakauwi na si Sep, doon naman sya sa bahay ni Nadia. Mas malaki ang mga kwarto e...eh kayo, saan kayo tumutuloy?"

"Nangungupahan po muna kami malapit lang sa palengke...sa Divisoria pa rin...kapag nakapag-ipon ulit kami ng malaki-laki, maghahanap ako ng mas malaking lugar..." Bistek said.

"Mabuti naman kung ganon..."

"Ah, Lola Char, Aling Straw, nag ambag-ambag po kami ng Tropang Eprot para sa panggastos nyo para kay Sep..." Amor said as she gave Nanay Straw a bundle of money.

"Naku...nag-abala pa kayo..." Nanay Straw said. She refused to accept it.

"Konting tulong na rin po namin yan...alam po namin kung gaano kalaki na ang kailangan bayaran dito e..." Bistek said while looking around Sep's hospital room.

"Eh ang laking halaga nito..." Nanay Straw said as she looked inside the envelope.

"...hindi nga masyado e...sa tingin ko, parang para sa isang araw lang ng gamot ni Sep yan e..." Bistek said. His tone was apologetic. "Nahiya naman kaming humingi kay Uncle kaya nag-tulong tulong nalang kaming mga kaibigan ni Sep..."

"...kung di nga dahil kay Sep at kay Uncle, malamang hindi maaayos ang buhay namin ni Bistek..." Amor said.

---

Life in Divisoria was hard. Sep, Amor, and Bistek had to start working early in life to help with their family's income. Lola Char considered Sep their lucky charm. When he came into their lives, she and Strawberry seemed to have better luck and a steadier income from their fruit stall. Amor sold household essentials but had to support her brother, Tolits. Bistek sold shopping bags and he and Sep carried people's purchases for a little extra cash. Sep worked as a cellphone repairman and side-lined as an 'artist' because he loved to sketch.

Of the three, it was only Sep who was not easily swayed to try out 'other things' in order to earn more. And when he tried to help his friends, tragedy happened.

---

Amor became curious why Lorraine, the daughter of Aling Mercy, a meat seller, suddenly seemed to have new things almost every week. It started when Lorraine started parading her seemingly new outfits complete with bags and shoes around the market almost on a weekly basis. Mang Nato, Lorraine's father, had recently passed away, leaving Aling Mercy with 9 children. Although the older kids were married and had lives of their own, the money Aling Mercy earned from selling beef and pork was not enough.