COVID in the eyes of a child

By: Mailyn D. Dela Cruz

Teacher III
Panan National High School

Tao po, tao po”, these were the words that made me stopped from sipping a
very hot coffee early in the morning. There was this little girl in front of our
store buying a one-peso candy. At first, I hesitated because sometimes I
believed in that borrowed words “Buena mano”. But then, she pointed to
that sweet candy and so I gave it to her and did not even uttered a word.
This petite eight-year old girl is one of my customers. Oftentimes, she was
sent by her mother to buy an egg, a biscuit, sometimes noodles, other times
just salt. One day, she bought an egg and said, “Kulang na naman ‘to, di na
naman ako makakatikim” (This is not enough again and for sure I can not
taste it), this was her typical statement before leaving the store. I just smiled
at her. Her father is a construction worker. Their place is often blathered as
a battle ground and noisy as a cockpit arena because of frequent
discussions and fighting every time her father came home drunk.
That sweet candy that this girl bought made my day. As if hypnotized, I
looked at her incessantly and she showed her terrifying smile at me and
started to ask a favor if she can stay for a while. I bowed for approval. Then
suddenly, she asked again if she be allowed to stay inside our compound to
play in the swing. And I said yes.
As I was going back to where I left my coffee, she followed me. She told me
that she liked coffee so much and so I decided to make her a coffee and gave
her a piece of bread. Actually, I tried to offer milk but she said she was not
used to it. She started the conversation and opened the topic about why she
bought that candy very early. According to her, she didn’t eat her evening
meal because nothing was left. “Sabi ni mama, di bale daw wala na sa akin
kasi ako daw ang panganay”, those were her exact words. She narrated that
her mother told her that since she’s the eldest, it’s alright for her not to eat
dinner. She was told that candy was good for those who didn’t eat. I was
stunned to this girl and I wanted to tell her mother how wrong it was to feed
a child with just a candy. Suddenly, she gazed at where the sun was shining
and stood up, finished her coffee, grabbed the bread then ran out of our
place.

After a week, there she was again. In that bamboo gate which was heavy
enough for a child to open, she succeeded to enter. She seemed in a hurry to
move in, covering her face with her ragged shirt. She said that she’s afraid of
that ‘big bus’ hauling children and adults who do not wear a face mask.
When she sat down and started to play in the swing, she asked if I have an
extra facemask. “Kahit po yung ginamit na ni kuya”(referring to my son). I
smiled at her but promised that I will give her a facemask. She asked a lot of
questions 9 about Covid and why people stayed at their homes like her
father now who used to go home late at night and always not in good mood.
Now that there’s Covid, her father stayed home.
She continued to talk and told me that she found a peculiar experience in
their home. “Paggising ko po sa umaga, gusto ko umiyak kasi po akala ko
ako na lang mag-isa. (As I woke up early in the morning, I wanted to cry
because I thought they had left me). Yun pala, nandun sa labas si nanay at
tatay pati mga kapatid ko tapos tahimik sila na nagkakape.” ( But then, I
found out that they were sitting outside silently drinking a cup of coffee).
According to her, their place which was used to be like a combat zone and
cockpit arena became a very solemn abode as if nobody lives and everything
is at peace. She whispered that she was nervous with what was happening
around because she never used to it.
She narrated that she didn’t overhear her mother complained about foods
lately because they received relief goods. Her father on the other hand, took
care of her youngest sibling, even cleaned the backyard and prepared the
soil for replanting of pechay given by the neighbor. She joyfully exclaimed
that their house was very clean and her father happily helped her mother
washed the clothes and cooked their foods.
I asked her if she was pleased with what she observed from her parents and
her environment and she screamed a very loud yes with a clap. I didn’t
expect her next comment when she said that she wished to God that Covid
will just stay so that her family will always be together, always have food to
eat and the very important thing is that, her father will no longer go home
late and drunk because she pitied her mother for being his punching bag.
I was entertained by our conversation especially when she said that she
liked Covid because there was no shouting, no yelling, no hurting and there
were lots of food, not always an egg and salt!”
Wow, what an exclamation from an eight-year-old child, I thought.
Astounded as I was, I requested her to listen to my explanation. I informed
her that Covid is also called Corona Virus Disease. It can kill all the 10
people in the world if the virus continue to spread. Nobody is exempted, rich
or poor, young or old, all of us can be a victim if we will not obey safety
measures and health protocols from the authorities. I told her that once a
person is infected by the virus and dies, he/ she will be burned or cremated.
No relatives will be allowed to see the deceased person. I reiterated that all
we have to do is to pray intently to God and ask Him to stop this infectious
disease.
As I talked, I saw her eyes in astonishment, then suddenly uttered,“ mas
nakakatakot naman pala at susunugin ka”( I’m afraid to be scorched).
“Ayaw ko pala ‘yang Covid baka mamatay ako tapos sunugin” (I don’t like
Covid ,I might die and be burned) . “Sabihin ko na lang kay mama at papa,
kahit wala ng Covid sana masaya pa rin kami at walang away” (I will just
tell my parents not to quarrel even without Covid). “Kahit kendi na lang pag
hindi ako nakakain ng hapunan, wala lang mamatay”. (Candy is enough for
dinner, I just don’t want anybody to die).
Silence. There was long gap before she managed to speak again. “Uwi na po
ako cher (that’s how she calls me) at sabihin ko mag-pray kami para
mawala ang Covid”. (I’ll go ahead cher and tell my parents to pray to God to
stop Covid ).
I jiggled and handed her chocolates instead of just a one-peso candy, twin
pack of 3 in 1 coffee, tasty bread and a facemask. Her appreciation was
expressed by that sweet smile from her very cute face.
See how the mind of a child can easily alter. Partly sure, I have opened her
eyes and somehow made her changed her perspective for the better.
xx
Method of Characterization Description/ Details
The main character is an 8 yrs old
Physical description: (How the girl that looks little and petite.
character looks like)
Her actions, attitude and behavior
Action/Attitude/Behavior: What it seems matured for an 8 yr old girl.
tells about her) She’s responsible and has a wide
imagination . She’s also respectful
to her elders
Her inner thoughts are very
Inner thoughts: (What it tells about expressive, she is also not afraid of
her) sharing her feelings. She’s quite
naïve but that is expected from her
age. She feels ivalidated by her own
family and is seeking for assurance
from other people.
The other character, the tindera was
Reactions: (What the other sad about how poorly the little girl
characters say and feel about her is treated at home. She was also
character) very surprised by the point of view
of the 8 yr old and was entertained
by their conversations.
Speech/ Dialogue: (What it tells “Kahit kendi na lang pag hindi ako
about her nakakain ng hapunan, wala lang
mamatay”.
The child is very empathetic. When
her eyes were opened about the
harsh reality, she felt that
experiencing her past hardships
would be better than many people
dying. She is a child who is willing
to learn, adapt, and grow