AGAINST ALL ODDS

Prologue

WOULD YOU agree if I say that life is unfair?

Living in one world with two dimensions. Fortunate and unfortunate....

Soft and rough... The fortunate one would lie on their beds with soft mattress, while the unfortunate would sleep in rough beds.

Warm and cold... The fortunate one have a comfortable warm place to live when rainy days comes, while the unfortunate will settle in cold home with no other choice to pick.

Three times a day and three times in a week... The fortunate one can eat delicious meals three times a day, while the unfortunate will only have proper meal three times in a week.

Iisang mundo pero hindi lahat pare-pareho.

Iisang mundo pero hindi pareho ang istado ng mga tao. It was always been the fortunate and the unfortunate. In a world full of unfairness, the fortunate one would shine and can reach high, while the unfortunate will remain where they were stand─ on the ground.

Where do he belong...?

He consider himself a fortunate one, may not be the lucky one to have the luxury in life, but fortunate enough to have the most precious person in his life.

Masayang pinagmamasdan ng batang si Marco ang nagkakagulong mga bata dahil sa isang larong hindi niya mararanasan. Nakatayo lang siya sa bakod kasama ang dalawang kapatid at tinatanaw ang masayang mga bata na inaabot ang mga nakasabit na laruan, pagkain at pera na nakatali sa isang pabitin.

Nakatungtong pa sa isang bato ang bunso nila dahil medjo may kataasan ang bakod na semento.

Kaarawan ng anak nang ka-baranggay nila na ka-edad niya. Pero dahil salat sila sa buhay at gusgusin kung tawagin nila ay hindi sila inimbita.

“Dapat hindi muna sila tumatalon hangga't hindi pa binababa yung pabitin.” Mungkahi ng bunso niyang kapatid na lalaki na si Marlon. “Kung ako 'yan, kanina ko pa naabot yung spiderman na laruan at pera.”

Kung ako 'yan....

Kung ako 'yan...

Kung ako 'yan...

Mapait siyang natawa. It was always the word that comes out from their mouth whenever they see things they can't experience. Kung ako 'yan.

Tumawa ang pangalawa niyang kapatid na babae. “Kapag ako 'yang nandiyan, pagkain agad yung aabutin ko. Bahala na wala akong makuhang laruan basta busog.”

“Puro ka talaga pagkain, ate Maress.”

Ang masayang mukha ni Maress ang napalitan ng lungkot. “Kailan kaya tayo makakasali sa ganyan.”

Kailan? 'Yan ang hindi kayang masagot ni Marlon. But one thing, he knows he was sure. Magsisikap siya para maiahon ang pamilya niya. Hanggang maging totoo ang mga 'sana' nila.

Ginulo ni Marco ang buhok ng nakababatang kapatid. “Tara na. Uwi na tayo. Baka hinahanap na tayo ni nanay.”

His two siblings obediently followed him. Alam niyang labag sa loob nila ang umuwi pero mas lalo lang silang maiinggit kapag nagtagal pa sila 'don.

Naiingit sila hindi dahil sa hindi sila marunong makuntento. Nakakaramdam sila ng inggit dahil  walang mabigat na responsibilidad na naka-atang sa balikat nila. They envy people at his age not because they have something my siblings and I don't, but rather they can experience how to be a kid and how to live like a kid.

Other kids can play whenever they want. They can experience how to be a child. They act like a child. Habang sila? Imbis na maglaro maghapon tulad ng iba, naghahanap sila ng pwedeng matrabahuan dahil kapag hindi sila magtrabaho, wala silang makakain.