~48 Hours Earlier~~~~~~~~
The area was surrounded by trees.
In the middle of the clearing was a dilapidated house which badly needed a repair and it"s almost crumbling to the ground at any given time, the dwelling was made up of light materials such as nipa and wood.
In the backyard, a few rooster and hen were scratching in the ground looking for food in the gra.s.s. On the right corner beside the big trunk of the mango tree was a malnourished dog with some equally cute malnourished pups loitering around.
On the left section of the backyard, some vegetable plants were being grown such as malunggay tree, eggplant, tomatoes, okra, and ampalaya.
Inside the dilapidated house...
Rosing looked at her five years old daughter lying in bed getting weaker as each pa.s.sing hour. Her daughter has been plagued with diarrhea and vomiting for two days already, yet she can"t bring her to the hospital because they have no money to pay for the doctor"s checkup and medication.
A boy aged 10 years old named Boyet is currently approaching the dilapidated house he was carrying two gallons container filled with water. He went inside the house and put the gallons of water in an earthen jug for their drinking water consumption as well for was.h.i.+ng plates, pots, and for cooking foods and rice.
Boyet went to his mother"s side and stared at his sister. "Mother is my sister not getting well?" he asked in a worried voice.
Rosing nodded her head in agreement. "Worst she has a fever now, I don"t know what to do anymore." She wiped the fresh tears that fall down from her face.
"Where is, father?" he asked pitying his mother. Her mother has aged really badly due to marital woes and financial strain that his toxic father had brought to her mother.
Rosing"s face instantly darkened. "Your drunkard father has already forgotten about us! Don"t mention him anymore! He"d rather want to spend most of his time drinking liquor and having good times with his friends than check on us if we are still alive or not. I really regretted falling in love with your father and marrying him, such a very irresponsible husband and father!"
She was sobbing now, crying because she was really afraid her daughter will die anytime soon if they can"t bring her to the nearest hospital.
At such a young age Boyet already knew how tough their situation is. He grew up surrounded by poverty and witnessed how her mother was beaten regularly by her drunkard father. He wished he will grow up quickly so that he can find a regular job to help support his mother and his sibling and take them away from his rotten father!
"Mother, we have to bring my sister to the hospital tomorrow. I will beg for alms in the street so that we can pay for her medication," volunteered Boyet.
Rosing looked at his son feeling guilty that at such a young age he already helped her so much when it comes to the household ch.o.r.es. She could never ask for a perfect son other than Boyet.
"I will go out to find some foods, Mother. Do not leave my sister alone she will cry if she wakes up on her own and you are not by her side," he said. He turned around and took the rusted bolo with him to cut some banana trees nearby.
One hour later...
Boyet arrived home bringing with him saba banana"s good enough for cooking for their dinner. He left some of the banana"s fruit in the area where he chopped the banana tree and covered them with leaves, he only took with him what he can carry, he will be back tomorrow to bring the rest of the bananas into their house. It could feed his family for several days.
He began putting the banana in the cooking pot, he added some water on it and gathered some woods to start a fire and cook the banana.
Boyet went to her mother"s side. "Mother, hows the condition of my sister?" he asked.
"Her condition is getting worse. If your father won"t come home tonight we will bring her to the nearest hospital tomorrow," she already decided, with or without money she just can"t let her young daughter die without trying. She already tried all the herbal medicine surrounding their house yet her daughter"s condition doesn"t improve a bit.
After eating the cooked saba banana, they retired early for the evening.
Rosing was not able to sleep right away. She was constantly on the watch out just in case her daughter will vomit again, she was afraid her fever will continue, it will only add complication to her illness. With just diarrhea and vomiting alone creating havoc in her daughter"s frail body she was already going nuts with worries. She just realized how difficult it is when your child is sick and you can"t even bring them to the hospital immediately because you have no money. Being a hopeless mother and moneyless wife, it"s the most terrible feeling in the world.
She looked at her son Boyet sleeping soundly on her right side, so young yet so matured already for his age, she was proud of her son. Will their condition ever improved? She thinks "no" as long she remained beside her drunkard husband she will be forever a prisoner of poverty and abused. She had to find a way to get out of this forsaken condition! She can"t forever live like this, utterly hopeless and defenseless.