"Have Fun With Your Life!"

What can ten pesos buy? Not much, these days. It's just barya that's barely enough for a short jeepney ride. But the other day, I got something really valuable for my measly ten pesos. 

I was at school fetching my two girls. Alden had already come out from her class and was sitting with me, and we were waiting for Raj. We were surprised by this little boy who, seeming to come from nowhere, blurted out to me: "Miss, miss, do you have ten pesos? I'm really hungry and I need to buy some food! Look at my tummy (and he proceeded to expose his bony midsection), see how small it is? Please, please, do you have ten pesos you can give me?"

The boy was a schoolmate of my kids'. He was very loud and animated, and he spoke in straight English. He looked like he might be half-Korean or -Japanese.

Taken aback, I searched in my pocket for some change. I found a ten-peso coin and gave it to the boy. He was talking all the while, loudly for all the world to hear, saying he'd really love to buy something that the vendors were peddling just outside the school. (I didn't catch what it was exactly.)

He thanked me profusely upon getting the coin. Meanwhile, shy Alden was crouching low beside me, perhaps embarrassed by the boy's forwardness. He spoke in a shrill young-boy voice, but it was as if he had a microphone hidden under his collar.

I thought that was the end of it, but it wasn't. The boy came back after a few moments, asking if I was sure that I was okey with giving him money. He asked if it was with a clean conscience, a willing heart, etcetera, etcetera, that I was giving him cash. He asked questions like "Is that your final decision?" "Are you positively, absolutely sure?" "Is your heart telling you that it's the right thing to do?"

I assured him that it was fine, that it wasn't any big deal. But he came back, again and again, with the same question. He was so makulit that I almost ran out of ways to assure him I was willingly and happily parting with my ten pesos.

At one point, he even attempted to return the coin to me, because he said he felt guilty about taking money from a stranger. I told him that nothing would make me happier but for him to be able to use my ten pesos for food. I really was running out of assurances.

In the end, he went away and bought his snack. Finally.

Alden breathed a sigh of relief. She couldn't possibly crouch any lower on the bench. I know she wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. I sort of felt the same way.

But--surprise, surprise!--the boy came back. This time, he was holding a small cup of taho (or something that looked gooey and unhealthily sweet). He offered me some, and I politely declined. He then went into the now-familiar tedious "Are you sure?" routine. But perhaps because he was hungry and eager to enjoy his snack, the questioning didn't last too long this time. He went away happy, shouting his thanks and a heartfelt "Have fun with your life!"

Raj then arrived and we headed home. For some reason, the boy's parting words--"Have fun with your life!--echoed in my head, like a pesky song that won't go away and leave you in peace.

I muttered to myself: "Okey, then. I've have fun with my life."

Then a light bulb seemed to go off in my head.

Oo nga naman. Why not? I'll definitely have fun with my life.

The boy, though he was a bit irritating, was a little Master Yoda in disguise, reminding me of the best lessons in life.

My ten pesos was very well spent.