The Costume

This is a re-post. It originally appeared on another blog on Apr. 10, 2011. It is re-posted for sentimental reasons.

I saw some boys hanging around at the activity center of SM Fairview one time. Just like every other person in SM that time, they seemed to be waiting for TALENTADONG PINOY, which was going to be held there, to start. One of them held, what appeared to me, the costume he was going to wear.

Hmmm.. COSTUME. It reminds me of one time in grade school, I think I was in grade 4 that time. We were going to have a play in school and our teacher was selecting students who will perform. Very much confident that I can memorize the script, I raised my hand to volunteer. But our teacher seemed not no notice me, so I raised my hand even higher. This time, it was not missed. The teacher looked at me and said in her soft but ruthless voice..

'You can't join the play, I know you can't afford the costume..'

The fact that our poverty was evident in the entire town couldn't be digested by my young heart at the time. I was simply disappointed that I couldn't join the play. Being poor is bad enough, being known to be poor is even worse. Being discriminated for that fact was, for me, the worst.

I watched the play. The lead character messed up. She forgot her lines... I expected that. She may be pretty and nicely dressed, but she was DUMB. I knew her. She was my seat mate..