Simply Belle

Pictures taken by teacherjulie. Thank you so much!

Last year when I visited the province, Ipil surprisingly showed up in my hut. As usual, she was full of smiles, full of life,  and full of plans in the future.

She came from a brood of a dozen children – the kindest among her siblings, I must say. Coming from a huge family, she learned to do odd jobs at a young age, aside from cleaning, cooking, laundry, and taking care of her younger siblings. She was pretty smart, with a degree in Civil Engineering. She also possessed incredible talents in arts and crafts, which she cultivated and developed, and paved the way to a successful little business in the province.

Though there was a twist to this story, she was actually sicker than the exterior appearance she was showing.  When I got to talking with her in my hut, I found out that she had lumps all over her body. She actually had me touch some of them. I never thought it was something serious as she seemed fine and full of spirit. She mentioned though that she had been seeing a doctor in Manila, and he recommended a chemo, but she chose against it . I didn’t know exactly what went on in her mind, but I am guessing that she was probably hoping she would get better with the quackery options in the province.

I left the province and I haven’t heard anything about her until December 2008. She was miserable then per my cousin. I suggested to my cousin that it is best if she quit her business of paper making as it might have something to do with her  illness. The paper making uses harsh chemicals to dissolve the abaca bark into liquid, and without proper precaution, it could be harmful to anyone.  Quitting her business was the last thing in her mind because that was her only source of livelihood and besides,  her business was flourishing, and was getting bulk orders from popular malls in Manila. Actually, last November, she still managed to hold a booth in Virac to showcase and sell her products, although she was feeling sicker and sicker then.

Just recently, I received a text from my brother that Ipil had passed away at 34. She left behind a 3 year-old boy and a young husband.  What a terrible loss! Rest in peace Ipil.

And all I have to remember her of is this hand-made bag below that she gave me last June.

Ipil:  Tita B, this is for you.

Me: (surprise) Oh, this is beautiful, thank you. How much do I owe you?

Ipil: Nothing, it is my gift for you.

Me:  Let me see if I can find something for you in my suitcase.

Ipil: No need.

Me: (came back with a white blouse) Here, this is for you.

Ipil:  Thank you

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Photo lifted here.

The other day, I forfeited my break so I could mail a package to my nephew in Canada. I promised him that I’d mail a CD of Stephanie Mae, which was the last copy I had, by the way.

I’d like to be the first person to wait outside the door of the post office right before it opens because I only have a 10-minute break to mail a package. Often times though, 3 to 4 people are already waiting before I even get there. One of them is Johnny – the homeless guy.

Johnny is a very nice guy.  He avails of the general delivery option that the PO offers for free for transient, far-flung tourist, and for the homeless.  He comes to the PO to get his mail pretty much at the same time every day. Johnny always has that big smile for me and for everybody. And he gladly offers his spot to me even though he is there first. I don’t usually take him up on his offer unless I am in a hurry, but that day, there were already 4 to 5 people ahead of me, so I was compelled to take it.

While standing in line along with him and the other customers, I smelled a rather strong odor. I knew right away it came from Johnny. He probably hasn’t taken a shower and changed his clothes in a month. I had to face away from him to try to avoid the smell. But I couldn’t get away from it.

It has always been my policy to avoid giving to homeless people unless it is absolutely necessary. If they look capable of doing manual labor like pushing carts, washing dishes in the restaurants, and cleaning bathrooms, I refuse to give money.  Heck, one of my daughters bagged groceries and pushed carts for some time in a grocery store when she was 16 years old weighing barely a 100 pounds.  If she can push carts, why can’t they?

For some reasons, I pondered on Johnny a lot that morning. He could really use some toiletries and non-perishable food. I thought I’d buy him those goods at the Dollar Store and have E, the clerk, hand them to him the following morning.

The next morning, E showed up at the break room where I was taking a break and shared with me what transpired between her and Johnny. E made up a story. She told Johnny that a guy who stood next to him in the lobby had a plastic of goodies for him. Johnny wanted to know who the guy was so he could thank him but E felt it was not a good idea to disclose the name so she made up some little white lies that she didn’t know the giver’s name, and that she would thank the person for him the next time he comes at the window.

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Photo lifted here.

Lin used to live in our town way back in 2001. I am usually not good at finding oriental nationals in the neighborhood, while my husband is. On my day off, I hardly ever go out except when I take a walk. Lin and her husband walked every single day, and passed by our neighborhood regularly, so that is how I spotted them. To make the story short, we became friends.

Unfortunately, their marriage was short-lived. The guy was an asshole.  Plain and simple.  He wouldn’t let her find her independence, yet he practically starved her to death. How would she survive on a mere $20 a week allowance? How ridiculous! Heck, on toiletries alone, that amount is not enough.  I wonder how she managed to get by with that measly allowance over the years she’d lived with him.

Lin is a very nice lady from China. She cooks and cleans well, and possesses abundant skills.  Her only flaw is her broken English.  She has been living in the USA for about 10 years, and so far, there has only been a slight improvement in her English. My husband thinks she has gone backwards. Though, most of the time, I understand her on the first shot because we have been friends for some time.

When things in her household became difficult for her to handle, she felt it was time to leave.  She put on a brave facade as I never saw her shed tears.  Fortunately, she found a lawyer who took her case although it wasn’t easy finding one as she didn’t have the money to pay for lawyer fees at that moment.  One lawyer in town only talked to her once, and if she needed a second consultation, they required her to pay a certain amount otherwise, they would dismiss her.  And that is what happened.

After she received the settlement money (I know how much she received but will not disclose it here),  she moved down to Phoenix, purchased a used car, and lived in with a friend. In a short span of time, she  found another boyfriend,  moved in with him, and eventually married him. Life with the new husband was rocky even from the start because the son of her husband saw her as a competition to his dad’s love and attention. Indeed, the saying, blood is thicker than water,  is true.  Her husband, despite of his claims of his love for her, took the side of his 30 years old son who, up to this day, still lives at the mercy of his father. Unfortunately, like the previous marriage, the second marriage was also a failure.

Luckily,  she has a job at the airport, and at the Community College as part-time Chinese teacher. Plus, she does Chinese papercut (photo above)  in between her two jobs that pays her  a decent revenue.  She sells her products at a Cultural Center in Phoenix. Very clever girl, I thought. And I was told that she receives a small pension in China as she was once a teacher in Chinese Music Conservatory. No wonder why she has a beautiful sweet voice.

This morning, I learned that she is planning on purchasing a house by the Phoenix airport. Evidently, she was able to save $90,000 over the years, despite her 2 unsuccessful marriages. I was surprised upon learning at how well she did given the economic situation that we are currently experiencing, and who knows how long will this continue.  She must have saved a big portion of her modest salary every month, and still was able to live and eat pretty decently.

Pretty amazing woman, huh? Would you have been able to save that much in 4 years? My answer is No. You?

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