Simply Belle

I was in a vehicle too engrossed in delivering letters to the box one fine day, when, suddenly, I heard a high pitch voice from somewhere.

Wait! Wait!

I stopped what I was doing and glanced at the side mirrors of my vehicle to decipher where the voice was coming from but couldn’t see a thing. So, I resumed my activity, and lo and behold, a little boy, popped out of nowhere, was suddenly next to my side, holding a paper.  If he wasn’t a boy,  it would have scared me to death.  I easily get startled these days especially if I am so immersed at what I am doing, and someone suddenly appears right next to me like a genie.

Boy: Can you read this for me please?

Me: Tristan, please do not tease the dog.

He flipped the paper over.

Boy: And this?

Me: It says the same thing but in reverse.

I saw him process the information in his mind. I could tell that he was disappointed as he wasn’t going to be able to play with the neighbor’s dog anymore. He loves dog so much. He was also worried that his neighbor might tell his parents and reprimand him. So, I soothed and calmed his fear down to make him feel better.

Me: Know what?

Boy: What?

Me: Your neighbor is definitely not mad at you. She just doesn’t want you get bitten by the dog.

Boy: (Looking relieved,  he went on to narrate a story.) When I was little, I used to play a lot with our dog, and the dog bit me on my lips. See the scar? (his finger pointing on his lips). Indeed, there was a scar.

Me: Reason why your neighbor doesn’t want you to tease the dog. How old are you?

Boy: I am six.

I offered to throw the paper away but he was a bit hesitant. He ran across the road towards his driveway, and paused and looked at me. He was probably wondering if he should show the paper to his mom or have me throw it away. As soon as he decided his mother need not see the paper, he ran back towards me.

Boy: Can you please throw away this for me?

Me: Certainly! Bye now.

Boy: Bye.

It’s been over a month now and I haven’t seen him.

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Me: Meg, can I showcase your beauty in my blog?

Meg: tita! that’s so sweet of you! i don’t mind, it’ll be an honor for me, as a matter of fact

Me: Thanks Meg! Your beauty reminds me of the super model Cindy Crawford.

Meg Tanael is the daughter of my friends, Maria Liza Rodriguez and Rolando Tanael, all natives of Bato, Catanduanes. Both parents were my batch mates in high school. Meg is 20 years old, a senior in University of Asia and the Pacific majoring in Information Technology. She has an older brother named Daryl Tanael whom she fondly calls “kuya,” a term filipinos use as a sign of respect to an older brother.

She was born in Pasay, Philippines. At age six, her parents accepted job offers in Saudi Arabia.  They took with them Meg and her brother and started new careers and brand new life in some strange place in Saudi Arabia, reason why she was hardly known in Bato or in Catanduanes. She graduated from high school in International Philippine School in Riyadh in which she was a consistent honor student.

I had had a chance to exchange email with Meg’s father several years back, and he mentioned how beautiful her daughter has evolved and blossomed,  and I could tell how proud he was of her. I get same feedback from her mother who is now based in USA. Though she has been persuaded a career in modeling for the last several years in the Philippines, her mother has adamantly insisted that she finish her college first before she ventures into such things. One thing that strikes me about Meg is she is a very sweet girl and she minds her parents. Most kids these days do whatever they please regardless of what their parents say. When Meg celebrated her 20th birthday, she wanted very much to go bungee jumping, and she asked me if i could entice her mom to allow her to do it. I didn’t talk to her mom. I just reasoned with her that bungee jumping is such a risky activity, that she should save this reckless abandonment stuff for later.  Lo and behold, she listened which made me so proud of her.

Her beauty didn’t go unnoticed in the Philippine community in Saudi Arabia. At a young age of 15, she was crowned first Binibining Pilipinas-Riyadh 2004.  As a result,  she became more  and more popular even in the Phillipines. I could imagine how proud her parents are of her. I know I am.

She now resides with her older brother in the Philippines. Now and then, she visits her mom in the USA or vice versa.

Lately, she has had many pictorials from various Philippine photographers, currently modeling for Circuit Fashion for Multiply sellers (designers) & Publicity Events Dep’t. (PED) of the UP Public Relations Advertising Society (PR+Ads)

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