‘Te… Kain Tayo
They’re a common sight on Metro Manila’s streets: children tugging at your skirt begging… ‘te, pengeng pang-kain… (Sis, can I have some money for food?) Sometimes you give, sometimes you resist… depending on what moment you’re in.
As I walked to the corner store down 11th Jamboree at dusk, I half-noticed five kids sitting by the sidewalk, excitedly chattering, obviously resting in between caroling.
One of the girls called out: ‘te, Kain tayo! (Sis, come share our food!) I stopped, turned… noticed they each had a plate of noodles. As I stood there taking in the scene, I knew I was about to have one of those moments. They were inviting me to partake of what little food they had; who knows if this was their first and only meal for the day?
It’s a Filipino tradition of hospitality… inviting people to partake of whatever is on the dining table even if they popped in your home unexpectedly. The tradition isn’t lost in the kids… even if they are un-schooled and unkempt! Poverty, after all, hasn’t wiped out our best traits.
Occasionally, you’d see a feature on TV showing the depravation of our people. How many a reporter would look beyond the obvious to show what’s in the heart? The producer would chop out the unnecessary soundbite… the better to contain the running time; the more sensational the piece is when you show the subject in dire straits!
Thank you… that’s only half of our story! The other half can be found in those five kids who did not know what selfishness means… and what giving really entails. It’s easy to give when things are aplenty, but would you give away your last food or penny?
God gave us His Son on Christmas. But that’s only half of the story. May we find joy in giving… when it is almost painful to give. Merry Christmas!
