Circumcision is a pet project that the lion tamer and her pet meticulously conduct each year for the past four years now without much fanfare. Getting professional help from a country physician who charge them half the cosat he would ordinarily bill his customer, adding that the other half is also his modest contribution to our simple outreach program for the kids, the endeavor would be timed immediately after the end of the school year and would involve from ten to fifteen young boys with ages ranging from six to twelve, who, accompanied by their doting mothers would nervously subject their natural armors to the knif
Thus it was that on the first Monday of April, ten young lads trooped to the clinic of Dr. Rolando Salada just across the den of the aging cat for the ritual that would announce to the whole world their symbolic entry to manhood. Why the number decreased when compared to the previous year was due mainly to the gradual depletion of the of the “non-baptized” (di-binyagan) young lads that the periodic charitable work has resulted.
And as in the previous year, the kids owe their grateful appreciation to VW John Teng of Laong Laan Lodge No. 185 for footing the cost of the circumcision, and to him, the aging cat is likewise indebted for this charitable endeavor.
May his tribe increase!
Monday, April 07, 2008
Saturday, September 22, 2007
A GIRL NAMED HELEN
The aging lion no longer remembers whether it was the same Helen of Greek mythology who had the face that launched a thousand ships but he is still pretty certain it was Helen of Troy who ignited the creation of the Trojan horse that led to the city’s downfall.
The Helen of this story is amiable, light complexioned and is, by normal standards, charming although the best that can be expected of her is attract a lone pump boat owner should she desire to tie the knot and ring a wedding bell.
But just who the heck is Helen?!
Well, Helen is the eldest daughter of Eben and Vivianne, one of our neighbors near the gate of our backyard. The lion tamer thought of taking her to the metropolis two years ago so she can work with her daughter as a maid and in the afternoons when the work is lighter, could study a computer course using her salary for tuition fee and other expenses.
That plan was aborted because the mother of the girl also solicited from her brother in law (the father’s elder brother) financial support that she may study at Tagbilaran while staying with the father’s sister there. That request was granted, only, when the money arrived, the mother used it as down payment for a television set thereby dousing cold water to her ambitions of becoming a computer whiz kid someday..
She thereafter went to the metropolis accompanied by a cousin and work as maid for Philip Salvador, the ex beau of Kris Aquino, who, she narrates with nostalgia, was a landlord who was kind and considerate. But like most landlords, he would not grant cash advances that maids usually requests even on conditions that these be deducted from future salaries.
Consequently, she was ordered to return home to Guindulman and there do nothing. She also ventured as maid in Cebu City but apparently, the working conditions were not conducive to healthful living because after a lapse of only four months, she returned home jobless once again.
She dabbled on the Internet hoping to attract an American national who would offer her a marriage proposal just so she could alleviate the living conditions of her family. Nothing prospered however.
Meanwhile, their dilapidated shack was progressively being eroded by the elements. Rain droplets would seep in almost all corners of their hut so that whenever rain pours, it becomes an awesome challenge avoiding being wet. And when one considers that the area of their living quarters do not exceed 10 square meters, then one can well imagine the efforts the family had to undergo dodging the annoying liquids as these drop to the floor..
Also desiring to improve their daily lives, she narrated to a cousin in Manila through her cell phone their pathetic condition asking for P2,000 that the shack may be repaired. That cousin sent P1,500. Nipa thatches are already available and so are some old lumber that were purchased from a neighbor who demolished her house earlier.
Their two neighbors, Liza and Honeydew have plans of their own upon learning that money was received. They immediately approached the girl wanting to borrow the money but she would not let go of it, to the consternation of the two who silently vowed they would someday do something to get even.
Helen then approached the lion tamer asking for help that the shack may be repaired and consequently the request was relayed to the aging lion who suggested that under the circumstances, felling a coconut tree and having it lumbered for use as columns and trusses would be the best recourse. Of course, cutting expenses had to be incurred and under the circumstances the lion tamer was told she also had to subsidize it by pruning her own budget a little.bit
Preparation for felling down the coconut tree at the lion tamer’s backyard was arranged with the chain saw cutter and the tuba gatherer who will cut the palm leaves atop the tree. It turned out however, that a permit was needed from the office of the Philippine Coconut Authority and the red tape required so many signatures it would entail no less than a week to accomplish.
Dismayed at the prospects of venturing into a very slow process of having the coconut tree felled, the aging lion decided that felling the lone mahogany tree that towered inside their gate would be a better substitute since only the signature of the barangay captain is needed.
So the mahogany tree came crushing down the earth’s floor and as the girl was operating on a beach-walk budget, the lion tamer had to subsidize the cost of cutting these into sawn lumber.
Work started in earnest. A carpenter was hired at 20% discount and three other neighbors (except the husbands of the two who earlier wanted to borrow the money and therefore would not help) worked the “bayanihan” way, gratis et amore. But in consequence, the lone male kabir rooster of the aging lion was broiled as “tinola” for lunch and after two days, the house’ skeletal frame stood proudly where the decrepit shack once stood. Again, the nipa thatches lacked and so the lion tamer had to shell out from her pocket an additional sum that the roof may be completed.
As of this writing, the house is eighty percent complete and will still need about a thousand pesos more for the purchase of bamboo “sawali” that will be used as walling of the house. Meantime, the family covered the sides with curtains that moves merrily because of its attractive color whenever the wind blows.
To enable them to sleep at night, they cramp in the lone room that the carpenter temporarily made from the lawanit boards that were salvaged from the old shack. Not yet a comfortable living condition though, but definitely a lot better now than before when they had to dodge the rain droplets whenever the rain falls!
And so the aging lion contentedly moves his lower limb but without the right foot dangling to the floor!
Note: Comments will be appreciated. The aging lion will know that the recipients our there are still alive.
The Helen of this story is amiable, light complexioned and is, by normal standards, charming although the best that can be expected of her is attract a lone pump boat owner should she desire to tie the knot and ring a wedding bell.
But just who the heck is Helen?!
Well, Helen is the eldest daughter of Eben and Vivianne, one of our neighbors near the gate of our backyard. The lion tamer thought of taking her to the metropolis two years ago so she can work with her daughter as a maid and in the afternoons when the work is lighter, could study a computer course using her salary for tuition fee and other expenses.
That plan was aborted because the mother of the girl also solicited from her brother in law (the father’s elder brother) financial support that she may study at Tagbilaran while staying with the father’s sister there. That request was granted, only, when the money arrived, the mother used it as down payment for a television set thereby dousing cold water to her ambitions of becoming a computer whiz kid someday..
She thereafter went to the metropolis accompanied by a cousin and work as maid for Philip Salvador, the ex beau of Kris Aquino, who, she narrates with nostalgia, was a landlord who was kind and considerate. But like most landlords, he would not grant cash advances that maids usually requests even on conditions that these be deducted from future salaries.
Consequently, she was ordered to return home to Guindulman and there do nothing. She also ventured as maid in Cebu City but apparently, the working conditions were not conducive to healthful living because after a lapse of only four months, she returned home jobless once again.
She dabbled on the Internet hoping to attract an American national who would offer her a marriage proposal just so she could alleviate the living conditions of her family. Nothing prospered however.
Meanwhile, their dilapidated shack was progressively being eroded by the elements. Rain droplets would seep in almost all corners of their hut so that whenever rain pours, it becomes an awesome challenge avoiding being wet. And when one considers that the area of their living quarters do not exceed 10 square meters, then one can well imagine the efforts the family had to undergo dodging the annoying liquids as these drop to the floor..
Also desiring to improve their daily lives, she narrated to a cousin in Manila through her cell phone their pathetic condition asking for P2,000 that the shack may be repaired. That cousin sent P1,500. Nipa thatches are already available and so are some old lumber that were purchased from a neighbor who demolished her house earlier.
Their two neighbors, Liza and Honeydew have plans of their own upon learning that money was received. They immediately approached the girl wanting to borrow the money but she would not let go of it, to the consternation of the two who silently vowed they would someday do something to get even.
Helen then approached the lion tamer asking for help that the shack may be repaired and consequently the request was relayed to the aging lion who suggested that under the circumstances, felling a coconut tree and having it lumbered for use as columns and trusses would be the best recourse. Of course, cutting expenses had to be incurred and under the circumstances the lion tamer was told she also had to subsidize it by pruning her own budget a little.bit
Preparation for felling down the coconut tree at the lion tamer’s backyard was arranged with the chain saw cutter and the tuba gatherer who will cut the palm leaves atop the tree. It turned out however, that a permit was needed from the office of the Philippine Coconut Authority and the red tape required so many signatures it would entail no less than a week to accomplish.
Dismayed at the prospects of venturing into a very slow process of having the coconut tree felled, the aging lion decided that felling the lone mahogany tree that towered inside their gate would be a better substitute since only the signature of the barangay captain is needed.
So the mahogany tree came crushing down the earth’s floor and as the girl was operating on a beach-walk budget, the lion tamer had to subsidize the cost of cutting these into sawn lumber.
Work started in earnest. A carpenter was hired at 20% discount and three other neighbors (except the husbands of the two who earlier wanted to borrow the money and therefore would not help) worked the “bayanihan” way, gratis et amore. But in consequence, the lone male kabir rooster of the aging lion was broiled as “tinola” for lunch and after two days, the house’ skeletal frame stood proudly where the decrepit shack once stood. Again, the nipa thatches lacked and so the lion tamer had to shell out from her pocket an additional sum that the roof may be completed.
As of this writing, the house is eighty percent complete and will still need about a thousand pesos more for the purchase of bamboo “sawali” that will be used as walling of the house. Meantime, the family covered the sides with curtains that moves merrily because of its attractive color whenever the wind blows.
To enable them to sleep at night, they cramp in the lone room that the carpenter temporarily made from the lawanit boards that were salvaged from the old shack. Not yet a comfortable living condition though, but definitely a lot better now than before when they had to dodge the rain droplets whenever the rain falls!
And so the aging lion contentedly moves his lower limb but without the right foot dangling to the floor!
Note: Comments will be appreciated. The aging lion will know that the recipients our there are still alive.
Sunday, September 09, 2007
HELPING A NEIGHBOR BECOME AN SSS PENSIONER
So you’re a member of the Social Security System already about to retire, or if not, have parents about to do so and because you have been regularly tuned to the radio station DZRH where Bro. Deo Macalma is a celebrated broadcaster hears Ms. Henny de la Cruz solves SSS problems over the radio and therefore thinks that getting your retirement benefits is a cinch should better think again. Of course it helps that there are brethren working in that mammoth organization to iron out the kinks but since the outfit is so big and is also struggling to have their records automated, giving their members their earned benefits as retirement age finally comes is still a wish many old age members can but desire. Take this epic case for example.
Pacheco Castrodes, our neighbor has reached the age of sixty last year and because he is sickly, decided to apply for early retirement. Knowing we have already helped another neighbor in the not-so-distant to past reacquire her retirement pension that was suspended previously, he also approached us that his application may be filed promptly and his pension received with dispatch. This the lion tamer eagerly welcomed and so on her next trip to Tagbilaran she went direct to the SSS office and there requested Gideon Rubillos for the membership data of the retiree-applicant to which the latter promptly complied with.
The membership data indeed showed that the member has already reached early retirement age but that the required 120 months minimum monthly contributions is still two months short having a value of P276,00. Upon reaching home she furnished Pacheco the data sheet to compare it with his record and noted that two installment payments were not posted. Advised by the lion tamer on what to do, the poor chap borrowed transportation money from his policeman-younger brother and there submitted to the SSS clerk the needed documents so that these may be sent to the main office for posting.
Three months passed and so the lion tamer called Gideon to follow it up but the missing two months were still not posted. To remedy the problem, Gideon suggested that the amount be paid instead to complete the required monthly contributions which the retiree-applicant reluctantly did as it meant not only borrowing transportation money again but also the P276 as well. After another trip to the SSS office at Tagbilaran he was advised to wait another month before finally submitting his claim papers since the bank form wherewith the payment was recorded still had to be sent to the main office for final posting..
Another two months lapsed and the lion tamer called Gideon again. He said that the required form may now be submitted to the delight both of the pensioner-applicant and the lion tamer. But another two months lapsed and nothing was heard from the SSS.
The lion tamer called again and was advised that Pacheco, the applicant go back to the SSS branch on March 7 but there still was a problem. Reluctantly borrowing transportation money again, he found out that a second tracer for a pending RR claim was again sent by the branch to the main office. What the “pending RR claim” was all about, the claimant could not explain to us.
Exasperated at the turn of events, the aging lion took the bull by the horns and emailed WB Gerard Gomzales at SSS Bacolod if he can help detailing to the latter his impressions on the issue. WB Gerard advised that the pertinent documents be xeroxed and sent to him which was done promptly the next day. Upon receipt WB Gerard said the problem was remnant of the previous difficulties on manual system and that these had to be tabulated manually at the main office. He assured the aging lion not to worry as he’ll be sending the documents to VW Freddie Ibay that have it manually tabulated to solve the problem.
But the tragedy that the aging lion suffered stood in the way. The aging cat totally forgot it until on May 14 when his eldest cub took him to Los Banos and there saw her daughter in law’s laptop with Internet connections and instantly remembered Pacheco’s case. He immediately emailed WB Gerard to facilitate processing as the poor man was ill such that if worse comes to worst his family may end up receiving death benefits instead of Pacheco getting his pension claim. WB Gerard replied it still is being subjected to “lice removal” (hinihinguto) and that the aging lion should not worry.
Then came June 6, the date of Laong Laan’s stated meeting. By luck the limping cat chanced upon VW Freddie Ibay and so reiterated to him Pacheco’s problem, to which the latter replied that he expects the task will be completed the next week and that there should no longer be a case for worry.
By mid June WB Gerard emailed saying that the problem was finally solved and that Pacheco be instructed to re-file his claim. To which he did and a full month later or in July his sister sent a text message saying a check for P27.000 representing eighteen months’ lump sum was received.
But that was not the end of the story. When the lion tamer and her pet finally went home to his den they could not see Pacheco in the vicinity. Silently the aging lion mused he may be like the many beneficiaries of their good deeds in Guindulman town who, after being helped would not even say a simple “thank you” for their charitable deeds.
But it was not so. A full three weeks later, Pacheco with drooping shoulders and still visibly sick, entered our gate and in an apologetic but smiling face said he purposely shied away the past three weeks as he was advised by the doctor at Cebu City to avoid talking whenever he can because there is a cancerous substance that is lodged in his throat and thus required vocal therapy. Of the P27,000, he said P5,000 is still available after P10,000 was spent for doctor’s fees and the remaining P12,000 spent on food, medicines, and paying of his younger brother on the advances that he made. He also added he’ll start receiving P1,500 as his monthly starting next month.
The aging lion could only smile and as an afterthought said it appears the “Grim Ripper” (Kamatayan) has decided to spare the souls of two sickly septuagenarians that are now ripe for the Great Beyond.
Bad grass and definitely not the Bermuda type.!!
Pacheco Castrodes, our neighbor has reached the age of sixty last year and because he is sickly, decided to apply for early retirement. Knowing we have already helped another neighbor in the not-so-distant to past reacquire her retirement pension that was suspended previously, he also approached us that his application may be filed promptly and his pension received with dispatch. This the lion tamer eagerly welcomed and so on her next trip to Tagbilaran she went direct to the SSS office and there requested Gideon Rubillos for the membership data of the retiree-applicant to which the latter promptly complied with.
The membership data indeed showed that the member has already reached early retirement age but that the required 120 months minimum monthly contributions is still two months short having a value of P276,00. Upon reaching home she furnished Pacheco the data sheet to compare it with his record and noted that two installment payments were not posted. Advised by the lion tamer on what to do, the poor chap borrowed transportation money from his policeman-younger brother and there submitted to the SSS clerk the needed documents so that these may be sent to the main office for posting.
Three months passed and so the lion tamer called Gideon to follow it up but the missing two months were still not posted. To remedy the problem, Gideon suggested that the amount be paid instead to complete the required monthly contributions which the retiree-applicant reluctantly did as it meant not only borrowing transportation money again but also the P276 as well. After another trip to the SSS office at Tagbilaran he was advised to wait another month before finally submitting his claim papers since the bank form wherewith the payment was recorded still had to be sent to the main office for final posting..
Another two months lapsed and the lion tamer called Gideon again. He said that the required form may now be submitted to the delight both of the pensioner-applicant and the lion tamer. But another two months lapsed and nothing was heard from the SSS.
The lion tamer called again and was advised that Pacheco, the applicant go back to the SSS branch on March 7 but there still was a problem. Reluctantly borrowing transportation money again, he found out that a second tracer for a pending RR claim was again sent by the branch to the main office. What the “pending RR claim” was all about, the claimant could not explain to us.
Exasperated at the turn of events, the aging lion took the bull by the horns and emailed WB Gerard Gomzales at SSS Bacolod if he can help detailing to the latter his impressions on the issue. WB Gerard advised that the pertinent documents be xeroxed and sent to him which was done promptly the next day. Upon receipt WB Gerard said the problem was remnant of the previous difficulties on manual system and that these had to be tabulated manually at the main office. He assured the aging lion not to worry as he’ll be sending the documents to VW Freddie Ibay that have it manually tabulated to solve the problem.
But the tragedy that the aging lion suffered stood in the way. The aging cat totally forgot it until on May 14 when his eldest cub took him to Los Banos and there saw her daughter in law’s laptop with Internet connections and instantly remembered Pacheco’s case. He immediately emailed WB Gerard to facilitate processing as the poor man was ill such that if worse comes to worst his family may end up receiving death benefits instead of Pacheco getting his pension claim. WB Gerard replied it still is being subjected to “lice removal” (hinihinguto) and that the aging lion should not worry.
Then came June 6, the date of Laong Laan’s stated meeting. By luck the limping cat chanced upon VW Freddie Ibay and so reiterated to him Pacheco’s problem, to which the latter replied that he expects the task will be completed the next week and that there should no longer be a case for worry.
By mid June WB Gerard emailed saying that the problem was finally solved and that Pacheco be instructed to re-file his claim. To which he did and a full month later or in July his sister sent a text message saying a check for P27.000 representing eighteen months’ lump sum was received.
But that was not the end of the story. When the lion tamer and her pet finally went home to his den they could not see Pacheco in the vicinity. Silently the aging lion mused he may be like the many beneficiaries of their good deeds in Guindulman town who, after being helped would not even say a simple “thank you” for their charitable deeds.
But it was not so. A full three weeks later, Pacheco with drooping shoulders and still visibly sick, entered our gate and in an apologetic but smiling face said he purposely shied away the past three weeks as he was advised by the doctor at Cebu City to avoid talking whenever he can because there is a cancerous substance that is lodged in his throat and thus required vocal therapy. Of the P27,000, he said P5,000 is still available after P10,000 was spent for doctor’s fees and the remaining P12,000 spent on food, medicines, and paying of his younger brother on the advances that he made. He also added he’ll start receiving P1,500 as his monthly starting next month.
The aging lion could only smile and as an afterthought said it appears the “Grim Ripper” (Kamatayan) has decided to spare the souls of two sickly septuagenarians that are now ripe for the Great Beyond.
Bad grass and definitely not the Bermuda type.!!
Monday, April 09, 2007
Operation Tule'
Brethren:
The aging lion is pleased to report that last April 2, Holy Monday, fifteen (15) energetic young boys were circumcised by a medical doctor who was assisted by a registered nurse, the lion tamer and with this writer acting as kibitzer.
This civic action program was done without fanfare, and without streamer to herald the event, only the word that a good deed is being spread. It can also be a good prototype for what can turn out to be a medium-sized project.
Credit goes to VW John Teng, DDGM of MD No. who bankrolled the cost of the event.
And here’s hoping these fine young boys will leave their indelible imprints in the sands of time when the proper time comes.
Cheers!
Leon
The aging lion is pleased to report that last April 2, Holy Monday, fifteen (15) energetic young boys were circumcised by a medical doctor who was assisted by a registered nurse, the lion tamer and with this writer acting as kibitzer.
This civic action program was done without fanfare, and without streamer to herald the event, only the word that a good deed is being spread. It can also be a good prototype for what can turn out to be a medium-sized project.
Credit goes to VW John Teng, DDGM of MD No. who bankrolled the cost of the event.
And here’s hoping these fine young boys will leave their indelible imprints in the sands of time when the proper time comes.
Cheers!
Leon
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
SUNSHINE FROM THE SHRINE!
You may not be aware of this, but if you are a Shriner, then you are part and parcel of this story. Let the aging cat tell you about it.
Last February 24, immediately after the burial of Bro. Eduardo Palac at the cemetery atop the hill, the aging lion was animatedly conversing with his good friend Tante inside the Palac residence when a maid approached them saying: “Nong Jun! Sulti ni Manang Lor, gawas ka daw” which in the King’s language meant: “Nong Jun, Nang Lorma (meaning, the lion tamer) asks that you go out, and so obediently her aging pet complied.
Outside, he was introduced to an elderly lady who was accompanying a limping six-year-old girl, and was promptly informed the latter needs help. After asking the standard questions and the ordeal that the prospective patient and her caretaker-companion at the hospital will undergo should we take her to Cebu, and with her reply all being in the affirmative, the aging lion nodded and forthwith advised the lion tamer that a call to Dr. Felix Vicuna will be needed.. He also told the elderly lady to visit them at the lion’s den two days later so that if the result of the call is favorable then they will finalize the trip so that the girl may be operated upon. The girl, by the way, appears to be suffering from a congenital defect called clubfoot and is also frequently treated for epileptic ailment.
The next day, Sunday, a man on board a motorcycle came to the aging lion’s den and introduced .himself as a neighbor of the young girl. Also on board the motorcycle was a young boy likewise of the same age as the girl but with a deformed right elbow.. The man said he is the boy’s father and that a little more than a year ago, his son was merrily climbing a guava tree trying to pluck off some fruits while singing the nursery rhyme at the top of his voice. But the branch broke and down to the flat earth he slumped; and the last rhythmic word of the phrase “guavas are ripe” that he was singing instead turned out to be a loud “array!”
So on the next day, Monday, the lion tamer had two birds to hit with only one stone. She not only had to request Dr. Felix Vicuna to operate on the young girl with a deformed foot but also on the boy with a broken elbow. Fortunately for her, the amiable doctor said that these would be no problem and that we should bring the two prospective patients to Cebu and he’ll see what he can do. Which made the aging lion glad. Last February 3 after all, VW Felix Vicuna, Jr. was one of the honored guests who came direct from Cebu City to attend the installation ceremonies of Dagohoy Lodge No. 84 at the new Temple that the Bohol Masons are definitely proud of.
Her next task was to arrange with the local DSWD for the P500 financial assistance for their bus and boat fare in going to Cebu City and on this, the town mayor also added an equal amount thus giving the parents a thousand bucks each for transportation fare and miscellaneous expenses.
Then Sunday, March 4 came. The lion tamer was apprehensive because the aging lion decided that for financial considerations, it will be best that he is left behind in their den. . He calculated it will cost them an additional P700 should he tag along, but she was adamant. She is not yet well acquainted with the good doctor and felt something could go wrong if he will not tag along. Hearing the assurance from her pet that she can call him long distance to sort out whatever problems that may arise, she finally acceded that he be left behind.
Their trip to Cebu as well as the critical diagnoses that was performed by Dr. Vicuna on the two prospective patients at his office at the Cebu Doctor’s Hospital was expertly done with dispatch and no sooner the two, together with the boy’s father and the girl’s mother who will watch and care for them, \were admitted at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Hospital The staff, after all, knew that the two are patients of celebrated Dr. Vicuna of the Shrine.
By three thirty in the morning of March 9, the lion tamer’s cell phone rang and at the other phone, the boy’s father was frantic in asking what to do with the prescription slip containing anesthetic and other medicines, the cost of which were considerably expensive, that was handed to the by the nurse on duty as the boy was scheduled to be operated on that morning. Not knowing what to do, she instructed the caller to approach the resident physician on duty and inform him (or her) that the boy is a patient of the “Shrine.” Apparently that was the correct password because by the time the father called again, he said that all the needed medicines were already available and that the operation will be performed as scheduled. That of the little girl, however, was rescheduled as the good doctor decided that additional tests on her brain be performed to determine whether other medical procedures and medicines should be administered to her to insure that a more comprehensive and accurate diagnoses of her ailment will redound to her ultimate and speedy recovery.
By four in the afternoon, with the sun not yet setting in the proverbial West, the boy with a deformed elbow was out of the operating room attended to by the hospital staff and by the boy’s father who was obviously physically exhausted but with a wide grin registered on his lips.
And on this. Dr. Felix Vicuna. Jr. and the Shriners definitely deserve a hearty pat on the back for the noble act that they performed for the benefit of the young patient!
Last February 24, immediately after the burial of Bro. Eduardo Palac at the cemetery atop the hill, the aging lion was animatedly conversing with his good friend Tante inside the Palac residence when a maid approached them saying: “Nong Jun! Sulti ni Manang Lor, gawas ka daw” which in the King’s language meant: “Nong Jun, Nang Lorma (meaning, the lion tamer) asks that you go out, and so obediently her aging pet complied.
Outside, he was introduced to an elderly lady who was accompanying a limping six-year-old girl, and was promptly informed the latter needs help. After asking the standard questions and the ordeal that the prospective patient and her caretaker-companion at the hospital will undergo should we take her to Cebu, and with her reply all being in the affirmative, the aging lion nodded and forthwith advised the lion tamer that a call to Dr. Felix Vicuna will be needed.. He also told the elderly lady to visit them at the lion’s den two days later so that if the result of the call is favorable then they will finalize the trip so that the girl may be operated upon. The girl, by the way, appears to be suffering from a congenital defect called clubfoot and is also frequently treated for epileptic ailment.
The next day, Sunday, a man on board a motorcycle came to the aging lion’s den and introduced .himself as a neighbor of the young girl. Also on board the motorcycle was a young boy likewise of the same age as the girl but with a deformed right elbow.. The man said he is the boy’s father and that a little more than a year ago, his son was merrily climbing a guava tree trying to pluck off some fruits while singing the nursery rhyme at the top of his voice. But the branch broke and down to the flat earth he slumped; and the last rhythmic word of the phrase “guavas are ripe” that he was singing instead turned out to be a loud “array!”
So on the next day, Monday, the lion tamer had two birds to hit with only one stone. She not only had to request Dr. Felix Vicuna to operate on the young girl with a deformed foot but also on the boy with a broken elbow. Fortunately for her, the amiable doctor said that these would be no problem and that we should bring the two prospective patients to Cebu and he’ll see what he can do. Which made the aging lion glad. Last February 3 after all, VW Felix Vicuna, Jr. was one of the honored guests who came direct from Cebu City to attend the installation ceremonies of Dagohoy Lodge No. 84 at the new Temple that the Bohol Masons are definitely proud of.
Her next task was to arrange with the local DSWD for the P500 financial assistance for their bus and boat fare in going to Cebu City and on this, the town mayor also added an equal amount thus giving the parents a thousand bucks each for transportation fare and miscellaneous expenses.
Then Sunday, March 4 came. The lion tamer was apprehensive because the aging lion decided that for financial considerations, it will be best that he is left behind in their den. . He calculated it will cost them an additional P700 should he tag along, but she was adamant. She is not yet well acquainted with the good doctor and felt something could go wrong if he will not tag along. Hearing the assurance from her pet that she can call him long distance to sort out whatever problems that may arise, she finally acceded that he be left behind.
Their trip to Cebu as well as the critical diagnoses that was performed by Dr. Vicuna on the two prospective patients at his office at the Cebu Doctor’s Hospital was expertly done with dispatch and no sooner the two, together with the boy’s father and the girl’s mother who will watch and care for them, \were admitted at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Hospital The staff, after all, knew that the two are patients of celebrated Dr. Vicuna of the Shrine.
By three thirty in the morning of March 9, the lion tamer’s cell phone rang and at the other phone, the boy’s father was frantic in asking what to do with the prescription slip containing anesthetic and other medicines, the cost of which were considerably expensive, that was handed to the by the nurse on duty as the boy was scheduled to be operated on that morning. Not knowing what to do, she instructed the caller to approach the resident physician on duty and inform him (or her) that the boy is a patient of the “Shrine.” Apparently that was the correct password because by the time the father called again, he said that all the needed medicines were already available and that the operation will be performed as scheduled. That of the little girl, however, was rescheduled as the good doctor decided that additional tests on her brain be performed to determine whether other medical procedures and medicines should be administered to her to insure that a more comprehensive and accurate diagnoses of her ailment will redound to her ultimate and speedy recovery.
By four in the afternoon, with the sun not yet setting in the proverbial West, the boy with a deformed elbow was out of the operating room attended to by the hospital staff and by the boy’s father who was obviously physically exhausted but with a wide grin registered on his lips.
And on this. Dr. Felix Vicuna. Jr. and the Shriners definitely deserve a hearty pat on the back for the noble act that they performed for the benefit of the young patient!
Sunday, December 03, 2006
POTABLE WATER FOR THE RURAL POOR!
It was neither a new nor a bright idea that burgeoned from nowhere; and if an analogy should aptly be made, it can be compared to a slowly-dying ember that the lion tamer decided to rekindle so that it may again relight its cinders and used sometime later, only, the subject of this article is not fire but water. And the precious liquid that she endeavors to engender can readily satisfy the water needs of several hundreds of residents of three different places. But let the aging lion narrate to you this unique tale right from the very beginning.
Some two years ago when the harelip assistance project was already in full swing, the lion tamer’s aging pet noticed that in addition to Harelip Repair, the calling card of Darin and Farrah Goertzen of Christian Service International shows that they also engage in the assistance of “Waterworks Projects” of rural residents. Thus, seeing the prospects of being of further service to her town-mates, the lion tamer approached a lady official of the town and explored the opportunity of providing water where these are needed. Consequently the latter said there is a baranggay that can benefit from the sponsoring entity as their source of potable water is a reservoir that is located at the upper portion of the community. She said that if a pipe is installed from the water source to the center of the community and faucets are provided in strategic places, then the “Jack and Jill” nursery rhyme that one sings during their school days will easily be a thing of the past. The rational option then was to prepare a request that is duly supported by a bill of materials complete with its estimated cost so that it may be presented to Darin Goertzen for review and consideration.
But local culture prevented the submission of the written proposal to the sponsoring organization. The proponents who made the written proposal, adept at preparing bloated cost estimates, assumed it should be no different from a budgeted public expenditure and therefore should be no less than double its estimated cost that can deflate the ego of the nation’s congressmen and senators. The cost of cement, deformed steel bars and gravel, among others, were outrageously overpriced even an ordinary laborer will notice the glaring attempt to fleece the donors of their moneys’ worth. The aging lion and his tamer therefore, ruefully shelved the idea, for if pursued, can only tarnish the good image that they had been patiently cultivating with the sponsoring charitable organization.
But some two months ago, while on her visit to another baranggay called Bulawan attending to another project in her capacity as vice president of the town’s ladies organization, she saw an inoperable water pump by the ridge that is adjacent to a ricefield of a hinterland baranggay and casually she inquired from a resident how come it was left untended for the use of the residents. The classic reply that she got was “lack of funds” of their baranggay. Remembering Darin’s calling card, she called him if that offer of assistance is still open and the reply that she got was “Yes.”.
Darin and the lion tamer then arranged for a meeting with a baranggay “kagawad” and the possibility for the rehabilitation of the jet pump operated deep-well was discussed. It turned out the job was not difficult. Presently, water about the size of a thumb freely ooze from the connecting pipe because it is still the rainy season that residents can still use, although water no longer comes out during dry-spell months. By installing a brand new jet pump as replacement and also by constructing a shade, it can easily benefit more than forty families that comprise some two hundred residents including children. It was agreed therefore that the cost of the jet pump and its appurtenances will be shouldered by Darin’s group while nipa thatches, sand, gravel and labor will be provided for by the baranggay. The residents also must clean the place. All these happened while the aging lion silently watched in the sidelines.
It turned out there is another inoperable deep well the water of which was also previously being extracted through the use of another jet pump at the upper portion of the baranggay and so was also inspected for possible rehabilitation. Unlike the first deep well, however, the water is about a meter below ground level and will need thorough cleaning before clean water may be pumped from the source. An arrangement with another kagawad therefore arranged to have the well cleaned before the materials are delivered by Darin Goertzen. The aging lion consequently was tasked to inspect the deep well to personally see to it that it was indeed cleaned of debris before the needed jet pump and its accessories are delivered .
On their way home, Darin also asked what happened to the proposed water project that the lion tamer asked some two years before and so the latter narrated to her what happened to his amusement. Needing but pipes and related materials, the work is not really difficult but the resultant effect will be inestimable. He assured both the lion tamer and her pet that attempts by intended recipients for petty thievery are not at all unusual but that we should not worry.. He said he automatically reviews the proposal anyway and gives only what is needed for the project adding that in most instances, he personally provides the actual materials thus eliminating the possibility of graft occurring on the project.
By Saturday December 2, Darin brought with him from Tagbilaran a brand new jet pump and was immediately installed gushing out clear and potable water. He also ordered at a local hardware that the needed cement, pipes and other materials and had these sent to the site so that the shed may be constructed. Darin also reported that the he has already arranged that the pipes and materials for the waterways at the Guinacut project is already scheduled for delivery the coming week. The materials for the second deep well, however, was held in abeyance as the baranggay councilor has not yet sent word that the site is already ready for the aging lion’s visual inspection.
Which makes the aging lion glad. He feels confident that all the three projects can benefit no less than five hundred persons and will be completed before the year is over considering their amiable relationship with Darin Goertzen of Christian Service International. With practically no funds to work on but with cordial and amiable relationship with the donors he and the lion tamer are able, like that American brother who reported at the Internet the successful installation of a water project that cost his group US$ 265 somewhere in Nueva Ecija some eight months or so before, helping these less privileged people is a pleasure worth more than its pecuniary value in gold..
And the aging lion yawns!
Some two years ago when the harelip assistance project was already in full swing, the lion tamer’s aging pet noticed that in addition to Harelip Repair, the calling card of Darin and Farrah Goertzen of Christian Service International shows that they also engage in the assistance of “Waterworks Projects” of rural residents. Thus, seeing the prospects of being of further service to her town-mates, the lion tamer approached a lady official of the town and explored the opportunity of providing water where these are needed. Consequently the latter said there is a baranggay that can benefit from the sponsoring entity as their source of potable water is a reservoir that is located at the upper portion of the community. She said that if a pipe is installed from the water source to the center of the community and faucets are provided in strategic places, then the “Jack and Jill” nursery rhyme that one sings during their school days will easily be a thing of the past. The rational option then was to prepare a request that is duly supported by a bill of materials complete with its estimated cost so that it may be presented to Darin Goertzen for review and consideration.
But local culture prevented the submission of the written proposal to the sponsoring organization. The proponents who made the written proposal, adept at preparing bloated cost estimates, assumed it should be no different from a budgeted public expenditure and therefore should be no less than double its estimated cost that can deflate the ego of the nation’s congressmen and senators. The cost of cement, deformed steel bars and gravel, among others, were outrageously overpriced even an ordinary laborer will notice the glaring attempt to fleece the donors of their moneys’ worth. The aging lion and his tamer therefore, ruefully shelved the idea, for if pursued, can only tarnish the good image that they had been patiently cultivating with the sponsoring charitable organization.
But some two months ago, while on her visit to another baranggay called Bulawan attending to another project in her capacity as vice president of the town’s ladies organization, she saw an inoperable water pump by the ridge that is adjacent to a ricefield of a hinterland baranggay and casually she inquired from a resident how come it was left untended for the use of the residents. The classic reply that she got was “lack of funds” of their baranggay. Remembering Darin’s calling card, she called him if that offer of assistance is still open and the reply that she got was “Yes.”.
Darin and the lion tamer then arranged for a meeting with a baranggay “kagawad” and the possibility for the rehabilitation of the jet pump operated deep-well was discussed. It turned out the job was not difficult. Presently, water about the size of a thumb freely ooze from the connecting pipe because it is still the rainy season that residents can still use, although water no longer comes out during dry-spell months. By installing a brand new jet pump as replacement and also by constructing a shade, it can easily benefit more than forty families that comprise some two hundred residents including children. It was agreed therefore that the cost of the jet pump and its appurtenances will be shouldered by Darin’s group while nipa thatches, sand, gravel and labor will be provided for by the baranggay. The residents also must clean the place. All these happened while the aging lion silently watched in the sidelines.
It turned out there is another inoperable deep well the water of which was also previously being extracted through the use of another jet pump at the upper portion of the baranggay and so was also inspected for possible rehabilitation. Unlike the first deep well, however, the water is about a meter below ground level and will need thorough cleaning before clean water may be pumped from the source. An arrangement with another kagawad therefore arranged to have the well cleaned before the materials are delivered by Darin Goertzen. The aging lion consequently was tasked to inspect the deep well to personally see to it that it was indeed cleaned of debris before the needed jet pump and its accessories are delivered .
On their way home, Darin also asked what happened to the proposed water project that the lion tamer asked some two years before and so the latter narrated to her what happened to his amusement. Needing but pipes and related materials, the work is not really difficult but the resultant effect will be inestimable. He assured both the lion tamer and her pet that attempts by intended recipients for petty thievery are not at all unusual but that we should not worry.. He said he automatically reviews the proposal anyway and gives only what is needed for the project adding that in most instances, he personally provides the actual materials thus eliminating the possibility of graft occurring on the project.
By Saturday December 2, Darin brought with him from Tagbilaran a brand new jet pump and was immediately installed gushing out clear and potable water. He also ordered at a local hardware that the needed cement, pipes and other materials and had these sent to the site so that the shed may be constructed. Darin also reported that the he has already arranged that the pipes and materials for the waterways at the Guinacut project is already scheduled for delivery the coming week. The materials for the second deep well, however, was held in abeyance as the baranggay councilor has not yet sent word that the site is already ready for the aging lion’s visual inspection.
Which makes the aging lion glad. He feels confident that all the three projects can benefit no less than five hundred persons and will be completed before the year is over considering their amiable relationship with Darin Goertzen of Christian Service International. With practically no funds to work on but with cordial and amiable relationship with the donors he and the lion tamer are able, like that American brother who reported at the Internet the successful installation of a water project that cost his group US$ 265 somewhere in Nueva Ecija some eight months or so before, helping these less privileged people is a pleasure worth more than its pecuniary value in gold..
And the aging lion yawns!
Thursday, November 30, 2006
CLUBFOOT
Tenderfoot and clubfoot are two words with entirely different meanings- the former represents the lowest grade of boy scouts whithersoever dispersed; the latter will be the subject of this unique but otherwise heartwarming article.
J A, a two-letter acronym, is the nickname of a three-year old boy named Jose Albert Molina who on December 21 will turn four. But when Bro. Felix Vicuna, Jr., the expert orthopedic surgeon who is single-handedly administering the charitable projects of the Shrine Foundation for Crippled Children in Cebu City asked him how old he is, the boy smilingly flashed out the middle and fore fingers of his right hand in reply to the consternation of his 33-year old mother and with her own hands helped him add his ring finger to indicate his age is already three. But the good doctor was instead keenly touching his thumb, almost massaging it, saying: “this finger needs fixing by grafting a tendon on the upper part of his hand and transferring it on the thumb so that it can move. The same holds true for the thumb of his left hand, at the same time gently moving it to show it also does not work “. Why Dr. Vicuna no longer paid attention to the young boy’s index finger, the aging lion could not tell, but it could be because that smallest part of the hand is good only for taking out the solid object that may have already hardened inside the nose (in local parlance, kulangot) and nothing else!! But let that yucky possibility not distract the aging lion from his chore of narrating this poignant but otherwise controversial article right from the very start..
It was barely three weeks ago when the baranggay captain of Guinacut, a seaside village of Guindulman town who, upon learning that the lion tamer is active on her harelip assistance project, asked if she can also help a young boy who was born with a congenital physical defect. She said she will try and asked that the boy be personally brought to us so that we can see if he can be helped..
We did see the boy and noted that his movements as a human being was disheartening. Instructed to move around the house, he would hold on to a sturdy object like chairs, sofas or bamboo railings, and like a chimpanzee would use his hands to move his frail body around, using the blades of his feet as he cannot set his foot firmly on the floor the way normal persons do. Left alone in sitting position, he would wave his two arms high above his head from left to right in alternating motion as if waving to the tune of a charismatic song and thus would be able to inch his way to the place inside the house where he wants to go. Which could also remind the reader of a battery-operated mechanical toy but without the rollers to make it move. Understandably, his trousers would collect the dirt on the floor as he performs that peculiar motion but he doesn’t mind. What mattered he was able to go to the place he wanted and that’s it.
The lion tamer was, however, adamant whether we should take them to Cebu City. Taking both the mother and the boy there for operation will understandably drain our meager resources and will surely adversely affect our scheduled visit to our folks in the big city for the Christmas holidays. But at the back of our minds we felt there is no way we can ignore this special errand of the GAOTU.. The only logical option then was to call Dr. Vicuna long distance for assurance that help, in addition to footing the hospital bills, is forthcoming especially because a modest allowance for the incidental expenses of both the mother and the young boy are to be expected. Fortunately, the good doctor assured us that that help will come similar to a relay- we take the boy and his mother to Cebu and he picks up the problem from there. With the aid of a mental speed calculator therefore, the aging lion estimated it would cost them from two to three thousand bucks to take them to Cebu before Dr. Vicuna takes over.
So the plan to have the boy operated on was formulated. The mother went to Limasawa in Leyte with her one year old daughter in her arms so that the relatives of her husband may care for the girl meantime she will be caring for her son at Vicente Sotto Hospital in Cebu City. Sadly however, she returned home with her youngest child still in her arms because the relatives of her husband in Leyte would not want to share with their burden as they most probably also have their own unbearable loads to bear.
The lion tamer for her part approached the DSWD office in Guindulman and asked for financial assistance. The office gladly did and appropriated P500, the maximum amount the DSWD office can defray to indigents. She next called the town mayor who also volunteered another P500 and so a check for P1,000 was finally withdrawn from the town’s only savings bank.
On the Sunday evening of November 26, the foursome composed of the lion tamer, her aging pet and the mother with the boy clinging at her back boarded the J & N Ferry at Ubay and on the early morning of the next day arrived at the famed Queen City of the South. After a side trip to the residence of her aunt for a hurried breakfast and a refreshing bath, they proceeded to the Cebu Doctors Hospital for their appointment with Dr. Felix Vicuna and there his expert diagnoses that was mentioned earlier was performed until finally by eleven in the morning, he scribbled his instructions to the staff of Vicente Sotto Hospital that the young boy be admitted and the preliminary tests, among them, x-rays, taking his blood pressure and other tests required by the operation be carried out
Those who have experienced accompanying patients to this government hospital will attest that being admitted as a patient can already be an ordeal, not because the staff are inefficient for surely they are not, but simply because the number of patients that need medical attention far exceed what the hospital can possibly handle. It is not unusual for patients who were admitted at the emergency room to stay there for a couple of days and wait for a patient to be released before he or she is formally admitted to a ward as replacement to the patient who was released. Fortunately for us the admitting nurse was a Boholana from Sevilla town who attended to our needs with dispatch and also because our patient is under the care of Dr. Vicuna of the Shrine Foundation which automatically entitled him to a bed in the hospital. Nonetheless, he had to be taken to the Orthopedic ward not on a stretcher as normally should have been done but on his mother’s back so as not to invite quizzical stares that he was admitted way ahead of the others. The ward, after all is a forty-bed room that already accommodates no less than sixty patients. The boy and mother were finally admitted to the ward at five in the afternoon and thus enabled us to return to the residence of the lion tamer’s aunt to rest and map out plans to return home the next day after giving the mother the P1,000 pocket money that the lion tamer smooched from the DSWD. On the side, the aging lion advised the mother to scrimp on her expenses hopefully to make it last at least two weeks and let the lion tamer worry where the additional pocket money will come from next. Silently, the aging lion also mused that perhaps Bro. Tony will not mind if part of the P5,000 that he generously sent will be channeled to this charitable activity that just appeared at our very doorsteps.
The mother, for her part, obviously had worries of her own. Probably expecting that the admission process will be done in a jiffy, or because she was also worried at her youngest child in Bohol, or it may be because the crowded condition at the hospital made her ill at ease as she is herself a polio victim with a frail body and thus felt she may not be able to endure the rigors of patiently nursing her son while at the hospital, she sent a text message when we were already on board a ferry to return home the next day that she be replaced by her husband to attend to the needs of their son at the hospital, a text that irked the lion tamer because of her lackadaisical attitude at having the defect of her son attended to. It’s good that she reconsidered at the last minute because word has it that her husband skipped his trip Cebu City otherwise it would surely have meant additional financial worries for them which would be quite difficult to solve.
Barring adverse medical tests therefore, the boy will be subjected to the knife today, Friday, the first day of December. Once performed, the next worry to mull about will involve the length of time it will take to enable him to finally stand on his own two feet unaided by sturdy objects like chairs, sofas and most probably crutches if his disheartening defect is not at all corrected?!
And the aging lion yawns!
Note: Please feel free to forward to your friends as you please.
J A, a two-letter acronym, is the nickname of a three-year old boy named Jose Albert Molina who on December 21 will turn four. But when Bro. Felix Vicuna, Jr., the expert orthopedic surgeon who is single-handedly administering the charitable projects of the Shrine Foundation for Crippled Children in Cebu City asked him how old he is, the boy smilingly flashed out the middle and fore fingers of his right hand in reply to the consternation of his 33-year old mother and with her own hands helped him add his ring finger to indicate his age is already three. But the good doctor was instead keenly touching his thumb, almost massaging it, saying: “this finger needs fixing by grafting a tendon on the upper part of his hand and transferring it on the thumb so that it can move. The same holds true for the thumb of his left hand, at the same time gently moving it to show it also does not work “. Why Dr. Vicuna no longer paid attention to the young boy’s index finger, the aging lion could not tell, but it could be because that smallest part of the hand is good only for taking out the solid object that may have already hardened inside the nose (in local parlance, kulangot) and nothing else!! But let that yucky possibility not distract the aging lion from his chore of narrating this poignant but otherwise controversial article right from the very start..
It was barely three weeks ago when the baranggay captain of Guinacut, a seaside village of Guindulman town who, upon learning that the lion tamer is active on her harelip assistance project, asked if she can also help a young boy who was born with a congenital physical defect. She said she will try and asked that the boy be personally brought to us so that we can see if he can be helped..
We did see the boy and noted that his movements as a human being was disheartening. Instructed to move around the house, he would hold on to a sturdy object like chairs, sofas or bamboo railings, and like a chimpanzee would use his hands to move his frail body around, using the blades of his feet as he cannot set his foot firmly on the floor the way normal persons do. Left alone in sitting position, he would wave his two arms high above his head from left to right in alternating motion as if waving to the tune of a charismatic song and thus would be able to inch his way to the place inside the house where he wants to go. Which could also remind the reader of a battery-operated mechanical toy but without the rollers to make it move. Understandably, his trousers would collect the dirt on the floor as he performs that peculiar motion but he doesn’t mind. What mattered he was able to go to the place he wanted and that’s it.
The lion tamer was, however, adamant whether we should take them to Cebu City. Taking both the mother and the boy there for operation will understandably drain our meager resources and will surely adversely affect our scheduled visit to our folks in the big city for the Christmas holidays. But at the back of our minds we felt there is no way we can ignore this special errand of the GAOTU.. The only logical option then was to call Dr. Vicuna long distance for assurance that help, in addition to footing the hospital bills, is forthcoming especially because a modest allowance for the incidental expenses of both the mother and the young boy are to be expected. Fortunately, the good doctor assured us that that help will come similar to a relay- we take the boy and his mother to Cebu and he picks up the problem from there. With the aid of a mental speed calculator therefore, the aging lion estimated it would cost them from two to three thousand bucks to take them to Cebu before Dr. Vicuna takes over.
So the plan to have the boy operated on was formulated. The mother went to Limasawa in Leyte with her one year old daughter in her arms so that the relatives of her husband may care for the girl meantime she will be caring for her son at Vicente Sotto Hospital in Cebu City. Sadly however, she returned home with her youngest child still in her arms because the relatives of her husband in Leyte would not want to share with their burden as they most probably also have their own unbearable loads to bear.
The lion tamer for her part approached the DSWD office in Guindulman and asked for financial assistance. The office gladly did and appropriated P500, the maximum amount the DSWD office can defray to indigents. She next called the town mayor who also volunteered another P500 and so a check for P1,000 was finally withdrawn from the town’s only savings bank.
On the Sunday evening of November 26, the foursome composed of the lion tamer, her aging pet and the mother with the boy clinging at her back boarded the J & N Ferry at Ubay and on the early morning of the next day arrived at the famed Queen City of the South. After a side trip to the residence of her aunt for a hurried breakfast and a refreshing bath, they proceeded to the Cebu Doctors Hospital for their appointment with Dr. Felix Vicuna and there his expert diagnoses that was mentioned earlier was performed until finally by eleven in the morning, he scribbled his instructions to the staff of Vicente Sotto Hospital that the young boy be admitted and the preliminary tests, among them, x-rays, taking his blood pressure and other tests required by the operation be carried out
Those who have experienced accompanying patients to this government hospital will attest that being admitted as a patient can already be an ordeal, not because the staff are inefficient for surely they are not, but simply because the number of patients that need medical attention far exceed what the hospital can possibly handle. It is not unusual for patients who were admitted at the emergency room to stay there for a couple of days and wait for a patient to be released before he or she is formally admitted to a ward as replacement to the patient who was released. Fortunately for us the admitting nurse was a Boholana from Sevilla town who attended to our needs with dispatch and also because our patient is under the care of Dr. Vicuna of the Shrine Foundation which automatically entitled him to a bed in the hospital. Nonetheless, he had to be taken to the Orthopedic ward not on a stretcher as normally should have been done but on his mother’s back so as not to invite quizzical stares that he was admitted way ahead of the others. The ward, after all is a forty-bed room that already accommodates no less than sixty patients. The boy and mother were finally admitted to the ward at five in the afternoon and thus enabled us to return to the residence of the lion tamer’s aunt to rest and map out plans to return home the next day after giving the mother the P1,000 pocket money that the lion tamer smooched from the DSWD. On the side, the aging lion advised the mother to scrimp on her expenses hopefully to make it last at least two weeks and let the lion tamer worry where the additional pocket money will come from next. Silently, the aging lion also mused that perhaps Bro. Tony will not mind if part of the P5,000 that he generously sent will be channeled to this charitable activity that just appeared at our very doorsteps.
The mother, for her part, obviously had worries of her own. Probably expecting that the admission process will be done in a jiffy, or because she was also worried at her youngest child in Bohol, or it may be because the crowded condition at the hospital made her ill at ease as she is herself a polio victim with a frail body and thus felt she may not be able to endure the rigors of patiently nursing her son while at the hospital, she sent a text message when we were already on board a ferry to return home the next day that she be replaced by her husband to attend to the needs of their son at the hospital, a text that irked the lion tamer because of her lackadaisical attitude at having the defect of her son attended to. It’s good that she reconsidered at the last minute because word has it that her husband skipped his trip Cebu City otherwise it would surely have meant additional financial worries for them which would be quite difficult to solve.
Barring adverse medical tests therefore, the boy will be subjected to the knife today, Friday, the first day of December. Once performed, the next worry to mull about will involve the length of time it will take to enable him to finally stand on his own two feet unaided by sturdy objects like chairs, sofas and most probably crutches if his disheartening defect is not at all corrected?!
And the aging lion yawns!
Note: Please feel free to forward to your friends as you please.
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