Meeting Esther

Meeting Esther

April 20, 1990 at 7:50 AM

Elizabeth's POV

"Elizabeth, hurry up! We're going to be late for school," Rosalie screamed from the outside.

"I'm coming Rosalie, I'm just trying to fix my hair," I shouted back.

I started school a month ago, which was different from what I had imagined. The school I attended back in the village was small, with very few students. But, the school I attended now was crowded with many students who were older than I was.

I sometimes got scared of them, but Rosalie would urge me to never show them I was scared. It sounded easy for her but not for me.

Though I wasn't interested, Rosalie constantly pressured me to go to school. She said it would be great for my future, and I believed her; I had to.

"Finally, you decided to come outside. Now let's go; we are already very late,". Rosalie said, already annoyed. I spent more time than usual at my workplace, which made us late.

"You shouldn't take too long cleaning the restaurant; I was out in the streets selling cigarettes, but I finished before you," Rosalie said. She looked angry at me, and I was sad about it.

It was just so hard for me to balance everything together, and in time. Back in the village, my Papa did everything for me.

"I'm so sorry Rosalie, Mrs Medinah insisted that I mop the place another time before she could pay me. "

"That's because you did not clean it well. I have taught you how to mop the floor many times, but you never listen; now we will be late." Rosalie was annoyed, I was walking to school as fast as she was, but something else made her angry.

"I'm sorry, I won't make you wait for me again."

"It's okay, walk fast, please; you know we can't afford a rickshaw."

I walked as fast as I could; I was literally running.

Then Rosalie stopped as if she remembered something. But she didn't say anything; she just kept walking.

"Won't you tell me what's going on?" I was worried about her, but she never hid anything from me.

"My maths teacher recommended I take extra lessons after school; that way, I can apply for a full-time scholarship." Rosalie bent her head; she looked sad.

"What's a scholarship?" I said this, trying to understand her. She sometimes said words I could not understand.

"A scholarship is like a help. Let me explain something, the government brought out a law that every student schooling in a government school who has gotten good grades consecutively would write an exam. If they pass, they would be given admission into one of the best schools in the country for free. As long as their grades remain the same. I have been preparing for the exam since I started schooling, and my teacher said I may have a chance to get the scholarship."

"Oh wow, that's great news. Once you get the schondaship you will be in a big school."

I was happy about the news, but she wasn't, for some reason.

"It should be, but what will happen to you while I'm in a big school? Besides, the school which I would be posted to is in Quezon City, my teacher told me yesterday. That place is for rich people; how will I walk there every day? It wouldn't fit me.

"Just do it okay, you are the smartest person in the whole world, that's why your teacher recommended you. Don't throw away your dreams because of me."

"It's not because of you, well now I feel responsible for you. Plus, I will not be able to walk back home with you because of my extra lessons. The exam will be in August."

"I can walk by myself."

"You think so, but you are too small."

"Try me, you will see. Just start the extra lessons. I will go home by myself, and I will go to the market by myself."

"Alright, fine, but don't go to the market; wait for me."

"No way, I'm going to the market. If not how would we get enough food to eat?"

"No, and that's final."

"What of the market near the school? I can go there."

"No way, that place is crowded."

"But it's closer to school, I can wait for you there while I help people sell."

"You'll never be able to find a customer there, just go home."

"We have to start saving for how you would transport yourself to Quezon City. I have made my decision; I would stay in the market until you come to pick me, then we will go to the market near our house."

"How do you think I would find you?"

"When would you close from school?"

"By 4:00"

"And I close by 1:30 every day. So once it's 3:50, I will wait outside the market's gates and meet you there."

"And what if you haven't sold anything?"

"I would just return it back."

"Fine, if you can find a good customer in the market this week, then we would stay in that market, instead of the one near home. But if you don't find any, then you would just have to wait for me at home."

"Okay, deal. I hope you get the socoship."

"It's called a scholarship."

We made a deal, and I was more than ever determined to prove her wrong. We came late for school, so we were made to pick out the trash; alright, though. I was planning on how to make a customer in the new market.

After school, I usually ran to Rosalie's class so we could walk back home, but this time around, I did not wait for her class to close; I ran straight to the market.

But I met many street children on my way, just a short distance from school.

"Hey look, it's Rosalie's puppet coming out of school!"

They all pointed at me and started laughing.

"Leave me alone!" I shouted with all audacity. Rosalie had taught me that, but deep down, I was frightened.

They rushed towards me and dragged me out of my bag.

"Hey, give my back my bag, it's not yours!"

"Who's going to stop us?" Another said, and they all laughed.

"You always hide around Rosalie and we can't do you anything, but now you are walking alone. Now you think you are better than us because you go to school right?"

"I never said that, please give me back my books!"

"Oh, so now you can beg?" A boy pulled out my colouring book, and I was given an assignment on that book.

"What's this? How would you like it to become double?"

The first boy said, and then he tore it into two.

"Magic!" Another shouted, and they all laughed.

He was almost about to pull out another book when he started screaming, and the rest ran away. It was Rosalie; she had used the shocker on him.

"You said you can protect yourself, right?" Rosalie said, and she looked at me. But then she smiled back, and I was relieved.

" I'm sorry I made you come for me. "

"My extra classes would start in a minute, I saw you leaving the school and I decided to give you the shocker to protect yourself. Next time they come, you don't just use only words. "

"What will you use then?"

"I'll make another one for myself, don't worry about me."

And then we parted ways.

I was sad about my colouring book, though, so I decided that if I made enough money, I would buy one for myself.

* * *

Esther's POV

"It's the third week, and I still haven't made enough profit!" I lamented to myself. I had opened a wholesale shop in the market, but many people passed my shop without buying anything. The other day, some street boys came to me and convinced me to give them some of my goods to sell, I ignorantly gave them some, and they ran away with my things.

It was almost 2:00, yet I had not made any sales since the morning. I was worried now, and I was thinking of giving up to work somewhere else.

I could be a cleaner in a school; I only had a high school diploma and nothing else.

My thoughts were interrupted by a petite girl of around four. She stood outside my shop, looking at me. She had her school uniform on, and I wondered if she was another street child wanting to rip me off.

"What do you want?"

"I'm glad you asked, ma'am. My name is Elizabeth, and I want to work for you."

I could hardly work for myself, and a little child wanted a job from me; it was funny.

"I don't have a job child, go somewhere else."

"You have. It's more of a business proposal than a job."

How did she learn all those words at her age? She was more intelligent than any child I had seen.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean this. You don't make many sales, I can see that. People pass your shop, but no one buys anything from you. I can help you sell them if you want, and you give me a little of your income. It's a win-win win you know."

"Absolutely not. You want to steal from me right? Someone else tried that trick, it would not work for me."

"Why don't you test me? Listen ma'am, I live with my best friend and big sister, and I have to prove to her that I can handle myself or else she would not read for her scholarship exam. She would come to pick me by 3:50, so before then, I would help you sell your pack of candy. "

And how would I know you will not run away with my things?"

"You can have my bag if you want. I would go round this market and sell all your candies, and once I'm done, you would give me my share and we both win. Then you can give me anything else you want me to sell. But if you are not interested, then I will go my way while you don't sell anything today."

I thought for a while and made my decision, she looked genuine, and my kind heart just chose to trust her.

"Fine, drop your bag and take my pack of candy. If you can sell it for a good price, then I would give you a pack of biscuits to sell also."

"You made a great decision ma'am "

She took my dozen of candy packets and ran off.

Then I started to regret giving her. What if she runs away?

* * *

Elizabeth's POV

At the market, I monitored a lady for a while and heard her wonder why she had not made any sales yet - she was my perfect candidate.

I had learned all the words from Rosalie. She taught me how to act with marketers. According to her, make the marketer look like they need you more than you need them, act cute, and if they look unconvinced, turn to walk away slowly; if they call you back, you have won.

I walked around the market to any retail shop I could find. I sold each packet of candy at a little higher than the initial price, so I could show the woman how many sales I had made.

After selling everything, I checked the clock at a shop and saw that it read 3:45.

I was happy I had sold everything.

I ran back to the woman and gave her the good news.

"I have sold everything, ma'am."

"Right now?" The woman asked, surprised

"Yes, i told you I would sell them, did I not? And I did not even reach half of the market. Here, take your profit. I sold everything for a hundred pesos, not 80. "

The woman smiled; she was happy. "

"I thought you would run away with my things."

"I would never do that. My Papa thought me to never steal or cheat people. "

"And why are you all alone?"

"I'm not, I live with Rosalie, she is like a sister to me."

"Where do you live?"

"Under the bridge."

"Under the what?"

"The bridge. I live with Rosalie."

"What of your father?"

"He went to heaven, I think."

"Your mother?"

"I don't have any."

"Don't you have any family members? Maybe an aunty or anything as such?"

"No, they are the worst. Rosalie said her aunty used to beat her up so much and make her do all the chores, without giving her food. And my neighbours put me in a sack and brought me here because they did not like me. Why are you asking me questions ma'am? Do you want to hire me?"

"Well..."

I was interrupted by Rosalie.

"There you are, Elizabeth. What happened to the time we agreed? I have been looking for you for a long time," she said, squeezing my ears tight.

"Ouch, it's painful, please stop." Rosalie released her hands and stared at me.

"We agreed 3:50 didn't we? It's 4:20 already. Why didn't you meet me at the gate like we agreed?"

"I'm sorry, I got carried away."

"Now we're going to go home late. By now, we would only be able to sell a little as we usually do, and you have to go to the Chinese restaurant to wash the dishes there.

If you get carried away, you will end up losing. What's wrong with you?"

"I'm sorry Rosalie, it won't happen again, I promise. Ma'am, please give me my part of the money. I have to go back home to freshen up for my work."

The woman brought out 20 pesos and gave it to me, which I gave to Rosalie.

"Here, I'm sorry."

"It's okay Elizabeth, you know how hard it is to get customers in the evenings."

"You can work for me, your sister did a great job helping me sell my box of candy, besides, I made her late." The woman interrupted, and Rosalie's face shines, then she became sad again.

"Our house is far from here, and I'm used to walking with her. She has to go to a restaurant to wash the dishes for them by 6. I stay behind and sell my things till 8, and we usually work in the market closer to our house. The distance is very far and I don't want Elizabeth to walk alone," Rosalie said.

The woman sighed, but then she continued.

"Then Elizabeth will work for me till 4. So you can go home together, and you will not have to walk alone.

"Thanks ma'am. You just got yourself a nice deal!"

I said this, carried my bag, and went with Rosalie.

We got a Rickshaw that would take us straight to the market near home, which was how our new working cycle continued.