Mary and I, along with my eldest sister and her daughter drove with my eldest brother to a town outside of Manila this morning to spend some time at their homes.  Aside from our luggage and the food (cooked and otherwise) that our mom sent along with us, we had to take my nephew’s cello.  To accommodate this and ensure that the instrument do not get crushed, Mary and I sat on the front passenger seat.  Consequently, Mary got the full view of the streets and everything going on around us while we were driving.

So, she had her first encounter of a street child this morning.  This little boy pressed his face against the driver side’s window, with packages of face towels in his hand, hoping to make a sale.  I noticed him and called Mary’s attention to him.  After we explained to her that this boy (can’t be more than 7 years old) is trying to make money, she got very sad.  We left the boy at the intersection but the memory of him lingered with Mary.

She wanted to go back and buy something from him.

Which we could not and would not do but we assured her that we would “support” the other kids that we encounter.  She can give them a few pesos if she wanted.

Then, she says, “I saw kids walking around without their parents, two kids younger than me and two teenagers.  Can they do that?”

And indeed, there are a lot of kids walking or playing along the road, without any supervision.  How do you explain this?  Though my brothers and sisters and I were not allowed this “freedom” growing up, it was not unusual and was something we never questioned. 

She was asking because she wanted to be allowed to do the same.

And she also want to be out there selling something.