Rosa & Edison's Family: a New mouth to feed

Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/160s f/3.5 at 54.0mm iso100

Feb. 20, 2007: While in Manila last week visitng Rosa & Edison's Family, I was also greeted by this beautiful smile above, and Rosa told me Rodelyn was now living with them.

We crawled inside Rosas place, off the street - and it IS a crawl through a trap door off the sidewalk, to keep out prowlers - and while sitting with the 2 kids & Auntie Josie, I turned to Rodelyn (I hadn't yet been officially introduced) & said "what a nice smile for a little boy..."

Rodelyn said to me with a smile "Im a girl..."

I was so embarrassed, I said to her "I'm so sorry - I saw the crewcut and thought..."
...Rody just laughed, and the 3 of us started talking and I couldn't believe Rody was speaking excellent English; I was absolutely taken with her polite & gentle manner, her near perfect grammar, and the face of a little Angel.

What she told me broke my heart, and just like when I realized for the first time Rosa was homeless & sleeping on the street - it was all I could do not to cry in front of her.

Auntie Josie whispered in my ear that she found Rodelyn on the street earlier in the week - that she was homeless & hungry and had taken her in, that she only had the clothes on her back - and that she really didn't know anything more.

With as gentle a smile as I could manage, I asked Rody to tell me about herself, and she told me:
* she was 11 years old (she's very short & small for an 11 year old)
* she knew how to speak good English because her Mother is an AMERICAN, and her Father is Filipino.
* she said BOTH her parents have left her, and now live in the USA

(I couldn't believe what I was hearing - my mouth almost dropped open - this beautiful child is homeless & dirty for the past few years because her Parents abandoned her???)

* she said that her Parents sent her to live with an auntie in Manila, but that the auntie didn't want her, &/or couldn't care for Rody anymore.
* she said she had never been to school - NEVER...English was taught to her by her American Mama, and it makes perfect sence, as there's absolutely no way an 11 year old homeless street kid could possibly learn 20pct. of the English Rody knows at her age, even with schooling.

* she has one shirt/blouse (the black one pictured) and one pair of short pants, and someone elses adult slippers.
* I didn't ask her exactly why she has a crewcut, but she did tell me she's always had long hair.
* I did notice some scarring on her scalp, specifically on the top of her head.

I kept my composure, and felt horrible, but I smiled and gave Rody a hug - I was amazed at her calmness, politeness & positive attitude....and that infectous smile of hers.

Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/250s f/3.5 at 31.0mm iso200
* Rodelyn & Rosa's auntie Josie: Feb.20, 2007 in Manila.

I had very little to give her (the pRice donated money specifically for food & clothing from my friends which was aprox. $650USD this year, had been spent as of early Febuary 2007 - so those funds are exhausted)
...I quietly explained that to auntie Josie, and she completely understood - she knows from years past that I live on a very tight budget.

It did not make me feel any better.

More about Rodelyn tomorrow.
PJAMES