Rosa's biological Mother

November 25, 2007: Rosa & her biological Mother photographed streetside at 4:29am

On Nov.25, 2007 at just after 4am in the morning on the street, Rosa & Edison took me to the corner to meet their biological Mother for the first time, who's name I didn't even care to know.

I'd always known Rosa was raised by her Auntie Josie since she was 1yr. old, and I wasn't told any of the circumstances of those issues - but now we're here and Rosa's 13yrs. old now, and her Mama is the one responsible for bringing her kids into Metro Manila every night around 8pm until 4am; teaching them to beg by 'selling' flowers to tourists outside a tough girlie bar.

She was very shy & quiet, but smiling...and I was soft spoken and respectful.

Putting it mildly, I don't like this woman - age 35, able-bodied and won't, can't or doesn't care about finding work, so her kids can be home asleep at night, as is proper.

I've been in Rosa's abandoned shelter when she was living with Tito Willie & Auntie Josie, sat & ate with them, spent time with them, and watched nightly as Josie gathered the kids around before bed time to read from the Holy Bible.

Even though they were just this side of destitute in that dark shelter, it seemed all good then.

I'm outraged now - I don't know where this goes from here, although all the scenarios I can think of, go from bad to worse.

Thanks for reading today,
PJAMES

Shooting Notes:
again, I'm outside shooting available light past 4am, which means having to shoot ISO800 (inducing a bit of digital noise into the file) and a very slow hand held shutter speed, so some files are keepers and some are not.

With spontaneous street shooting, it can be hit or miss, especially in available light.