Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Neworld

I agreed to edit the girl's essay. I was curious. And the $200 per page Wendy offered was the right rate. At worst, I'd talk to Chloe on the phone. I wouldn't have to see her again and fear the minor temptation.

However, when I received Chloe's email on Sunday, I hadn't noticed a second set of digits below her phone number.

11-21-91.

I'm so used to seeing business extensions and secondary phone numbers that it slipped past me. At first I thought it had something to do with the due date of the essay. Then I spotted the 91. This was Chloe's birthday. And it signified the date that she would turn 18.

How coy.

Although I can't publish Chloe's entire essay for obvious reasons, I must share a tidbit that I liked. This is yet unedited by me:

I asked Christian in broken Filipino, "What will you do if you can't box?" He looked at me like he had never heard such an absurd question. I thought he was mad at me for asking.

He had over ten Manny Pacquiao posters on his bedroom wall. Last time I was in his bedroom, he had kissed me which was daring for someone in his village.
Things get around quick in Nueva Ecija, and if I told anyone, he probably would have lost his privileges at the gym in Palayan, which my host father's uncle owns.

I kissed him again before he could get madder. I could tell that asking insulted him, that someone in his position, who has given his life to following the Pacquiao dream, can't think of anything else but boxing and leaving poverty. I hoped that my kiss would quench his anger. He looked out the window to make sure no one saw. Being in a situation like this three days before I went back home would only make it harder for me to leave.

He sneaked me out the back door and we said our goodbyes. He told me that he didn't want me to leave, and that his sister, who I'd become close to, had told him to propose to me so I would stay. He told me that his parents approved, and that his parents said my host parents would say it was okay as well. But he told me that he wouldn't propose. He knew that I'd say no, and that he had no delusions over that I was a western girl with western hopes and dreams, which didn't include marrying a poor boxer in the Philippines.

When I didn't respond, he knew that he was right. But I realized something in that moment. I originally went to Nueva Ecija to gain a different perspective and look into a neworld...but I soon realized that I had become part of it. It wasn't enough to gain an appreciation of the world around me. I had to understand what to do with my role in it.

11 comments:

Ducky said...

I have to admire her tenacity...you must be quite the looker *wink* I've always been attracted to older men.

I'll be curious now for the next ten days....

Captain Dumbass said...

Think I'm going to have to go back a few posts to figure what this is all about.

Dulçe ♥ said...

Now you've got a new follower... came from Secretia and heard your 'prayer'...
It's midnight here now so going to bed... will visit you again to have a deeper look at your blog!

Nice to meet you!

Cala Gray said...

I'm sure she posted her DOB there for strictly purposes of the paper.;)

Lovely story though.

Dutch Sugar Babe said...

How coy, indeed :) But you can't blame the poor girl. Boys her age are soooo imature.

Midtown Girl said...

Wow, that chick has some serious guts - lol!

Expat Barbie said...

oh, how very subtle.

by the way, i hope you edited the hell out of that essay - i'm tempted to send you a few revisions :)

Angela said...

hm... intersting......

Anonymous said...

I guess it's ok for you and her to go on a date now she's 18.

Nishant said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Surge said...

Ooooh.. eighteen, fresh meat. Except, some guys don't even wait. So I'm thinking she's smart, and cute?