Dreaming Together

By Orly Tugob

Let me tell you what The great Filipino Dream is all about.

Father sells carabao, child finishes college, child finds work and sends money to buy a new car-rabao.

Mr. Toastmaster.

That was the old version. The new Filipino Dream?

Parent works abroad, child finishes college, child finds work; parent comes home and buys a new car-raoke.

Let me tell you our family's version. (Our family had our own version, let me tell you about it.)

My parents did not own LAND, so we did not have a carabao.

They also did not have Visas. So, they could not work abroad.

So, we migrated to Manila.

Father worked as an errand boy and mother a lavandera.

We all worked hard together: (Together we all worked hard)

One Two, fry tuyo Three Four, scrub the floor

Five Six, fix the leaks Seven Eight, hang clothes straight

Nine Ten, tomorrow do (all these chores) them again My parents always said, "Poverty is an illness and education is the only cure.

Finish school never give up and live a better life!"

Their dream became our family's dream.

Soon I graduated from high school, then my parents said, "Orly, we want you to finish college, but we don't have the money."

So I got a job in Makati (include wearing long sleeves, tie, broom….)as a Metro Aide.

Sweeping the streets under the scorching sun,unmindful of the sweat on my face I didn't even know if they were tears.

Although I loved the uniform! That's where I tucked my schoolbook.

I swept around practicing my Spanish:

"Que horror
Mi walisisimo, calle Legazpi todos los cantos. Mi camay, mi callo."

(talk about mathematician, relate to myself….i memorized every word with tax, including taxi)

And the buildings I saw helped me memorize the Tax Code:

Banks, withholding tax
Hotels, sales tax
Restaurants, no money for snacks

Life is like a rock it is very hard! And four years went by so fast.

I finished accounting! That's why I love ah-counting!

I could have been the first member of the family to wear a TOGA.

But instead of renting one, I used the money for review class.

And I became a CPA!

My parents dream came true!

(It was the first dream of our family that came true or It was a family dream came true, we were ready for bigger dreams)

I studied and worked hard. I finished school.

Then Juicy Fruit hired me and the pay was juicy. At work, my officemates went to the canteen for breaks

While I hid in a corner with my Skyflakes.But for lunch, I had something special

Three pieces of buttered pan de sal! For dessert? Juicy Fruit!

With my first paycheck, I brought home a feast finger licking, mouth watering, steaming hot PANCIT!

But my family dreamed to have our own house.Because 20 years of poverty kept us very close, we slept side by side.

Our small shanty was like a box of chocolates, You'll never know whose breath you're gonna get.

So much like before we worked hard and saved together:

One, Two - spend so few
Three, Four - save some more
Five, Six - No time for chix
Seven, Eight - work till late
Nine, Ten - help each other again

To save for the our own house

In just two years, we paid the down payment for our own unit at Bliss.

God BLISS our home!

There it was just like old times, we got together every Sunday for lunch.

But one particular Sunday, my sister Beth burst into tears, her husband, their sole provider left them for another woman!

My parents said, "Work abroad. Go.

Our family will take care of your three kids."

Her eyes sparkled with a new dream for her own family, Beth went to Canada.

She would always write, "I don't know how much longer I could bear this, I miss my kids terribly." We would always reassure her "Your kids are OK.

Remember, you're doing this for your family (They miss you too.)

P.S. Don't forget the karaoke!" And she came home just last March 28!

We all sat together at the graduation of her eldest son, Ronnie.

(We were all dressed and excited at the graduation of her eldest son, Ronnie)

When he received his diploma, Beth cried:

"Look Orly, that was the Toga you never wore!

Thanks everyone, Ronnie will be the Orly of our family".

Friends, it all started with my parent's dream (a family dream) for me to finish college.

(And from humble beginnings our dream of a better life and a family home came true.)

Then, our dream of a better life and a family home came true.

And our dream for Beth to rebuild her own family came true.

And Ronnie has begun another cycle of family dreams. (Each of us has his own story of family dreams to be told.)

After all the great Filipino dream old or new is but a family that dreams together.

Each of us has our own unique version. Hold on to your dreams. Dream with your family.

Let's dream with one another!

Mr. Toastmaster.