Draft of my prelude

Prelude

She is drifting off to sleep when her phone rings, which lies beneath one of the pillows. Her hand fumbles around until finally grabs it. It is her son from Manila. 



"Mang, how are you? " He asks.



"ohh, I just got back from a prayer meeting. How are you and your sister? Have you heard from your brother yet?"



It has been for many years that both parents live by themselves in their house in General Santos, both are retired employees and devoted members of Couples for Christ as weekly prayer coordinators. Typically, when they are not exchanging words with each other, the house is awfully silent except also during special occasions when the three siblings decide to come home.



"Mang, we finally have the money to renovate the house. This has been your dream. I'll send you 450,000 today. Let me know if you need more"



She suddenly recalls the many sleepless nights worrying about the debt Binsoy had left them after that incident during which he had asked them to loan money from a private financing corporation for an impulsive investment and the many times her husband felt he had had enough with him and at that time had already grown mad for putting them in serious debt. All those times, there was Binsoy's tendency of keeping his personal problems on his own--could he have owed an amount of money to someone from somewhere we did not know? Would my son have a decent food to eat? -- But now, there is 450,000 to begin with.



This comes as no surprise but rather a relief for she was expecting that a day like this would happen--Binsoy has always been a dreamer-- only that she did not know when, how and was starting to get impatient--he is 32 years old! In the recent years, nothing was more hurtful than seeing her son struggling to replace the money he had lost and not being able to pay the rent of his own apartment. However, again, as of the moment, he is sending 450,000.



"Mang, get Papang to help you canvass for construction materials." he suggests.





Al is 64 years old. He prays for his children's financial stability but has a different view of Binsoy's promise of his means of financial capacity--bleak, unreliable.  Adrien, Binsoy's older brother, who just got married few years back and is wisely considering both parents and his own family to make ends meet is a Medical Representative, a kind of profession that may bring a hefty amount of commission on top of his salary; Aiza, the youngest, is a nurse, a profession familiar to Al. He knows many a family whose sons and daughters are persistent and now working abroad as nurses. Despite of Andrein's and Aiza's priorities, both have remained sympathetic to their brother's situation but undeniably hoping for some improvement. Meanwhile, had Binsoy told them that he was going to pursue an engineering related job and make more money, it would have been much more believable; but he did not--he said he was going to be an "Internet Marketer", something Al has never heard before let alone puzzles himself if it is a real profession.



 "I think I know where we can avail cheap tiles!" she replies excitedly.



"No Mang, I want you to find the best kinds of your own choosing!  I don't care how much they cost" he insists.





She has been an expert in containing her emotions, but this one is different. There is a feeling of definite excitement, she pushes herself up with her left hand, pressing her palm against the mattress. She now sits on the edge of the bed. This is another day she remembers to say prayers, but this time, there is more blessings to be thankful for.



"Another thing Mang, I bought Papang a laptop. I know he is dying to have one. I sent it through LBC. It should be there by tomorrow" he adds



She hears the clanking of their entrance gate. It must be her husband Al. Of all the people, she of course shares the weight of the heaviest burden her husband has had. She Stands up, walks out of the room heading for the window. She has to say good bye to her son for now. She puts the phone down, now anxiously prepares her first evidence of financial relief to her husband, not only for the things they did not have which they might acquire now, but most especially, for the financial level of success their son Binsoy has achieved for himself.



Since the third week of November of 2014; there have been a few changes that are gradually dawning on them; Binsoy paid off  everything he and his family had owed, the house renovation is ongoing, he has made payments for properties somewhere north of General Santos and one agricultural lot south of Cebu, there is a growing number of people earning because of his business, and Al, his father, who was humanely pessimistic of Binsoy's financial tragedy is relishing his acquisition of a brand new laptop and is now learning to use power point so that his presentation during prayer meetings is similar to that of other members.





                                                          Chapter I