Keeping The Job

by Patchot

We once had a helper who really couldn’t do anything right. Not a day went by that she wouldn’t get a scolding from my mother. After a couple of weeks, she knew she was in danger of losing her job. She stepped it up and really tried her best to save her job, not wanting to be sent back to the province where she came from. But just like quicksand, she just sank deeper and deeper.

We wanted to let her go but couldn’t just yet ‘coz my father’s big birthday celebration was coming up. We needed an extra hand for the preparations.

On the day of the party, my mom was very busy cooking the “handa”. I, being the eldest son, was on standby to run errands in case my mom needed to have some last minute ingredients bought. The maid, for her part, was tasked to clean the house.

As my mom was preparing her special fruit salad, she realized she did not have fresh buko on hand. She called on me to go to the market and buy. As I was being given instructions, our maid interjects as she was mopping the floor,

“Mam, ‘wag ka na magpabili. Maraming buku diyan sa punu natin.”.

True enough, when I checked, there was a lot. But the question was, who will climb and harvest them? In the spirit of trying to save her job, our maid excitedly volunteered claiming that she climbed coconut trees every day back in her province. With much uncertainty, my mom said ok. It would save us some time and a few bucks.

So I went back to watching TV, awaiting the next errand.

After about 15 minutes…

KABLAG!

All of us rushed to the likod-bahay to see what that loud thud was. It was our maid, sprawled on the concrete pavement, embracing a full branch of our coconut tree.

“Ano nangyari?!” my mom shouts in panic.

Our maid answered (with a smile on her face), “Ang hangin sa itaas mam, ang presku, nakatolog ako..”

Well, she got her wish. We weren’t able to let her go until all her wounds and “bukols” were all healed.