I want to share this sharing experience.

One night I was about to go home from work. I was waiting for the next bus just outside the Pizza Hut Restaurant walkway. While waiting, suddenly, there are (2) two street children that catch my attention. They are staring at the customers inside the restaurant. I have noticed that they are watching at the kids inside while eating pizza. This one street child starts imitating the waiter. He stretched his arm upward and opens his palm like his holding a pan of pizza and walk like a waiter. Then he stressed, “Excuse me Sir. Heto na po ang order niyo”. The other street child said, “Thank you po” then he act like his grabbing a knife and cut the pizza into slices. He picked one slice of pizza and he opens his big mouth. “Wow! Ang sarap!”. I was really really laughing on what they did! They are really jolly. Then one street child said, “Hindi ka naman mabubusog niyan kasi hindi naman totoo”. They both laughed. I was awakened on what he said. He’s right. His stomach will never be full with that invisible pizza. I realized that they are only playing. They really touched my heart so I approached them.

I invited them inside and asked them to join me to eat pizza. One street child scream into happiness while the other one couldn’t believe on I said. I asked the guard if it is ok to have them inside. The guard didn’t hesitate to open the door for us. I asked the waiter a table for three and they welcomed us with a smile.

From the moment we went inside I never stopped laughing at them. They are very joyous kids. I asked the waiter to give what they want. They handed us the menu book. I let them to choose what they want to eat. The waiter introduced us the new flavor of pizzas and they point fingers at the All-Meat Tuscani Pizza! While waiting for our order, we started our bonding.

One by one they revealed their names, what they are doing and where they lived. They are Al (12 years old) and Christian (9 years old). According to them, they have family in which they don’t mind them. They sleep somewhere along the streets of Quiapo. They don’t go to the school. What they are doing almost everyday was just walking along the streets within Metro Manila and asked the people passing for the small amounts of money. With these collected money is where they get their food to eat.

 

Finally! The Tuscani All-Meat Pizza arrived! And we are ready!

While we savoring the delicious meaty All-Meat Tuscani Pizza, we’ve had a great chat. It feels like they are my younger brothers. I treated them like my family. They are eating like there’s no tomorrow! Al said to me if he wants to be a strong policeman someday so that he can defend his family. But Christian got different views. He said, someday, he wants to be like me so that he can also help those kids who is ill-fated. I was really amazed by their attitude. These young men understand much about the rules of life.

Before we leave, the waiter also gave me the opportunity to support the UN’s Food Programme to help feed children in Mindanao by allowing me to donate an amount of 40 PHP just by purchasing a Postal Card with theme,”The Season of Giving”.

I wish to have an iPhone 4 Gadget to easily captured the situations of those less – fortunate children like them and amplify their thoughts and voices. So I can help them even in a simple way with big result after.

We finished our pizza. We really enjoyed it. Finally we parted ways. We exchange goodbyes. Their smiles couldn’t be painted. I hope the advices and lessons that I had given to them will guide them to their future. Most importantly, I teach them to portray the art of sharing. Anyway it’s a Christmas Season and this season is for them.

On that day, the feeling of happiness by helping others could not be repaid by any amount of money. As what I am saying to my friends, “TO SHARE IS NOT SHOWING LUSTER OF GOLDS BUT GIVING BUNCH OF ROSES”.

by Ebhram Dela Cruz Laurente