hermanajuli

This packet of sugar reminds me of part of my life.

When I was in college, I was asked to live with my cousin who owns a grocery store in a resettlement area. The store opens at 5am closes at 10pm. I go to school at 5:30am, home by 4pm.

I don’t pay rent, consume food and all things that make you look like a decent human being. In courtesy, I help with household chores and managing the store after school. Which means my typical day would look like this: You wake up at 3 am to study for return demos and exam, fix yourself breakfast, commute to school, try to finish all your homework in between classes. By the time, I set my foot at the store; war begins.

The store is like a mini supermarket, prices are lower compared to all the stores around and you can find almost everything. You cannot handle the crowd of buyers alone from 4pm to 9pm. Unlike supermarkets, it is a typical Sari-Sari Store. The buyer asks for what he needs, you hand it to him, he pays, then gave him his change if there is any. It is cardio, memory, and calculation; you must not miss a single peso or a single buyer.

By the time it closes, work is over. NO.

While they are watching TV and as I memorize for a drug study we are repacking sugar, coffee, and milk into small packets sold for one peso to ten pesos each. It is a commodity for the place. Everything has to be in sachets cause most are minimum wage earners with a large family, contractual or has no job at all. They cannot afford to buy in bulk.

The mere action of repacking was merely a thing of “Pakikisama” – or getting along cause I am a free loader I ought to help. Only now that I realize, it has taught me a lot of things; all of which are vital in my position.

When you feel like vomiting cause life is hard; think of this.

God is preparing you for something big. Thank him for every difficulty.

🙂