Yana Pinya

by Christiana / Yana Peña

 In the center of the village near the park was Andy’s house. Andy was a child who never go out of her house unless it was raining, unlike any other kids. Alone in her room, she played her Barbie dolls. As long as possible, she doesn’t want to take a peek in the window because she can only see the other kids happily playing with each other in the park with their friends and parents. She doesn’t like summer when sunny days often occurred. Since, she only stay in her house the whole time except school hours, she has a pale skin. She is a pretty girl but still, the others make fun of her because, she has big ears.

 One afternoon, the children playing in the park hurriedly went home because of the tiny drops of rain in their head which is later on, turned out into a heavy rain. When Andy heard the rain pouring in their roof, she hurriedly took an umbrella to went outside. She walk and wander around the empty park under her cute small umbrella only her can fit. As she walked around, the ice cream vendor who is keeping his tools from being wet approach her for he only saw her once.

 “Hey little girl, I’ve serve every kids in this village except for you,” the man said. “Would you like to have some of my ice cream?” he asked.

 “Ice cream in the rain, totally different,” Andy said. “Sure, I want to try,” she added.

 “Then why were you alone walking in the rain?” the man asked curiously.

 “You haven’t saw me before because………… the sun was always there,” then she pointed her finger in the sky.

 “What’s the matter if the sun is always…..there?  The man asked as he copy Andy’s action.

 “Well, the kids will be happy playing here while I’m alone in my room with no playmates,”

 “But you are also alone walking here a while ago? Why don’t you join them?”

 “I can’t, they might don’t like me and my ears. Besides, if it’s raining, they can’t be playing here, they’ll be miserable in their rooms, like me.” Andy explained.

 “And so, you hate the sun?” the man asked.

 “Yes, mister,” she answered.

 “I do think we have something to clarify, but before that, why don’t we stay in the shed?” The man offer her a hand.  

 “My mother said not to talk nor come with a stranger,” Andy refused the man’s hands.

 “No worries, everyone in the park know me well, I’m not inviting you to a place nobody could ever find, but it is better not to talk under an umbrella when there is a shed,” the man told her.

 “You have a point yet, I won’t hold your hand.” Then the two both headed to the waiting shed while Andy is licking her ice cream.

 “I’ll go straight to the point, if you don’t mind.” The man said and so Andy paid more attention to him than to her ice cream. The man looked at her seriously. “You just can’t accept others being happy while you were in loneliness. Instead, you felt resentful of their advantages. The advantages of being an almost-perfect child.”  

“I’m that almost perfect child if not for my ears, yet I don’t have any advantages.” Andy complained.

“You are very wrong, my dear. You aren’t the only almost perfect child in the world or simply, in this park. You ,without knowing, that most of the kids playing here has their  disabilities inside them. Some of them was deaf, had a bad eye sight and worse, needed a medical operation as soon as possible. Playing in the park might their only happiness but children like you doesn’t even want to share your heart to them. Selfishness, I guessed.”

“Am I that bad?” Andy realized that she’s being too greed.

“That’s not my point. You worry so much of what other kids might think of you when you haven’t give yourself the chance to know them better, Besides, have you heard them laughed at you? Did they meet you?” the man asked.

“Not yet,” Andy said with a low voice.

“Obviously, not yet is better than no in our case. It means, you plans on showing up to them, don’t you? Go ahead. They’re good kids. I’ve known them for a year every time they hurriedly lined up when I rang the bell just to have my precious ice cream. Also, you are an almost perfect kid not because of your ears. Your ears are perfectly fine. You are an almost perfect because you lack of confidence and understanding but full of envy and judgments. Try to enjoy your childhood with them. Once you grow up, you can’t never go back at this time of your life. I’m here to defend you. If ever they don’t treat you well, tell me and I’ll never give them ice creams. Go, like the sun who already stop crying and is ready to show itself again.” Then the man pointed to the sun who’s beginning to shine brightly again. Soon, the other kids went out of their houses. Andy run to them but unfortunately, she slipped in the mud which made others laugh. But instead of teasing her, they helped her out of it until each one also slipped into the mud as they helped each other.

The ice cream vendor happily watch them until Andy noticed him.

“Hey mister, thanks, if not for you, I might have lost this times of fun.” Andy told him. When Andy is about to head to her new friends, she once again, turn her back to the man and called him.

“By the way, mister, my name is Andy.”

He is a real gentleman who’s ready to stand

And endure the pain as long as he can.

Even if his heart had been longing to feel

The warmth that could never made him kneel.

 He is no soldier but is very brave,

To enter the Afghan’s risky cave.

Yet he was destined to be with us,

Going back home is a must.

 Then with us, he decided to bake,

For him it wasn’t the time to take a break.

When I woke up in the middle of the dawn,

It was just time for the bread to be done 

With his left hand full of flour, on the other side,

His right hand was on wheels to drive.

To take the passengers in their destinations,

Rain or shine without any hesitations.

 He never complained for being awake

Day and night just for our sake.

He answers calls from the unknowns,

With his mouth telling him not to moan.

 There, he troubleshoot internet problems

Help connect androids to their modems.

But those callers never know that my father who teach,

Has no smart phones or gadgets to practiced.

 He is good at any subjects

He has answers in any aspects.

After all the things he made,

I realized, he is the Jack of all Trades.

Last night, May 23, 2016, at 12:50 am, I realized what I want to be someday. I want to see myself sitting in front of my laptop with eyeglasses while enjoying the noise of the keyboards made by my fingers. I simply want to be a famous writer without everybody knowing it was me. I was also thinking of my pen name that would be easy for everyone to remember. But that doesn’t mean I would take journalism as a course in college. I don’t know. 

      Where can you find a lady who does the laundry early in the morning but when you woke up, the breakfast is ready and she will still go to work afterwards? Where can you find a woman who never stop looking after her family until night? I know you already have an idea in your mind. Well, I’m talking about my Mommy, my Omma, my mother.        Once upon a time, in a small village, there lived the beautiful wife of Fernando and the mother of Yana and Cha-cha (in case curious who”s writing this among the two, it’s Yana) who’s willing to sacrifice everything she had for her beloved family. She is the clerk in our village. She can do everything and has no fear. Besides, she likes watching horror and thriller movies. She is also  a very good cook although she hate few kinds of fish, she is able to cook it for our father. She also hate tuna and sardines. She taught us to eat vegetables and especially the bitter melon. Be careful where your around her and avoid being not so considerable, giving her bad stares, raising your voice and most importantly, scold or do something she doesn’t like on her two daughters  or else, you’ll knew her other side. Honestly, she’s scary sometimes. She’s also not fond of exploring the internet and watching cartoons. She seldom like a drama or artist. 

   For me. yesterday was the last day of school, today was the last month of summer and tomorrow will be the first day of school, again. Really fast, isn’t it?  Then back to reality, it’s the first week of may and after enjoying the month of April with foods and internet without having an exercise and taking fats and calories, What do you expect my body would turn out? 

    I am not a girl who save money for the future, even if I want to, I can’t help but be tempted to buy food and dvd’s. Maybe that’s why I love earning because I also love spending. 

    I don’t give importance to money so sometimes, I put it anywhere so I often misplaced it or one time, I’d be shocked that I have my money on my bags, pockets, drawers, jewelry box, and to my wallets. Yup, wallets with a capital S because I don’t put all of my money in one place. They’re actually everywhere in my belongings. And you know what? I almost forgot where did I put the money my mother ask me to keep for my books this coming school year. Luckily, I found it in one of my journals. It was actually placed in an envelope. 

    Then I realize, I have lots of dreams, lots of things to buy, many places to travel and many food to taste and eat. So in order for me to do that, I have to control and stop myself from being attracted to McDonalds. The fries, the cheese burger, the sundae and there aircon which really perfect for the summer heat. Anyway, I think it’s really the time to save my money. 

       “Like I’m gonna lose you,”it was a title of a song by Meghan Trainor, Although this title mean a lot to me. Everytime Iose my temper, angry, mad, sad because of her, I always thought of this line. 

       I am a daughter and luckily, a sister. I can’t imagine how lonely I will be if I’m not. Back when I was younger, I hate having a sibling. My life in the past was actually like in dramas, I’m the protagonist and she is the antagonist. She always hurt me, drag my hair, and pinch my arms. Even if it’s my birthday, we must both blow the candles. I have to share everything I had to her. 

      But when we reached puberty and matured a little bit, I realized that I had so much fun with her the whole time. Others often ask if we’re twins because we looked almost the same but for me, we’re not. I’m a year older than her yet sometimes, I acted like a younger one. I love being with her and I wish that we would always be the same until we grow up. But it doesn’t mean that we don’t fight, that thing never fades even if we try not to ‘cause our parents hated it. 

      I spend most of my time with her and actually, until now, we still share the same bed and room, bedroom in short. That was why, we have many memories to be kept and cherished. We’re not able to captured every precious moment with camera, but every blink of our eyes shot it with flash. I told my friends that I wouldn’t have a bestfriend because I’m not a good one. But now that I think of it, I already have one. The best friend ever!! 

- Christiana 

Today is my very first post and update on my second blog. If ever you want to know and visit my first one (hiddenfaceofmine.tumblr.com). By the way, I officially open and welcome you in The Other Side Of Yana where you can read my essays and poems and everything in my head. Another reminder, all my posts here in my blog will always be addressed to you. This blog would be my bestfriend and you are my friend so I hope you can be friends too. Maybe later, I’ll compose a poem for this so that it won’t be empty.