Which came first, chicken or egg? This was the usual debate Adna heard from Aunt Felip and Papa Mar, and so with Mom Rona but the responsive to this kind of asking was Aunt Felip. Perhaps this may sound like a joke but such a very interesting topic. Adna while listening to them got confused, because their choice was reasonable. Chicken came from an egg, while egg came from the chicken. Papa Mar taught Adna just to enjoy having a debate, and always stick to what you believe for the purpose of standing on your choice. He also taught Adna not to feel so deep in every debate or differences on principles. Life is just worth enjoying, not for a person to feel bitterness. Adna also learned from Papa Mar not to compete with others, but to compete with her ownself. Never get distracted on what others achieve, but to do things not to surpass others but to just what is best. Adna passed this learning to Lex, Azia, and Al the second. ‘’Always compete with yourself’’, Adna told Lex, Azia, and Al the second. There are many who looked so successful in material things, but something must be missing from them, they may not have a happy family. Some also just lived simply but they are so happy with their complete family.

Azia who is very compassionate to others, would always bring her classmate to her house. She would then tell Adna, ‘’mom my classmate is having asthma, and her father already died, now her mother just died. They were still third year high school during that time. Adna told Azia that they would go and visit the place where her mom is placed. Azia, with Mom Adna and Dad Al went to the place where the mom of her classmate was placed. It was just few minutes away from their house. When Adna reached there, she saw only the two sisters, Azia’s classmate and the older sister. They had different fathers, but same mother but both fathers were already dead. Adna looked around but there were no other people there. She asked. ‘’Where are your aunts and uncles?’’ The older sister replied, ‘’they are busy with their business, they cannot come here but they shoulder the expenses. Adna then walked close to the mother, and spoke to her, ‘’continue with your journey, do not worry about your younger daughter, I would do everything I could to look after her’’. Then they told the two sisters that they would be leaving, and told the younger sister who was Azia’s classmate, ‘’I am now your guardian, anything you need in school, I will be the one to go there. I will call the school and inform them that I am your volunteer guardian’’. The older sister just listened to what Adna said to her younger sister. Then Adna and Al went to attend the burial, and the cousin of Azia’s classmate facilitated them in his car. It was too difficult for Azia’s classmate to go to their house where her mother would personally prepared her food for lunch. They lived in the next corner of the school so it was easy for her to go home as their house was so near. Azia told her mom that her classmate had difficulty eating, she missed her mom so much. Adna told Azia, ‘’just have your lunch in school canteen and you eat together, do not let her go to their house during lunch time. Adna prepared a pack lunch for both Azia and her classmate.

Almost every day Azia would bring her classmate to the house, and when her classmate had asthma, Adna gave her medicine. One time, Adna received a call from their math teacher. She was informed that the grade of Azia’s classmate is not passing. Adna who also had been a student of this math teacher when she was in high school, knew how difficult her style of teaching was. When discussing at the same time writing on the blackboard, almost all students did not understand. She discussed about x2 plus y3 -x and so on and so forth. When someone asked questions, she would continue discussing then would say get one fourth sheet of paper, let us have a quiz. Adna understood the feeling of Azia’s classmate, her mind could have been with her mother and not in her class. Adna knew that because when Mom Rons was bedridden, her mind was small part in school and biggest part was at home thinking about Mom Rone. Adna told the teacher, ‘’please do not fail her, she just lost her mother, still in the period of denial, let us wait that she could learn to accept the reality that she must continue to do things on her own without the usual routine where her mom was always there for her. I will be the one responsible for her studies and I will do something to make her grades improve and be able to pass the next grading period.’’ The teacher agreed to Adna, then Azia who was so good in mathematics and Lex as well helped in coping up with the failing grade of Azia’s friend. When she enrolled in the University, she took Associate in Hotel and Restaurant Management, while Azia took Bachelor in Science major in Nursing. They were not in the same department but they were at the same University. When she had problem in school, Adna would go there as herr volunteer guardian. When she finished the two year course, she applied for a job. Having a very pretty face and with a good height, she was hired as a cashier at the Casino. She met many rich people there, but she remained faithful to her boyfriend. Later they got married and have two beautiful children. When Adna give rice during Christmas, instead of 50 packs of 5 kilos rice each pack, it become plenty. Azia’s friend with the support of her husband shared their blessings also to the indigents. Many times, Adna had in mind not to continue giving rice during Christmas especially when she felt sick, but Azia and her former classmates who became like family members of Adna would initiate bringing their packs of rice. Adna had to get up to be with Azia and her classmates to distribute rice two days before Christmas. Adna had not reached the 18 years in sharing rice to the indigents if not because of Azia who would always cheer up Adna. All the friends of Azia would look up to Lex like an older sister. Another classmate of Azia who always came to Adna’s house with another classmate would listen with much respect to Adna than their own family. When Adna with Al, Azia , Lex and Al the second visited the house of one of Azia’s classmate, the mother told Adna, ‘’good that you know many things about my daughter, she never told me about that.’’ One classmate of Azia saw that there were two Christmas trees at Adna’s house, she said, ‘’in our house we do not have Christmas tree’’ When Adna visited their place with Azia, she told the older sister who was a police woman to put a Christmas tree in their house because her younger sister would love it. She promised Adna she would have a Christmas tree at the house. The other classmate of Azia came from a broken family. Her father left her mom and she hates her father so much. Adna told her, ‘’you have to see your father to make you a complete person and you have to forgive him.’’ She replied, ‘’no way, I hate him.’’ Adna told her, ‘’what if he would have a short life, now that is still time, you must reconcile with him for your own sake, to make you a complete person.’’ She did not respond to Adna and just kept silent. Few weeks later, she called through telephone telling Adna that she met her father and they had a heart to heart talk. She told her father, ‘’if not because of that woman [referring to Adna] I would not be talking to you.’’ The father said to her, ‘’please say Thank You to that woman.’’ Three months later, her father died. She remembered what Adna told her, ‘’what if his life is short, now that you still have time you must reconcile with him and forgive him and that would make you a complete person. She could hardly believe but what Adna told her is true. Now she is happily married and worked as a nurse. Everytime she comes home from another country, she would always ask Azia, ‘’where is your mom, I wanna see her and talk with her.’’ She always bring lots of presents to Adna.

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