Beauty Fool

“Abnormal! Ugly! Fool!”, yelled by the people in the crowd.

Just imagine yourself standing or even just passing by in front of a crowd with all the walks of life mixed up together. They were laughing and teasing. Some were angry and some were just simply acting just to be considered as part of the crowd. Then you lately realized that every eye in that particular crowd was staring at you and you were totally clueless of what made you interest them.

You were also too blind not to notice that all the insults they yelled were thrown to you. And you also realized that their laughs and teases were no less than rendered to you. And suddenly you felt their angry stares like piercing your flesh with the thought in your mind of what could have you possibly done to make them rage like that. And worse, you could already see battalion of flying objects intended to land at your direction and the crowd started to slap you on your face, punch you in your stomach and kick you until you drop out, almost dying on the ground without even knowing the reason of their violence.

Try to check yourself. How would you possibly feel and react on that particular scene? Would you fight them or would you run away and hide? Would you get mad and throw them whatever object you can grab on or would you burst out and cry? And if you were to choose between the two sides of the story, would you be the one being bullied or would you be one of the bully crowds?

If you were to ask me those questions, well, I really don’t know. I don’t want to bully anyone and especially, I don’t want to get bully too. But some people were truly unique in their own way. Just like Alice who used to be my neighbor back when I was still in my younger years. Even though were no longer neighbors anymore, I could still see her every time I visit my cousin’s place who was also my neighbor way back then.

If I were to judge, I guess Alice was nearing the age of thirty. She always wore her sweet smile even though she had broken and irregular teeth and she looked petite. If only she did not have a hunch on her back, she would have been tall. She always wore old dressed and some were even torn. She was already an orphan but she had a sister who supported her.

Alice wasn’t able to go to school, not even in elementary so you could expect that she was innocent with anything. The mere reason why she wasn’t able to go to school was that aside from poverty, Alice was also quite different from others; she was mentally handicapped. But she could still follow instructions.

In spite the fact that she wasn’t able to learn from school, Alice became a very good worker in her own field and she was a very hardworking woman. I could vouch on that because I had seen most of her daily works. She could carry a sack of rice in spite of the hunch on her back, she could sweep your yard and she could feed your pigs, dogs and all your pets. She could also carry pails of water for your bath and she could clean your entire house.

You could also ask her to go for an errand and buy your foods in the market as long as you give your instructions written in a piece of paper and she could manage her way then by giving it to the vendor. Alice could almost do anything you ask her, aside from reading and writing, in change with a little amount of money.

But why other people could not simply get enough from her. Why other’s have to make her life a bit harder to live. Why others really love to see others suffer. Just like in drama, there were antagonists who would try to destroy the protagonist.

Because of her abnormality, others had found reasons to bully her that made Alice’s life a no easy life to live. There were times when I saw her earnestly doing her routine when a group of men were trying to distract her and making fun of her. They would call Alice with her name sounding so sweet as if calling a little girl whom they could fool around on their hands. But clearly, behind those sweet calls were dark intentions to her. Alice, with her mind filled with innocence would just smile showing her broken teeth and the men would burst out laughing.

Sometimes when they could still not get enough fun of her, they would call her with self degrading words like fool, ugly, abnormal, et cetera, synchronized by picking pebbles and threw it to her. But then again, Alice would just manage a smile and would never utter any complain. All she could do is to avoid the flying pebbles which was no help at all if a group of at least three or four men were simultaneously throwing it to her.

I knew she was in pain because I could see it in her eyes. I knew it for sure because I saw the tears as it built up in the corner of her eyes while faking a smile to everybody. Alice would just walk away slowly, bursting into tears while the fake smile was still on her face and saying nothing and doing nothing to comfort herself. As a little kid that time, all I could do was scold those bullies as if I was older than them but I was of no help at all. They might think who was I to be listened.

I felt the pain that Alice was enduring all through her life. I could feel the hurt every time others would call her monster and I could certainly feel the regret in her eyes saying why she has to live that way. Sometimes I ask myself, why it has to be that way. Why others needed to hurt somebody just to fulfill their own pleasure? Were they worthy enough of the happiness they felt if somebody out there, unknown and less loved by everybody, was crying in desolation.

I wish they were stepping on Alice’s shoes and Alice was stepping on theirs so that she can give justice to herself. But I know revenge was never good.

Until now I could still see Alice. I could still see her as usual in the church every Sunday, kissing the hand of the priest after the mass. Somehow I felt proud of her that in spite of the kind of life the Lord had given her, she was still faithful and for me that made her a better person compared to others.

How I wish I could do something for Alice. Ever since I always wanted to help her and comfort her from all the hardships life has brought to her. I know I could and I would in the right time. To Alice, live your life to the fullest and never lose hope. God has mercy. He gives good things to those people who wait. Strive hard to be happy and always stay humble. Remember, always keep your feet on the ground even though you have nice shoes.