By ALDWIN QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

“When we are dreaming alone it is only a dream. When we are dreaming with others, it is the beginning of reality.” — Dom Helder Camara

In anticipation of every storm, a father who has a family cannot help but worry as his small house may not be able to withstand it especially if the approaching storm is a very strong one. He fears not only for himself but for his wife and his children. It is just like waiting for the storm to devour their house and leave them homeless and cold.

And during a storm while their house is being whipped and trashed by strong winds nearly removing the roof, he cannot bear seeing the fear in the eyes of his family. From there, he could almost read their minds, their fears, where will they run to in the middle of the storm if their house gets blown away? He can sense the anxiety and the fear they may not survive the storm.

Every year, before the rainy season comes, the father would love to buy materials needed to make necessary repairs and additions to their house. But, reality sucks as he cannot afford to buy them because his and his wife’s income is not enough to buy even one fourth of the needed materials. Their salaries are not even enough for their daily expenses and needs amid the rising prices of basic commodities and services. They dream to make their family live in better conditions but their economic situation does not allow them it.

This is so hard for fathers who are receiving pegged wages, facing unsecure job tenure, contractualization, retrenchment, worker’s rights violations, inexperienced leader and corrupt officials and an unfair system. Every time they see their children sleeping in the small rooml, they cannot help feeling sorry and guilty that they cannot even provide better sleeping quarters for them. It brings tears to a father’s eyes to see that his children looking at big and beautiful houses and even if the children will not say it, he know they want to have such.
But there are many fathers, mothers and others who are dreaming for better houses to live in. There are many who love to make their family be in the most comfortable feeling even if a super typhoon comes.

They know that in such a system at present, it is hard to have a better house while you are earning low. The rich can always build many big and beautiful houses whenever they want. But the impoverished people especially the workers cannot do anything but make the best out of their small houses and prepare it for coming storms that may bring big damages if not total destruction to their houses.

These dreamers for better homes once united and bonded in one aspiration, will make a big difference. If they will be ever mobilized to create a society wherein it is not hard to build houses that will stand any weather and will make their occupants feel safe, then no children will ever have eyes full of fear of losing their houses because of typhoons. Parents are happy that their children sleep soundly in comfortable sleeping rooms. # nordis.net