Footnote to the Youth

By Jose Garcia Villa

“I will tell him. I will tell it to him.’’ Dodong murmured.

It was a foggy day at the west. Dodong wanted his father to know what he had planned, to marry his only one love. Finally, he decided to tell it to his father, who is a hardworking farmer. As he looked her mother, he wished having a sister who could help her in housework.

He wanted to marry his girl, Teang. A girl who had a small brown face and small black eyes and straight glossy hair.  Dodong was just only seventeen year-old boy. He noticed that he had pimples on his face, then down on his upper lip was dark-these meant he was no longer a boy. He was growing into a man. Thinking of it, Dodong felt he could do anything.

Dodong’s mother cleaned the dishes when they were through. Dodong wanted to help her carry the dishes out but at this very moment, he was so drowsy and felt lazy. As he looked at her, he wished to have a sister who could help her. He pitied his mother, doing all the housework alone.

In a while, Dodong told his mother that he was going to marry Teang. He said it without any effort at all. Dodong felt calmed and glad he has asserted himself. After their marriage, Dodong and Teang got a new baby. It was a baby boy, his name is Blas. And as time gone by, many more children came. Teang did not complain. She did everything for Dodong, for her children. She cried sometimes, wishing she had no married. But she loved Dodong.

When Blas turned eighteen, he followed the footsteps of his parents. He decided to tell Dodong to marry Tona, the girl he loved. Dodong was shocked as he heard about it. All he did was saying “yes” to Blas. Youth must triumph now. Afterward, it will be life. He felt sorry for him.

One of them was why life did not fulfill all of the youth’ dreams. Why it must be so? Why one was forsaken after love?

The story is worthy to read. One of the lessons that we can obtain from it is that true love really waits. Any little decision can make a big consequence to your life. And the most important thing is to be always prepared in any risks in your upside-down life, standing still in what you have decided and done.

The author, Jose Garcia Villa, is truly a great writer. He really matched the situation of the youth today. He used familiar words so that everyone can understand easily the story and can reflect to it. He also had the point of view where we can have the knowledge of something related to what will happen to us, not only for today but for the future.

                                           JOSE GARCIA VILLA                                                    Filipino poet,literary critic, short story writer and painter

Fulfilling youth’s dream is doing right things in a right time.