AN UGLY PAROL

I used to play tennis with my officemates on Sundays , but that particular Sunday in
December. I just stayed home after hearing mass with my wife and three kids .I was still
nursing a broken leg I got from playing basket ballin the neighborhood..
I was reading the Sunday paper in the sala when I heard the voices of my three
kids from the terrace. There was excitement in their voices that caught my attention.
My, wife Julie, was busy preparing a native merienda.
I Quietly went to the room that was adjacent to the terrace to see what was going on. I
peeped in the window and saw my three kids busy doing what I thought was a school
project.
Dennis, my eldest at eleven, was busy making a skeleton of a parol(lantern) from
several bamboo sticks into the desired. Louie, my second child was cutting he bamboo
sticks into desired size and Emily, the youngest was folding some glossy papers of gold
and green..
kuya , how much will you get if you win the contest? I heard louie asked dennis.
The first prize price is five hundred pesos, the second prize is four hundred
pesos, the third is two hundred pesos, replied dennis, his eyes glinting with enthusiasm
and anticipation.
If you win the third prize, will you buy ice cream for the three of us? Louie asked
again.
Im going to win first prize so we can buy ice cream and cake too! Dennis
answered confidently.
Really kuya? Youll win the first prize? Emily was unbelieving.
Why of course! Dont you have trust In me?
I trust you, kuya! But Im going to pray too. I want you to win so can have ice
cream and cake.!
I wanted to laugh at their innocence. And I had this urge to make the parol myself so
dennis would have a good chance of winning. But as I was going out of the room, my
wife Julie accosted mean walked me to the kitchen.

Dont dare help him with is entry to the contest! she said shaking her head vigorously.
Let him do it himself.
But his too young to make a beautiful parol that fit to the contest! Besides, louie
and Emily are expecting him to win because he promised them ice cream and cake!
Well just buy ice cream and cake for them if dennis lost the contest. But for now
let him do the parol himself.
Okay! You said it.
When we served them merienda, dennis have finished the skeleton. It was a reay for
wrapping.
Dennis was very proud of his work, and so were louie and Emily who said they
would help dennis wrap the parol.
I was secretly shaking my head. If I could have my wy, I would do the parol
myself but Julie kept on telling me to let the kids to do their thing.
Before dinner, the parol was finished. It was carefully wrapped with white papel
de hapon and decorated with green and gold colored glossy paper from the body to
the tail.
I didnt know what to say when they showed it to Julie and me. It was a parol,
alright. But as far as I was concern, it was an ugly parol.
Julie was very profuse and praises, just like any other mother. But of course I
knew she was just being accommodating.
We drove dennis to the school. He was so excited about the lantern contest, and
so were louie and Emily who were expecting ice cream and cake after the contest.
As we entered the school premises. I saw several kids carrying a beautiful parols
that really damped my spirit. They were with their parents who were just as excited as
their children.
We watched the lantern parade inside the school premises. Dennis was just as excited
as the other student s who were carrying their entry to the contest. Then finally, it was
judgment time, the moment of truth. I shook my head in dis approval when the master
of ceremony announced the names of the students who won the contest for the second
and third prizes. The two students went up to the stage carrying their winning parol,
showing them to the audience.
Surely there were more deserving parols than the two winning entries.

Then it was time to announce the first prize winner.

The parol that made it to the top prize is, just like third and second prize winners, truly
work of a grade school student. You may say it is rough and amateurish, but in the eyes
of those who truly understand a child, this winning parol is simply beautiful. This parol
belongs to Dennis Garcia.
There was loud clapping of hands and shouting as my son went to the stage
carrying his parol. Julie was clapping excitedly. Louie and Emily were jumping with joy
and I was crying.
I was crying in joy and shame for not seeing the beauty in the work of my kid.
Julie and I wanted to buy ice cream and cakes for the children so dennis could
keep the prize, but he instead that we spend his prize for it.
It was the three of us who made the parol Dennis said.
I didnt say anything but stared at him with great pride.
To myself I said, He is my son.