The Man Who Dreamed to Have a Tall Children

            By Vic Odarve

“If I will marry her, our son or daughter would be like us…small and dwarf like”, retorted Dodong who stands 4’11” when his fellow workers hinted that they are compatible and really meant for each other with office mate named Gingging. Gingging is a petite and at the same height with Dodong. Since they are of almost the same age of early thirties and still singles, their office mates dearly wanted them to settle down. Though somewhat like a mild joke and nonsense in the beginning but later becomes irritable to their ears. And as days on, his insightful comment sparked like a wildfire in the local office.

PICOP, Bislig, Surigao del Sur

Dodong and Gingging were both engineers by chosen profession. True, as Gingging was petite and Dodong was also small and short guy, their possible offspring might be as short like them. In fact, Dodong’s aware parent earnestly advised him to marry a girl taller than him. Because of the matching joke that they were really meant for each other, they intentionally tried to carefully avoid meeting in the office.

The working environment seemed hostile to them. The words compatible or meant to each other was irritable to their ears. However, they managed to restrain each other though the girl sometimes seemed a feeling of hatred toward him.

Unexpectedly, few years later, the plant ceased its operation due to labor unrest between the management and the labor union. The company’s local operation collapsed like the house of cards. All the employees had to pack their belongings and sought a job elsewhere. As jobs opening were scarce in our country, most of them had secured jobs in the middle east. Since then, the closure disrupted their communication among friends.

PICOP Technical Services

Many years had passed, and lately the pandemic covid-19 spread around the globe. OFW’s were returning home as most of their overseas operations stopped.

Two of their friends from the Middle East due to pandemic returned home, for good. While the two were at the hotel counter desk waiting for the receptionist, they had learned that the establishment was owned and managed by Dodong and Gingging. “Madam, can we talk to Dodong or Gingging? Just tell them their friends are here,” they requested the woman receptionist.

A moment later, genuinely shocked, and surprised, Dodong saw them at a distance in a toothy smile. Like before as friends in a previous company, he instantly threw his arms around their necks and said,” How are you then my friends? It’s long time, no see.” “We are fine,” the two said with a pleasant smile. 

Pinoy OFWs

And while dining they laughed and happily reminisced about their past the time they were working in a plywood and paper company. When asked how their love blossomed after the company’s closure, he simply said, “You know friends - life is full of imperfect things... & imperfect people. Even my parents reasonably objected the idea of promptly marrying her simply because we too are small and short. But with our constant communication, we fell in love and got married, “said Dodong. A burst of laughter naturally followed.

As we checked out, Dodong, Gingging, and their only daughter assisted us in our belonging to a taxicab waiting nearby. The family, as cute as they were, portrayed as what their parents and friends expected while we worked together in a plywood and paper company.

Now when I see this modern hotel and restaurant near the overpass of Farmer’s Market in Quezon city, I always remember Dodong and Gingging and their sole daughter…an attractive and petite lady.

Precisely, as what Dodong had dreamed before of having a tall child remained a dream!