The Little Sampaguita Girl

Every night as I make the final turn from the main highway to the road leading to my home, I see this little girl about 8 or 10 years old who sells sampaguita leis. She goes from car to car offering the flowers when the traffic light is on stop and runs back to the side again when the light turns green. I sometimes buy from her even if I know the price is double than what is sold outside the church.

One time I paid her money for the sampaguita lei and she just said "Thank you." I asked where my lei was and she said I only gave her 6 pesos and showed the coins. The flower cost 10 pesos. Since the light turned green, I said it was ok, she can have the coins and I moved on.

Just before Christmas, her image always came to mind. I wondered how she and her family would be spending Christmas. When I came home from work on the 24th of December, I expected her to be there as usual. There were some toys left over from the children's games held for employees' kids at the office and I thought of giving her what I got. Knowing how these children lived, she probably never even had the chance to own a toy in her life.

While waiting for the traffic light to turn green, I looked around to see if she was there...she wasn't. I reached home a bit disappointed. The toy is still with me at home but last night I saw her again playing with other street kids. I remembered the toy I was supposed to give her. Hopefuly I see her there again tonight...