Sexy, Innocent Child-Woman

Birthday greetings from prison

I stayed in my office till 1:30AM to get some work done (as if). The whole time, this little voice inside me kept telling me to get my arse home...and with good reason. A surprise was waiting for me in the mail when I got home last night (this morning, rather). I received a birthday card from my sisters at the Correctional Institution for Women in the Philippines (CIW). Ate S also included a letter for me, while D sent me a picture of herself with her son (during one of his visits to CIW) and Ate A (whose sentence was commuted to life imprisonment when GMA issued blanket commutations of death sentences on Easter Sunday); on the back of the photograph was a dedication expressing D's concerns, as well as her and Ate A's birthday message for me.

I'm so touched. I've only written them once ever since I came back here, and even if Ate V, Ate S, and Ate H wrote me again in early March and two other inmates, Mama C and Ate N, wrote me a week or two later, I still haven't written them back (I finished preparing birthday and Easter cards and I wrote a letter for Ate V before Holy Week, but I have five more letters to write, so I haven't mailed anything yet). I know I've been so busy over the past two months, but I wish I had made (more) time to write them. I wasn't expecting them to send me a card for my birthday because I knew they were waiting for me to write them back. And yet they haven't forgotten me. I'm so humbled by the way they always make an effort to understand me despite their situation. Walang-wala na nga sila, nakakulong pa sila, pero iniintindi pa rin nila ako. (They have nothing, plus they're behind bars, but they still reach out and attend to me.)

I cried as I read the card and their birthday messages and letters. I cried because I was really touched by what they did. (Come to think of it, they were the only ones who actually wrote me and sent me a card via regular mail for my birthday. It just means a lot to me.) I cried because I realized how much I've been missing them soooo much all this time. I cried until I fell asleep. At work today, whenever I would think about them and their wonderful surprise for me on my birthday, I'd get teary-eyed. I read their card and letters again after I got off work and I burst into tears for the nth time (good thing my roommate isn't around right now). I cried again tonight while talking to my friend JP about the card and letters I had received from my sisters in prison. I just couldn't stop crying.

I'll end this by posting their birthday greetings. This is my way of expressing how much I appreciate what they've done for me.

What they wrote in the card they sent me:

Kanimo day Diane,

Unta, magmalipayon ang imong birthday bisan kon hirayo ka hiton imo mga minahal. Ngan damo pa it manga adlaw an omabot ha imo. Happy Birthday, day.

Mana S

Tagalog/English translation:

Para sa iyo, day Diane (For you, Diane),

Sana maging masaya ang birthday mo kahit malayo ka sa mga mahal mo sa buhay. (May you have a happy birthday even if you're far away from your loved ones.) Sana marami pang araw ang dumating sa iyo. (May you have many more [birth]days to come.)

Happy Birthday, day.

Ate S

[Note: Day is a term of endearment among Visayans. Mana (Waray) and Ate (Tagalog) are honorifics for an older sister or an older-sister figure.]

***

Sweety Diane,

"Glory to God"

Happy Birthday. Wishing you more happiness and success in life. More power.

Take care always. I love you. God Bless.

H

***

Dearest Diane,

Happy B-day and thanks sa (for the) card. Alam mo ikaw lang ang nakaalala ng b-day ko. (You know, you're the only one who remembered my birthday.)

Love,
Y

***

Happy B-day Diane,

M Cute
(Note: She wrote "cute" next to her name, haha)

[P.S.] Yang (what she calls me), sana ipagpatuloy mo pa ang kabutihan ng iyong puso (hope you keep up/ continue to show the goodness of your heart).

***

Dearest Diane,

May you have more B-days to come. God Bless You always.

Love you,
R

***

Diane,

Happy B-day!!! Ingat ka lagi! (Take care always!)

Ate J

***

Diane,

Happy Birthday! Sana sa araw ng birthday mo masaya ka! (Hope you're happy on the day of your birthday!)

I love you!!!

Ate W

***

Diane,

Happy B-day! Sa card ko na ako magbigay ng message. (I'll just give you my message in my card for you.) I love you.

Ate V

***

Here is the dedication that D wrote at the back of the photo of herself, her son, and Ate A:

Hi Diane,

'Yung tapat kong bata eh anak ko. Maipagmamalaki ko siya lalo na ngayong 2nd honor siya sa school nila.

Bless you there...always. Regards daw sabi ni Ate A. Birthday ni _______, my baby boy, on May 23. Parang kailan lang no! Ang bilis talagang lumipas ang panahon. Pero ako rito maraming panahon nang nasayang. Sana mabigyan pa ako ng panibagong pagkakataon para makapagbagong buhay...hopefully.

WISHING YOU A HAPPY B-DAY.
MORE B-DAYS TO COME...GOD BLESS YOU ALWAYS.

Bunsong (The youngest) D and A

English translation:

Hi Diane,

The child in front of me [in the picture] is my son. I'm really proud of him, especially now that he just garnered Second Honors at his school.

Bless you there...always. Ate A sends her regards. It's my baby boy's birthday on May 23. It seems like yesterday or not so long ago, huh?! Time really goes by so fast. But for me in here, so much time has been wasted. I wish I would still be given another chance to change my life [for the better]...hopefully.

WISHING YOU A HAPPY B-DAY.
MORE B-DAYS TO COME...GOD BLESS YOU ALWAYS

D and A

[Note: D is the youngest inmate on death row. At the age of 17, she and a group of teenagers were arrested for kidnapping an elderly person who was later released unharmed. D was tried as an adult, despite the evidence regarding her age when the offense was committed. She was pregnant at that time and gave birth to her son in prison. Her son, who is now eight or nine years old, has since been adopted; he still visits her in CIW occasionally.]

Pahabol (Post-script):

On May 11th, I received another birthday card from CIW--this time from Mommy P, who included birthday greetings on behalf of her children. Tita E, one of Mommy P's good friends, also signed the card. I'm so touched.

Actually, I'm relieved to hear from Mommy P once again. Of all my friends in CIW, she was the one who wrote me the most over the past couple of years. She even wrote my parents last year. I was worried that she might (still) be mad at me for choosing to sleep in the death row dorm (where she used to stay) instead of her current dormitory. Naging issue kasi 'yon n'ung huling uwi ko sa Pinas (that issue surfaced the last time I went home to the Philippines). But I guess we're okay now, thank God!

Here are Mommy P's and Tita E's messages:

My dear Diane:

Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ our Savior and Redeemer!

I wish you a blessed day with the Lord Jesus. Happy happy birthday and wishes of more joyful and fruitful birthdays to come.

Thanks for the greeting card. I did like the photo with [name of my crush] you sent me. Bagay na bagay kayo (You look good together).

Let's keep trusting God's love and power. He hears our prayers.

Take care always. God loves you.

Sincerely yours,

Mommy P

Birthday greetings from my children J1, MC, J2, A, L, B, R1, and R2.

***

SMILE!

Happy Happy Birthday and more joyful birthdays to come.

Tita E

***

If I don't blog for a while, it's because I need to finish my letters to my sisters in CIW.

found herself @ 11:27 PM