An Ultimate Wish: A Bite of Pizza

Hello Dear Hivers!

I've been teaching for ten years in a public secondary school somewhere in Mindanao. Our school is located in a rural area where rice farming is the main source of income for most households. Most students walk to school every day. Some walk 2 kilometers in the morning and in the afternoon, while others walk 3 or more kilometers. Our students are happy and fun young people, and they seem content with their lives.

Photo is taken and edited from Canva

I have been a class adviser for the past years until today to Grade 8 students, and every school year, diverse learners drop by under my care for a year. I treat them as if they are my sons and daughters, I give them responsibilities in our classroom, I give them lessons taken from the curriculum, and of course, lessons of life's realities as well. At times, some of them are too shy to open their lunchbox at noon breaks because some have no viands. And I feel them, I know the feeling, that's why sometimes I have to take out my lunchbox and share a portion of my food with those who do not bring lunch because they have nothing at home to bring to school.

At the end of the school year, it is my tradition to hold a Boodle Fight right after the final examination. Boodle Fight is eating together at lunchtime with food on the table placed on the banana leaves, and we eat together without plates and spoons. I just have to instruct everyone to wash their hands with soap and water to make sure all hands touching the food are clean.

But this school year is different. I decided to have Boodle Fight every periodical examination, which means I held it four times for this school year. Why? It started with this story.

One morning, while I was having my discussion about Food Processing, a student asked me, “What does a pizza taste like, ma’am?’. The question is not directly related to the lesson, but it was not about the lesson; it's about the question that I paused for a while and couldn't talk for a few seconds. While I was speechless, more students followed to ask me the same question, and I realized most of my students haven't eaten pizza in their 14 years of existence. I was saddened, but I don't need to show them. I have to tell them what it tastes like- it's a bit salty, a bit sweet, and it is delicious. These are the things I said to them, and they said they wish they could have a bite of pizza. Honestly, I didn't have a good sleep that night. I keep calculating in my mind how much it costs for me to buy boxes of pizza for 30 students in the class.

A mother of four to feed and clothe, and a mere public school teacher, I know it will cost me more than a sack of rice for my whole family to consume in a month to buy 8 boxes of pizza for every student to get two slices of it.

The next morning, I took my class again, but before the discussions, I told them, "Right after the first periodical exam, let us have a Boodle Fight". A second of quietness followed by "Yehey" and "Yes! Yes!" from my students with big smiles and unconcealed happiness in their eyes. I know they are all excited. I told them to do well in the exam so that they would all enjoy our lunch together.

A week later, it was our Boodle Fight Day. They arrived at school very early, but they didn't have any idea what I brought for them for lunch. When the bell rang for the lunch break, I told them to gather banana leaves and a long table and put it in the center of the room. They then started to spread their food on the table, and I started to spread hotdogs and noodles on the food they prepared on the table too. I also brought some watermelons and prepared cold juice drinks for my students to enjoy. After the prayer for the meal, I started to talk a bit as they asked me to give a short message to them.

" I cannot afford pizza for you today, though I know you wish to taste and have a bite of pizza since, according to you, it is mouthwatering as you saw it on TV. I want to grant your wish, but for now, hotdogs and noodles are all I can afford. Remember, no matter how hard life is, do your best to finish your studies. One day you will wake up with pizza as your breakfast, lunch, and dinner (I give a small laugh at what I said, but deep inside me, I want to cry seeing their hopeful, happy eyes). I may not grant your wish while we are together for the whole school year, but trust me, you can grant all your wishes for yourself someday. Let's eat and let's enjoy the food we have. The important thing now is we all eat the same food together for today's lunch".

That was the best Boodle Fight ever. We already had our second and third Boodle Fight for the year, our last is next week. I may not afford to grant them PIZZA today, but someday they will give PIZZA to themselves.

Thank you for reading. Have a blessed day.