The Difference Between Poor People and People Who Have Money

Don’t get me wrong: I know the value of money. You have no idea how much it distresses me to find out that the jeepney driver shortchanged me by one peso in the morning, more so when I realize that my fare back home is short by the missing peso. It drives me crazy. A few days can pass and that piso will still be hovering on the edges of my consciousness like stubborn mascara that won’t get wiped away.  The point is, I value money and I hate to spend any more than any thing is worth or else the missing pesos tend to haunt me in a rather nasty manner.

My mom apparently does not know this side of me. She believes that I waste my money on useless things like clothes and makeup (my closet won’t close anymore, har har, funny—not) without even thinking about it. Thankfully enough, she’s very liberal with my book money although she’s been grumbling lately (the shelf where my books are is getting full too). All I can say is that she doesn’t know that I’m all grown up now and earning some of my monies and painfully realizing that it’s not that easy. With that disclaimer, don’t crucify me for the following conversation between me and my mom. 

Earlier in the morning…

Mama: May mag-dedeliver ng kaban ng bigas dito, wag niyong kakalimutan.

Liz: Wow ma, ang yaman mo naman! Libo-libong tao oras ang binibilang sa pila para lang makabili ng NFA rice tapos ikaw nagpapa-deliver lang? Big time!

Later in the morning…

Liz: Ma, kailangang ko ng bagong salamin. Nabasag yung salamin ko sa kwarto. Hinangin yata.

Mama: Ano ba yan di mo kasi sinasabit ng maayos!

Liz: Mura lang naman yun eh. May nakita ako sa Ace Hardware (note: what was Liz doing in Ace Hardware? Dunn dunn!), three hundred lang. Bili mo ko ha?

Mama: Ang mahal naman nun. 

Liz: Ano tayo poor? Grabe ka ma ha!

Mama: Oo poor tayo hindi mo ba alam?

Liz: Pano tayo naging poor eh nagpapadeliver ka lang ng mahal na bigas samantalang ang daming tao ngayon hirap na hirap makakuha ng bigas kahit NFA lang. Yan ang diperensiya ng may pera sa mahirap.

Mama: Ano gusto mo kumain ng NFA na bigas? Sabihin mo lang, yun ang papakain ko sa inyo. Mahirap lang tayo akala mo ba.

Liz: Ano ba, hindi ka mahahakuha nung family discount card or whatever kasi hindi ka qualified.

Mama: May kakilala ako sa DSWD kakausapin ko.

Liz: Kitams! Yan ang pinagkaiba ng taong may pera sa taong mahirap.

Mama: (asar na) Ayokong marinig ang boses mo. (stomps to room)

Liz: Bleh. (to brother) Ang pikon ng nanay natin ano?

You know, I love pissing my mom off. That is all.