How Little Brother Helped Big Brother

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Part of The Young Citizen: The Magazine for Young People

Title
How Little Brother Helped Big Brother
Year
1936
Rights
In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
Fulltext
280 THE YOUNG CITIZEN · .Vuvemb<·r, 19Jfo four ran into a coconut grove toward a big tamarind tree laden with green fruit. Most of the other boys picked up their boc1ks and w~nt home. A few including Lolo remained on t_he school lawn. "Let's play ball for a while," suggeste-d one. '"Nor a bad idea," added another. · "Our mothers. my mother particularly. will not need us until sunset. "Quite right!" exclaim~d a third b~y. Soon they were playing ball but Lolo w"s not with them. He had sliPped away before the game HOW LITTLE BROTHER HELPED "HAVE you hoed the ground. Gildo?" asked the garden teacher just before he dismissed the class one afternoon. Gildo hesitated. Then with difficulty, he answered ... A part of ir. Mr. Qui~at. I mean it is almost finished." .. Good!" exclaimed the teacher. "You see. Gildo, you have not been working very hard. I am afraid you will not be able to plant your seedlings on time unless you double up your speed. Your brother, Lolo. and the rest of the boys have pulverized the soil and on Monday they will transplant the seedlings to their plots. All the plots except yours ar~ in fine shape now." "Yes, Mr. Quilat." Gil do admitted, "but I'll do all I can to catch up with them. I'll work hard tomorrow and Sunday. By Monday, my plots wili be ready." "That's the spirit. boy," said the teacher trying to encourage the thoughtless and lazy Gildo. Lolo, Gildo's younger brdther was uneasy in his seat during the conversation. He was ashamed-very much ashamed of his brother. He was afraid that Gildo was not telling the truth. Tears rolled down his cheeko; as he left the room. "Come on, boys," shouted Gildo when he reached the street. "To the tamarind! Yes, to the tamarind!" Three boys joined thr thoughtless boy. The (A STORY) By ANTONIO C. MUl"lOZ began. He went to the garden to find out how much his brother, Gildo, had done. He looked all abo'ut him. The garden as a whole was clean. All the plots were ready for planting. He was relieved. Gildo, he thought. had done something. But upOn reaching the other side, he was surprised to see a patch of ground. untouched. He looked at the stake in the _middle. It was No. 20. That was Gildo's number. "My God! Gildo hasn't done anything,." hi:: sighed. "The worst part of it is that he lied to i:hc teacher when he said that his plot is almost finio;hed ... That was Friday afternoon. Without another word. Lolo took off his shirt and laid it on a box nearby. Then he grabbed his ho~ and hoed the untouched ground. After an hour's hard work. h.! had hoed the part assigned to his lazy brother. He went to the garden very early the next day. He had removed all the weeds before he went home that morning. In the afternoon. he was there again doing the work for his thoughtless brother. Ou Sunday afternoon, he put the plots in shape. It was then that Gildo came with his hoi!. Perhaps he wanted to do a little hoeing for Mr. Quilat's inspection on the following day. From where he stood, he could see l.olo working on his plot. 'Tit not bothtr Lolo," he said to himself. "Hi:: is he.re to help me. I believe. If he does a little hoeing, it will be enough for Mr. Quilat's inspection ,Vovt>mbPr, 1.9.U; 11-!G YOUNG CITIZEN 281 tomorrow. I had better go for the. gang must b..: waiting for me now." Gildo slipped out of the garden without Lolo seeing him. Lolo was too busy to look around. Monday came. It was three o'clock in the afternoon when Mr. Quilat and his bqys went to tht! garden for the periodic inspection. All the boys· faces including Lolo's beamed with joy. They ex. pected good ratings for their work was done and upto-date. Gildo was uneasy. His face was a picture of hopelessness. It's true that he saw Lolo in BIG BROTHER the garden. but did he work on his plot? If he did. had he done enough to give him a passing mark~ These things came up in his ll)ind as he lagged behind his happy classmates. Already he pictured ia his mind the angry face of his teacher, Mr. Quilat. Already he seemed to hear his favorite expression, '"Cuiio! Quinto Grz.do!" And before he knew it. he had splashed into a mudhole. He got up. a pitiable but very funny picture. His classmates laughed at him. Lalo ran bJck to his brother. He took off Gilda's shirt and told him to go to the garden. "There is a surprise waiting for you there," Lalo told him as he ran to the faucet and rinsed Gildo's dirty shirt. Gildo stood ;it the gate. He was too frightened to go near his plot which was behind the tool house. Mr. Quilat with his notebook was going around the plots and grading them. "Gildo, come on," he shouted. "Let's see what you have done ... Gildo walked slowly toward the teacher and the two went to the space behind the tool house. "Oh!" was all that Gildo could utter when he .saw his plot in as fine a shape· as the rest. He could not believe it. He looked around for his brother. Lolo. The latter stood a few yards from him. He grinned as Gildo's eyes met hi~. "'Now, isn't that fine, Gildo~" exclaimed Mr. Quilat. "I never thought you could catch up with the other boys.'· Gilda did not answer. When the teacher was gone, he sat down and crie.d like a baby. Lola went to him and patted his bro.ther's back. "Come, brother, let us go horn~." he said as he held his brother's arm. "Oh. Lalo! You are so good!" he sobbed. "I never realized until this afternoon how lazy. careless, and thoughtless I have been. How can I e:ver repay you?" "By always doing your work well," Lolo answered. ''That. I promise." Gildo said. Gildo was changed. After that incident in the garden, he becam~ a new boy. He did his work so well that Mr. Quilat often praised him. All this was due to Lola. the good and thoughtful brother. Acknowledgment The words of the song "To a Cu!usisi" com~ posed by Mr. Antonio Munoz. which appeared in the April. 1935 issue of The Young Citizeri LVas u..>ritten by Mr. Anastacio C. Canciller of Ligao. Albay. and not by Mr. Munoz.