A Child’s Worth
“Ma, am I a bad person?” Zoey asked her mother at dinner. “No, of course, not. What made you ask that?” Mrs. Ramirez answered.
“Tita Liza told me to wash the plates she used at dinner last night, but I had already fallen asleep when she finished eating. She was angry when she saw the unwashed plates on the sink this morning. She woke me up and told me that I was a bad girl.” Zoey explained.
“That’s not very nice of her to say that, but when she comes home later, don’t forget to apologize for not doing what she had asked, okay?” Her mother suggested.
“I don’t want to do that.” Zoey refused. Her mother explained “Apologizing to her doesn’t mean that you agree with what she said about you. It is just to let her know that you’re sorry for not washing the plates like she told you to. Whatever she had said or called you, don’t ever believe that you’re a bad person.”
“Ma, is it true that Zoey and I are your investments to have a better life?” Cathy asked. “What do you mean?” Mr. Ramirez closed the book he was reading and looked from Cathy to his wife.
“Auntie Susan said that both of us should marry a rich man so that we can give you lots of money to pay you back for what you have spent in raising us. She said if we can’t repay you, you’re going to sell us to a rich family.” Cathy said it all in one breath.
Mr. and Mrs. Ramirez looked at each other in disbelief. “What are these people trying to do by feeding nonsense into our children’s minds?” Both of them sighed.
“Please listen carefully to what we will tell you now, okay?” Mrs. Ramirez looked into the girls’ eyes.
“What other people say about you is only their opinion and will never define you. You know yourself better. You know that you are not a bad girl, Zoey so don’t ever let anybody make you think that you are. Cathy, your father and I raise you because we love you, not because of any other reason.”
“Both of you are very important to your father and me. You are the best thing that happened to us. Never ever forget that.” She hugged the girls.
“So you’re not going to sell us?” Cathy asked. “Not even for billions. You are worth way more than that.” Mr. Ramirez answered.
“A child is worth all the love the parents could give. Your worth is a lot more than anything in this world.
Remember that.”