A boy named Celso

A friend of mine invited me to visit his fishpond in Tinaad. He was harvesting bangus that afternoon. We headed to the fishpond in midmorning. It was a fine day, slightly overcast, and the tranquility of the surrounding was deafening. When we reached his place, his helper was consuming the last of the Ginebra San Miguel they had partaken the night before.

My friend immediately gave me a grand tour of the place. Since his next door neighbor was harvesting his pla-pla that morning, we headed straight to his place first. From a distance, I saw 4 human figures dragging a long net, trying to ensnare all the tilapia still present in the muddy water.

When I got closer, i noticed that one was remarkably smaller than the rest. He was only a boy. He was doing the same thing the other 3 adults were doing, with as much strength his frail body can muster.

Most boys his age are either playing PSP, or watching cable at home, playing basketball with friends , or for the truly lucky ones, taking a vacation somewhere in Asia or America. At his tender age, he's already working.

Iwanted to ask him how old he was, where he lived, and if he was still studying. But i decided not to. He was busy. He didnt have time to chat.