Winners!

We just came from the mall where my daughter participated in the caroling contest sponsored by a TV network. She was a member of her school’s choir. It was an exhilarating experience.

I was informed that the contest would start at 11:00 am. But when I arrived at the mall, choir #2 was already performing. I frantically looked for my wife to ask if our daughter had already performed. She told me that my daughter's choir was the 14th performer and that there were 14 contestants. I was relieved. I led my brother's two apos, Ryan and Lizzie, who were always going with me, to a vantage point where they could see the full performances. I bought them some waffle. Then I watched from the back.

To me it was a big challenge to watch kiddy shows like this. Nakakaburyong. Once in a while, I would slip out to some boutiques to look for some t-shirts and pants on bargain prices. But I had to return to check on the apos and get an assessment of the performances. Some contestants obviously lacked practice. Others lacked good trainors. While a few really did a pang-contest performance. But I could not say which contestants were sure winners because I hadn't yet seen the performance of my daughter's choir. With the hefty sum the other parents and I paid for the trainor and choreographer, possibly my daughter's choir was the choir to beat.

And then, after what seemed an eternity, the emcee introduced the last contestant. I felt nervous. The choir members marched to the stage. They wore identical dresses, shoes, hairdo, and make-up. My daughter was the first in the line. She was beautiful. I looked at the other members of the choir. They looked just like my daughter. Could be the make-up. But I remembered mannequins in the department stores were made to look like famous fashion models. Perhaps, the make-up artist wanted to make others look like my famous (according to me) daughter.

Then they started singing Christmas carols. Obviously, they had a good trainor. But their performance was pang-choral contest. Indi pang-caroling. Their voices were too soft to be heard. The choreography was pang-recital. It was all song and dance without the Christmas stories that other choirs incorporated into their 7-minutes presentation. It was not a lively performance worthy of an award. But what they lacked in performance, they filled with their best looking personalities. They had the best dresses, make-up, hairdo, and possibly the most expensive make-up artist. They looked like going to a party rather than to a caroling. Their props were unique. Their presentation was subdued and slow, as compared to the verve and pizzaz of the few others. And even if they also came from a public school, they were like a wisp of fresh air as they looked like prim-and-proper, coy, and inhibited convent-bred lasses in a sea of brash, loud and uninhibited public schoolers.

But I didn't mind the performance of the choir. I was focused mostly on my daughter. She was a revelation. She could sing, dance, and was at ease in front of the big crowd. She blended well with the rest of the choir. I could hardly believe my eyes.

My daughter is in Grade 3 and this was the first time she joined an extra-curricular activity. She is good in the academics, but is adamant to join school activities even if I asked her to. She always finds reasons not to join even if I bribe her with an offer to eat out with her cousins. She is suplada personified, which our acquaintances attributed to her having curly hair. Pag kulot kuno, suplada gid. She has no best friend in their class. She seldom talks to her classmates. Therefore, I am happy if I hear that she is the leader of the Cleaners for the Day, a role being rotated among everybody in her class. I will wake up early to pick some flowers for her classroom to make her feel that being a leader of even a cleaners group was special.

My girl was great on stage. I wanted to hug and congratulate her. Hers was the best performance I'd seen that day. Then they exited the stage. We met her at the side. She was beaming with joy.

After awhile, the emcee announced the winners. The judges would pick out 7 finalists out of the 14 contestants. The sponsor was giving cash prizes to all the finalists, who would compete in another round come December. All those which I thought performed well were called on stage as finalists. Then contestant number 13 was called. My wife and the other mothers jumped with joy. 'We won! We won!' they shouted. The adviser called my girl and her classmates so they could go up the stage to claim their award. And I thought they were contestant number 14! I just kept quiet. They were about to head to the stage when they saw another group going up the stage. Then they were informed it was number 13 that was called, and not 14. The teacher and the parents were crestfallen. Ay ahay, kaluoy gid. Then the emcee said he would announce the seventh finalist. The teacher and the parents were alive and hopeful again. They thought all 7 finalists were already announced. When the remaining finalist was announced, it was not number 14. A classmate of my daughter cried. All the parents, including my wife were so sad. They invested a lot of time for the practice and preparations. And the choreography for the 7-minute presentation costed more than a half-month salary of the school's utilityman. The make-up was Php500.00 for each child. But at least the dress could be worn by the daughters to another party. The parents who might have planned to celebrate with their kids in one of the fastfoods, bade us goodbye. They said they would go straight home. They looked tired. They were in school since 8:00am for the make-up and the last minute rehearsal. Perhaps, some of them hadn't yet eaten lunch because of excitement. They looked like losers. Parang mga basang sisiw.

Then my sisters, nieces, and apos who were there to watch my daughter, were surprised when I announced that I was going to celebrate. We went to a popular fastfoods. I got the money from my wallet which was meant to buy a week supply of groceries. I was happy. My daughter was beaming beside me. She told me she enjoyed the experience on stage and being the center of everybody’s attention. And my reticent daughter announced that she would be joining other activities in school. I was ecstatic. Both of us were winners!@