The rosary project

By Mia Quililan


Aside from honing his skills in arts and crafts, a simple school project teaches Matty about life and foresight.


On schooldays, everybody must be in bed and asleep by 9.

At around 10, Ate (elder sister) Rina heard soft sobbing from her 2 brothers’ room next door. She got up and knocked, and opened the door. Matty, who at 8 was 5 years younger, was crying while the other brother was already asleep.

“Why are you crying?”

“My project is due tomorrow and I have no more beads to finish the rosary.”

“Where did you get the beads from?

“Our teacher gave us the materials. Maybe she did not give me enough beads.”

“Then we can only get the same beads from your teacher.”

“Can you tell Mama to speak to my teacher tomorrow morning?”

“But Mama is already sleeping.”

“Please, Ate, will you tell her? She will scold me if I tell her.”

“Alright, but come with me, and bring your project to show her.”

Ate Rina softly knocked on their parents’ bedroom door. Mama comes out after a few minutes, looking not too pleased. Ate Rina started to explain while Matty listened scared.

“Why are you telling me this only now? You know your project is due tomorrow, why are you only doing it now? How do we know if your teacher still has beads left? How can you lose the beads? Mama fired the questions which left Matty sobbing even more.

“But I did not lose any beads,” Matty implored.

Ate Rina said, “If you did not lose any beads… wait, can I see your project?”

Ate Rina smiled. “Matty, you’re not missing any beads. A rosary only has 5 decades, 50 large beads for the Hail Marys, and you’re on your sixth decade already. You should have stopped here, see?” and pointed to where the rosary should have ended.

Matty was stunned, and smiled with relief, fresh tears pouring down.

“OK, go finish that. Rina, help him, and go to sleep as soon as you finish,” Mama admonished them, secretly smiling as she closed the door.

It took but a few minutes to finish the project.

“Thank you, Ate.”

“You’re welcome. Did you learn anything tonight?”

“Count the beads?”

“Yes, well, you need to check your project, put it down and look at it as a whole, not just what you see on your hands, right?” And don’t blame your teacher immediately for not giving you enough beads. Most of all, do things early, do not wait until the last minute to do what you need to do or to ask for help. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Ate. And also, do not disturb Mama when she’s already sleeping.”

“Yes, that too. Now go to sleep.”



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