But there's no neighbor!

Dr Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature School on Blog

What is missing in this painting?

"Let's draw a house. Each his own."

The children drew and drew: 
posts, walls, stair window, door;
cheek on palm, eyelids moving; 
garden, swimming pool, patio;
twirling a pencil, added: 
trees, mountain, cloud, sun. 

"Here!" They showed their own houses.

"There's something missing."

Back to the drawing board, pondered:
birds in the sky and in trees singing.

"Here," they showed again their houses.

"There's still something missing.
Would you like to live in your houses?"

Silence. 
Fingers moved, lips tightened:
more lines, shades, colors, now with flowers.

"Here," they showed once more their houses.

"But there's still one thing missing."

Silence.

A little girl in a corner drew and drew:
a house nearby, people around.

She showed her house.

The children chorused: Neighbor! ~

*LESSON on former Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid (People's School-on-Air) with Ms Melly C Tenorio 738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class Monday to Friday