When God's name was Rhona
By TON SISON

The eight-year-old girl feels the stinging hot wind on her face. Amid the shadows, the raging fire looks like an evil dragon devouring everything that crosses its path. Today, the little ramshackle hut in front of her is about to be the monster's final meal. But this is not just any hut, this is the place she calls home. And home it is; five of her siblings are still in it. Her heart whispers, "No one could save them...no one except you." But her head argues. "The fire will burn you alive." In that frantic moment, the little girl listens to her heart.

The next few scenes follow like a dream sequence. A tiny figure darts into the blaze and, after a few seconds, comes out of it carrying in her arms a child, not quite smaller than herself. The same scene is replayed five times - the tiny figure darts back to the burning hut and comes out of it with yet another child in hand. Moment's later, five young children are alive and well, but painful third degree burns map huge areas of their rescuer's tiny body. This was the cost no one but the brave little girl was willing to pay. And, as if that weren't enough, it takes sixteen agonizing hours, mostly by foot, before she and her mother finally reach the nearest hospital.

Rhona Mahilum of Sagay, Negros Occidental, at age eight, singlehandedly saves five lives and almost loses her own. A trial by fire. But she emerges as pure gold. A hero's welcome ensues later in Manila. Cash rewards, politicians' speeches, scholarships, media hype, all these amount to nothing compared to the great inspiration she lent to millions of Filipinos through her courage,determination and love. At that moment, she was the "little Christ."

Once in a blue moon, when everyone's too busy getting a life--boom--it happens. A solitary soul stands up to proclaim: Emmanuel ---God is with us. A filipino nanni in Hong Kong named Basilisia gets run over by a truck while rescuing her young ward. A cabbie named Emilio returns millions of US dollars from a bag left in his taxi by a passenger. And we all get a big whack on the head. We begin to relize that we're on the wrong side of life---the dark, indifferent, selfish side. When I'm in a fix and I'm not up to being pleasant and kind (welcome to the club), I remember that scene, that one moment, when a cruel blaze annihilated a tiny hut, but failed to destroy the love and dignity of one little girl. I remember that particular time...when God's name was Rhona. Then, I realize that it's a wonderful thing to be alive.

Take the cue from Rhona. It doesn't have to be something grand in scale. You can keep it small and and sincere. Little things with lots of love.