3) Andrea (From) Affine Tree Poem by Otradom Pelogo

Date: January 11,1996
Time: 15: 30

I have lately noticed Andrea; the girl next door who is about twelve years old. Because whether she knows it or not, she is going through a very trying phase that will set the pace for a very long time. Over the last year, her attitude, which usually comes with the sign that a young lady is maturing, had begun to change drastically. Whether her mom is enforcing it, or she realizes that it's something she must do herself, it is what I consider somewhat remarkable. The effort whether difficult or not, will determine things like her self-esteem, personality, attitude towards life, and how she handles diverse matters.

You can usually tell a lot, just by looking at or talking to a person just for a few seconds, or at least what you need to know to remember them for the next time. The last couple of times I saw her is what captured my attention; sometimes when children or the youth see adults passing by, their attitudes somewhat change a little; extending more courtesy for a few seconds until they pass by; not that their doing anything wrong; sometimes they express themselves differently when their with cohorts. She had been there for a couple of years; and had noticed her; almost watched her grow up somewhat; reach puberty; mature into adolescence.

So I somewhat knew her disposition, temperament, attitude. Regardless; I always say hello; sometimes they're too involved in playing. Yet one day I passed by and saw her standing out in front of the apartment and said hello; with a smile; she said hello back. It made somewhat of an impression on me; a nice day I thought, so I noticed it and forgot it. The next time I saw her, she spoke to me and said hello; and I asked her how she was doing, and she replied ‘OK‘. Again it impressed me; because usually I see them playing or talking to one another; indulged into their own affairs, with the extra effort to reply back to a greeting in passing. So I began to wonder more; not sure why; yet noticed that her clothes had changed; compared to the clothes of a young lady running in the yard, that concentrated greeting remained the same from the last time I saw her; and the pieces that added up to a young lady maturing appeared also.

By this time I was already in my room when I was intensely thinking about it, and like the last time, forgot about it also. The next time I passed by, it was the same young lady I had seen the previous times, so I stopped to talk to her for a minute or two. I wasn't sure what to talk to her about; at twelve or thirteen; school would be a dominant and safe conversation to talk about; which she replied that she was doing well. The conversation lasted no more than five or ten minutes, as she stood there nicely dressed; even her hair I noticed was quite nicely fixed. Answering each question I asked, while seeming to be in a good mood also; I left with a wonderful feeling, not only of the young lady called Andrea; but of every young lady and gentleman her age; going through the storm and stress of adolescence, and trying to handle it better than appropriate.

(Date & Time) 01/11/96