A seahorse's wish

12 years old Grade VI, West City Exceptional Child Learning Center

At a marine sanctuary in Mactan, Cebu, a little blue-striped seahorse named Marco wakes up and admiringly realizes how wonderful his coral home is. Then he remembers something...

“Mom! Dad!” he calls out excitedly.

“Yes, we’re down here,” his parents yell back.

He sprints downstairs, and happily asks, “Mom, Dad, are we pushing through with our picnic?”

“But of course! It’s your birthday today!” his dad assures.

“Yes! We’re going on a picnic on my birthday!” Marco jumps in great joy.

“But come,” his mom butts in, “eat breakfast first and then pack your things.”

Marco obeys and rushes through breakfast. Afterwards, he goes back to his room to pack up.  As soon as he’s all ready, he whistles back downstairs. Then the whole family heads somewhere for their picnic.

When they arrive at another coral reef, the birthday celebrant is overcome with joy to see fishes in different shapes and colors. As soon as everybody settles down, a loud blast rings out. It’s so loud that it momentarily deafens their hearing. In a while they see a red stick nearby – and they all panic. They have seen the same thing before. It’s a dynamite about to explode!

There’s no time to think twice – everyone dashes away to escape the next blast. Marco hops into his father’s pouch for safety. A series of explosions erupt. Then there’s nothing to see but murkiness in the water. As it clears a little, Marco gasps upon seeing the devastation. There is suffering everywhere; many fishes and other sea creatures are wounded. The men on the boat above begin to gather the dead fishes that float up to the water surface.

Marco and all the others who are safe quickly move to evacuate the wounded to a safer place, with his father leading in the effort. After the rescue, Marco looks up and sees the men on the boat laughing for their catch. His parents approach and gestures him home.

As they begin on their way home, Marco’s mother whispers to him. “It’s your birthday today. What did you wish for?”

His sad answer: “I wish humans were kind to us and would not destroy our homes.”