When Joni first came to Stairway in year 2000, he was with a group of street kids who came down with Medecin San Frontiers. They participated in one of the very first Youth for Change Camps. Joni was 15 then and quite thin, but he had an air about him that said: I am somebody.
After the week-long stay, the children were given the chance to become residents in Stairway, provided that they could stay in a center for one month without going back to the streets. All of the kids succeeded in staying put, except for Joni. Nevertheless, when the children returned to Stairway, he was with them. When we learned that Joni did not keep his promise like the other children, we asked him, “Why?” He said: “I did not want to be in a center in Manila. I just want to be in Stairway.”
15 years later, Kuya Joni has managed to turn his life around for the better. He is a veteran actor in Stairway’s longest running play called Cracked Mirrors. He’s a rapper, a child advocate, and he is houseparent to the children in Stairway, sharing the position with his wife, Gellie. Kuya Joni also knows the streets of Manila very well and when the Danish film maker, Mikala Krogh needed a guide, Kuya Joni was the man for the job.
One day, while filming at the entrance of the cemetery, Joni felt that it was not a good idea for Mikala and her film crew to go inside. He was afraid for their safety and the expensive equipment they were carrying. Instead, Joni offered to do the filming for them with a small hand held camera. The cemetery was familiar territory to Joni. As a child, he had lived in the public graveyard, where old tombs have been converted into bedrooms and stalls. While filming, Joni got the notion to seek out his mother’s grave site to pay his respects.
As he walked past boys playing basketball, he encountered a woman carrying a basin full of laundry; Joni introduced himself as the son of Cecile, his mother’s name. He asked the woman where he could find his mother’s grave site. Astonished, the woman smiled broadly at Joni and said: “Cecile is not dead. She is here. Alive!” Joni was in shock. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The woman took Joni to his mother. As he approached the mausoleum-cum-house where his mother dwell, he could hear her voice. She was laughing. When she turned and saw Joni, she burst into tears. The two embraced. Joni asked, “Why?” Amidst all of the hugs and tears, Joni remembered the film crew he had left outside at the gate and promised his mother that he would return the next day.
Back at the cemetery, Cecile told Joni the truth about her fake death. It was her partner, Tolay, a notorious drug addict and pusher who had put that horrible lie into Joni’s head. He had told him that his mother had died from breast cancer.
Upon hearing this, Joni’s mind swirled. He felt angry and wanted to kill Tolay. But instead, Joni kept his cool. He took a deep breath and said, “I love you. I want your decision. My life is very different than before. You can stay with me, but no Tolay. I have land, a house, and a family.” Cecile nodded and agreed to visit her son.
Finally together for the first time in nine years, Cecile emerged from the cemetery and crossed the wide sea to visit her son here in Mindoro. She stayed with Joni and his family for several weeks. He introduced her to his family: his lovely wife, Gellie, and their beautiful 5 year old daughter, Asia. Cecil felt at home with them, but after a month, she missed her life in the cemetery and wanted to go back to Manila be with Tolay. But before returning, Joni brought Cecil over to visit us in Stairway. She is a small woman with a very big smile. She covers her mouth when she laughs to hide her missing teeth. Cecil wears a Stairway tee-shirt that says: Every Human has Rights. Will anyone in the cemetery take notice of the message?
A few weeks has passed since Joni’s mother went back to Manila. They call each other often and in one phone conversation, Joni has learned that his mother has tuberculosis.
Joni has promised to help her with the treatment provided she leaves the cemetery.