All about Nikki
By Charis Bo E. Bacolod  Time
has come to pass and it seems like only yesterday when I was in my grandparent's
room with my sister Phoebe trying to sleep. It was early afternoon and
we were about to have our afternoon nap, it was required of us then.
We tried hard enough but we couldn't.There was something about that afternoon, that certain day. That certain day was filled with energy. Everyone was buzzing around awaiting the arrival of a certain someone soon to be a new member of the family. You see, a few days before, on the morn of August 18 th , 1989, a very special person came to this world. When I first saw her, the first thing that came to my mind was that she was so much like a doll! Deep set brown eyes and rosebud lips set on a skin so fair and topped with curly brown hair. Everyone was gushing about her. She was a dream. And a dream did she pursue. She grew up constantly pursuing something. She always sets a goal for herself. Writing about her, it's easier to remember how she grew up, how she lived her life by recounting all that she has achieved, from the little things to the big things. And for the record, everything that she has achieved so far, she got it with flying colors. One night, just past her toddler years, daddy was looking for the remote control. Nikki, with her big brown eyes, was silently watching daddy. While looking, our father told Nikki jokingly if she would be able to look for the remote. Our father never thought she would get up and find it but she did and she found it. That same night, a proud father told the rest of the family how Nikki, young and small that she was, found the remote control while he, older, wasn't able to think of other places where to find it. Around that same age, Nikki was intent on following what we, her elder sisters were up to. We were fond of creating huge bubbles with bubble gums and I guess it got Nikki's interest. She was soon asking us for bubble gums and pleading for us to teach her. She was so intent on getting it that even when sleeping, her empty mouth was chewing and would then form a tiny ‘o', as if she was blowing. She never stopped practicing until she was better than us. Still around that same age, since we were also fond of riding bikes, she also wanted to learn how to ride a bike. So our parents bought her a bicycle fit for her size. But since she knew that we would all be out during the day, Phoebe and I in school while Nikki is left with our grandparents with no one around to teach her how to bike, she resorted to waking daddy up really early in the morning wanting him to teach her. Daddy, still groggy from sleep, doesn't have any choice but to get up since his youngest daughter happens to be very “makulit.” To this day, she rides the bike better than us.  Then,
with Nikki at the age of 5, we all watched our cousin swim in a competition
in our hometown. She was so awed with our cousin who won all the events
that she decided to learn how to swim. Our mother enrolled all 3 of
us in a swimming program soon after the competition. During our first
day, Phoebe and I were quite hesitant but Nikki was bouncing from excitement.
Months later, we all got through the basic and intermediate training
and moved on to the competitive level. Still quite slow, and since I
was the eldest, I had a more rigorous training compared to my sisters.
While I was huffing and puffing in my lane, Nikki was whistling in another
lane while clutching a kickboard and kicking her way down the length
of the pool, back and forth. Years went by and we got faster. But the
faster you are and the older you are, the more rigorous the training
will be. While I was anxious about the day's impending training, Nikki
would be all fired up, ready for a challenge, which is really typical
of her. Years later, she was already representing the country in swimming.Just how determined is she really? I'll tell you this for an answer. In swimming, beating records, even your own, is a step up or a milestone accomplished for a swimmer and it's not very easy. Milliseconds count. So what Nikki did was write down the times she had to beat and paste it on the wall beside her bed so that every morning, when she wakes up, she sees it and it conditions her mind. That's how focused she is. 
Nikki is very good with time management. Her daily schedule before she
came here was to swim twice a day 4 times a week. The rest of the days,
workouts would only be in the evening, and in the morning for Saturday.
Except Sunday of course. Then go to school during the day. How does
she study? She simply wakes up earlier. And she does get up. And if
she can still handle it, she'll study after workout in the evening.
If she has enough time, she studies before she swims in the evening.
And she managed to get good grades, stay as one of the top students
in class.She also took up piano lessons. This time, it's me she wakes up early in the morning so that I can teach her. She would drag me out of bed, onto the piano. She likes to observe and listen first how I play a certain piece and then she follows how. And she'll keep on repeating it until she gets it which is good practice for a musician really. But before I forget, there was also a time when she took ballet and jazz lessons. Very observant and very cute in tights and leotards, she did get through it. She jumped as high as her little feet would let her and twirled as fast as her tiny body would allow her. This girl can also dance. Now, she has a lot going for her. Her dedication, strong will and perseverance has took her to places. Right now, she is on the brink of achieving one of her dreams. And I have faith that she will. Knowing her, I know she will. |