Deema’s Birthday! – International Human Rights Day is Miss Deema’s birthday
The United Nations general assembly created the High Commission on Human Rights and started celebrating December 10 as International Human Rights Day in 1948. That’s the summary of my lecture for the evening, so I wrote it down on an index card. Now I just need a good intro, and the easiest way to do it is to fish the intro out of the mouth of my law students.
“Mr. Juan Dimacaawat….?”
“Adaak, sir.” My student from Mankayan, who is the son of a retired miner, was unusually glum and sad-looking.
“What’s the matter, Johnny Cash? Who died?” I asked jokingly, curious why this normally jovial fellow was less than his usual self this evening.
“I am alright, sir. I’m ready to recite.” He answered softly like he was signaling some need for personal space, so I backed off.
“Juan, it’s December the tenth, does that date signify anything to you?” I asked. I always emphasize to my students that dates are important. Your life is only affected by law from the day it takes effect, not a day before and ALL days thereafter.
“It’s three days after the treacherous attack on Pearl Harbor, sir.”
NOT the answer I was looking forward to, which I needed to somehow twist around and use to introduce the lesson I prepared for the evening. But I decided to run with it anyway.
“Right. Pearl Harbor. That’s a…uh…really sad and unfortunate event in the world’s history…” I was really treading water, more than anything. It’s a good thing Juan’s answer apparently wasn’t complete.
“It took them three days to account for all fatalities, or until December 10, sir. 1,177 US sailors had their lives brutally ended in one of the worst single occasion of multiple human rights violations, sir.” Now he’s talking! Just a little bit more of push and maybe I can get the answer I’m dying to hear.
“That’s right, Juan. That’s why December 10 is really such a fateful day, isn’t it?” I cued the fellow.
“Oh, yes, sir! Being only two days after the Feast of the Immaculate Concepcion, it’s a day to meditate on the sanctity of life and how even God Himself thought it appropriate to insert His only begotten son into human history through the womb of a sanctified woman!” Juan gushed.
So close, I thought. My, that was so close.
“Feast of Immaculate Concepcion? Of course, Juan…don’t we all just love Mama Mary. I mean, for a woman to care so much about all of humanity, and to recognize that we all need to be protected from the injustice of universal evil, well, that’s really something. And that’s why December 10 is really a perfect day to dedicate to a noble purpose like that, right Juan?” I thought to myself if this jerk still doesn’t get it, I’m going to hurl a blackboard eraser at him to concretize his experience of what a human rights violation looks like.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, sir! Mahina po kasi ang pick up hehehe…thank you for the noble clue sir….” Juan said and I could breathe easier.
“On December 10, 1901 the Nobel Peace Prize was established in Sweden! This year, the honor went to a WOMAN from the Philippines, Maria Ressa who is a staunch advocate of press freedom, sir!” Juan said proudly, with a sidewink to Deema sitting beside him to the right.
I’m gonna hold on to that eraser a little longer.
“Nobel Peace Prize! Yes, Juan, we don’t want to overlook that, do we?” I said, visualizing my lecture for the evening like a swamped boat drifting farther and farther away from shore.
“But I’ll have you know, class, that if there ever was a woman who deserved a Nobel prize, it would be Maria Ressa. RAPPLER, the news organization that she pioneered has been in the forefront of championing the HUMAN RIGHTS of marginalized sectors, she is the voice of little people who cannot speak for themselves. That’s why I’m glad there is a day like December 10 when we could remember the worthy cause of outspoken women like Ressa. That’s why December 10 is what, Mr Dimacaawat?”
I was totally sure he would hit the bullseye this time. It’s taken him long enough.
“December 10, 1869 was the day Women’s Suffrage was first instituted in America, sir! Women were allowed to vote for the first time! So that all the worthy women that Miss Maria Ressa symbolizes should have their voice heard in the policy formulation of democratic governments all over the world!” Juan said glowingly.
I think I’m gonna have a heart attack. Although, I admit, women’s suffrage is essential to human rights development.
“Ahhh..yeah…women’s suffrage. That…uh…that IS important, Juan,” I said while thinking to myself whoever said the Socratic method of teaching gives the teacher full control doesn’t have a clue!
“And you know Juan, it’s because of the women’s vote that many landmark legislations have been made to promote HUMAN RIGHTS, especially the highest of all HUMAN RIGHTS, which is the right to life. So, on a day such as today, December 10, what more fitting rememberance of UNIVERSAL THINGS could there be, Juan, except to think of this day as the day when…?”
“The International…”
I held my breath, he’s going to say it!
“…Metric System of measurements was first adopted, sir! It made it easier to do measuring calculations because, unlike the English foot with 12 inches, the METER had ten decimeters, and each decimeter had 10 centimeters, and each centimeter had 10 millimeters, and—”
“Okay, okay, Juan, we get it!” I said. I swear to God, I REALLY thought about hurling that blackboard eraser but I just thought, well, even Michael Jordan or Lebron James probably have their “off nights” too.
“Let me just help you there a little bit, Mr. Dimacaawat. What I’m really trying hard to fish out of you is that December 10 is an important date, a very significant occasion for international law, because it is….?”
“The day carbon paper was invented, sir?”
“Try, again, Juan…”
“The day the BIC Ballpen company was established , sir?”
“Try again Juan. maybe the third time’s the charm.”
“Is it sliced bread, sir? December 10 was the day loafbread first came out? Lawyers love bread!”
“Not THAT kind. Mr. Juan Dimacaawat, are you annoying me on purpose, or is it a gift you were born with?”
“I have no clue, sir?”
“Yeah, I noticed,” I said finally reaching my breaking point. I banged the blackboard, “can anybody PLEASE tell me what DECEMBER 10 IS??! ANYBODY?!!”
What happened next, I would never have seen coming. Not in a million years. My whole Alpha Section class stood up and together shouted, “December 10! DEEMA’S BIRTHDAY!!!”
Then all hell broke loose. They all started loudly singing, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!” in ten different keys. Then the door suddenly swung open, and several strangers wearing T-shirts with the word “GRAB” on them barged into the classroom carrying boxes of pizza, several six-packs of Diet Coke…I have totally lost control (I’m sorry, Socrates!) So I just sat back and watched the pandemonium. I am the picture of a defeated teacher.
Then somebody started chanting, “Speech! Speech!” and before long, everybody joined in the taunting “We want speech! We want speech!”
I looked at Deema who was blushing, and said, “Well, Miss Deema, I absolutely disclaim any responsibility for any of this. But I do agree maybe a short speech from the celebrant is in order?”
The darling of the class stepped up to the front of the classroom and began her speech, “Thank you all so very much from the bottom of my heart,” then he got hold of Mr. Dimacaawat and yanked him to the front with her, “and Juan, I know you’re paying for all of this from your big jueteng winnings yesterday, so thank you so much to you, too!” the whole class was laughing and clapping and giving each other high-fives.
So THAT’S why Juan was glum. He was picking up the tab! Then Deema banged the blackboard hard several times signaling for everybody to be quiet.
“To our professor—Sir, we apologize in behalf of Juan for giving you such a hard time, but just so you know we we’re really all just conspiring to annoy you but we really understand what you were trying to drive at—what is December 10, classmates?”
The while class shouted, “INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY!!!”
I was deeply touched. It seems like I was NOT a defeated teacher after all. So I took my turn to speak.
I grabbed hold of Deema’s hand. I raised her hand and put her palm high against the blackboard. Then I slowly pulled her hand down, dragging her fingers across the blackboard until her sweaty hands traced a smear mark across the half-erased chalk.
It reminded everybody of the steamy scene in the movie Titanic where Kate Winslet did that in the backseat of a car in the ship’s cargo hold with Leonardo DiCaprio. It drove the whole class deliriously laughing.
That’s when I said my line, “Miss Deema, in front of everybody here tonight, I want you to listen to what I’m about to say and I want you to keep it safe in your heart from this day forward…”
“Yes, professor?” Deema said as the whole class held their breath
“Miss Deema, from the bottom of my heart, I want you to know that I—” the class sighed a very soft “Oooooh…!”
“—am…the…only…one…ever allowed to bang this blackboard, DO YOU UNDERSTAND??!”
The whole class burst into laughter, and I gently shoved Deema back to stand beside Jack.
Then more GRAB errand boys arrived with spaghetti, ice cream and…is that a bottle of champagne??
And the party REALLY began.
About the Author
The author is a writer and lawyer based in Baguio City, Philippines. Former editor of the Gold Ore and Baguio City Digest, professor of journalism, political science and law at Baguio Colleges Foundation (BCF). He is a photographer and video documentarist. He has a YouTube channel called “Parables and Reason”
About Images: Some of the images used in the articles are from the posts in Atty. Joel Rodriguez Dizon’s Facebook account, and/or Facebook groups and pages he manages or/and member of.