It was a hot, sunny day, around 30 degrees. I was in my school uniform, my brown velvet headband holding back the sweat along my hairline, and my feet stuffed into my flat school shoes that were starting to feel tight from the heat. I sat in the jeepney, pressed between two very different worlds. On my right was Seven, quietly holding my hand, his grip light but certain. On my left, Angel was laughing softly, leaning into her boyfriend, a fourth-year student she met during last year's intramurals. The way she looked at him, so sure, so comfortable, made me wonder if she knew something I didn't.
The jeepney slowed to a stop as the light turned red. A little girl, maybe seven, maybe younger, stepped up to the side, barefoot and sunburnt. She moved down the row of passengers, silently handing out small white envelopes. One landed gently on my lap. "Pambili ng pagkain lang po," the message read in uneven handwriting. Just a few words, but it made something in my chest clench.
At the same time, an old man stood just outside the jeepney, tapping out a beat on a makeshift drum, just a piece of pipe with rubber stretched over it. His hands moved with practiced rhythm, while his mouth added strange, almost birdlike sounds that didn't make sense at first but somehow melted into the rhythm. It was chaotic, loud, and weirdly beautiful.
The sunlight bounced off the metal of his drum, and sweat streamed down his neck. I wondered how long he'd been standing there, repeating the same performance for jeepney after jeepney, hoping for a few coins or a glance of sympathy.
Kinuha ko ang wallet ko sa bag ko at nilagyan ko ng bente pesos gayun din sila Seven. But the guy sitting across us returned the empty envelope and said, "Wala akong pera. Ang hirap kaya maghanap ng pera ngayon!" but almost yelling.
The girl yanked the envelope and rushed outside to his father, maybe. The music stopped. And I could see, the girl was terrified.
"Giving a little amount of money won't make you poor." I said, calmly.
Tumingin ito sa akin at tumingin rin ako sa kanya. The jeepney started moving again with a jolt, but my eyes stayed fixed on him.
There was something about the way he looked, so put together in the middle of everything. He wore a light blue shirt, the word Penshoppe stitched neatly on the left side of his chest. His jeans were slim, hugging his legs in that way that only guys who paid attention to fit could pull off. And his shoes, espadrilles, clean, still holding their shape, ooked like they hadn't walked too far today.
Resting on his lap was a Jollibee take-out bag, still warm from the way the steam clung to the plastic. Maybe it was the contrast. The old man outside, sweating through his song for a few coins. The little girl with her envelope. And then him, fresh, full, and fed, sitting just a few feet away like they didn't share the same sun.
I wasn't judging. Just observing. Curious, maybe. About where he was going. Or what he was thinking as he stared out the other side, never once meeting my eyes.
"Paki mo kung ayaw kong magbigay ng pera?I don't tolerate shit people doing modus." Partly, he was right. May iba naman kasi, ginawang modus ang panghihingi ng pera.
"Pwede mo naman sanang binigay sa bata ang dala mong pagkain." Seven squeezed my hand to warn me to stop when people inside the jeepney started looking at us.
"If you think it's a modus, at least give them food or refuse nicely. They would understand you better than you understand them." and partly I'm right.
"Hoy bata! Wag na wag mo akong pakialam sa gusto kong gawin sa kanila. Dapat maghanap sila ng trabaho para di sila magutom!" pointing at me with his middle finger and gritted-teeth.
"Let us say ikaw ang boss, ,mag-aapply si ate na katabi mo at si manong kanina, sino iha-hire mo?Knowing that man has no educational background?" hindi siya sumagot but I could tell his mumbling at me.
"Stop it." Seven whispered.
Due to discomfort, he got off the jeepney with his ego.
Sometimes, it's easy to judge person through his/her appearance but most of the time, they were misjudged. Being kind to anyone is too difficult to do. It is not a responsibility or compulsory, it is voluntary. Kindness,despite being voluntary, a few of us knows its worth.
After that incident, ginawa ko ang lahat makita lang si manong at ang batang yun. I was hopeless at first but God taught me the way to them. I found them outside the church selling candles and sampaguita.
"Kuya ,magkano po?" I asked.
"Bente pesos po, tatlo ma'am." He was so kind.
"Magkano naman yan baby girl?"
"5 pesos po ate." I bought all of them, offered it to the church after. Tapos binalikan ko sila sa labas.
"Gusto mo ng trabaho manong?" Tumingin lang siya sa akin habang niligpit ang kanilang gamit.
"Sa tandang ko 'to maam malabong may tatanggap sa akin. Hindi rin ako nakapagtapos. Kaya nga ito nalang ang ginawa ko maam. Nagtitinda ng kandila at sampaguita mabuti nalang malaki ang naipon namin sa pamamalimus at may pang imvest kami. Pagod narin po akong mamalimus at masakit po sa kalooban na ang baba ng tingin ng mga tao sayo." malungkot niyang kwento.
"Akong bahala manong." I smiled and he flashed a huge smile on his face.
He work now in my father's little company as a janitor. And the little girl, who turns out to be his adopted daughter, goes to school and they live in their new tiny house .
I was not required to do it but I felt the need of doing it when God made me as his instrument to do an act of kindness because when you can't get any miracle, you can still be a miracle to someone else.
"Sir, inutusan ako ng daddy mong bumili ng prutas para kay maam Abby."
"Salamat manong."
"Kumusta po si maam Abby?" I become so weak and my brain doesn't want to cooperate with my body anymore. It's affecting my brain.
"Hindi po siya okay manong." sagot ni kuya.
"Pwede ko ba siyang makausap?"
"Sure. Lalabas na muna ako manong."I heard kuya's footsteps leaving the room. Lumapit sa akin si Manong at hinawakan ang kamay ko, so gentle.
"Maam Abby." I opened my eyes.
"M..ma.nong Ju..n." I breathed heavily. Tumingin ako sa kanya. He knew I would be out of breath anytime. He knew I will leave them that soon.
"Maam... Naalala mo ba ang panahong walang-wala ako? Ikaw yung unang taong lumapit at nagbigay ng tulong sa amin ni Jea na hinding-hindi ko makakalimutan. Binago mo ang buhay namin maam. Binago niyo ng pamilya mo. Napakasarap sa pakiramdam na ibinigay ka ng diyos sa amin. Lagi ko noon pinagdarasal sa diyos na bigyan niya kami ng himala. Ikaw ang binigay niya sa amin maam.Maam nangyari ang lahat ng ito 'di dahil hindi ka niya mahal kundi dahil napakamabuti mong tao at deserve mo sa tabi niya. Kahit kinalimutan mo ang diyos minsan, pinapatawad ka parin ng diyos. Tiwala lang tayo sa plano ng diyos para sa atin dahil hindi naman ginagawa niya ang lahat ng 'to sa wala lang. Napakalaki ang naibahagi mo sa buhay ng ibang tao. Magtiwala ka maam, magiging okay din ang lahat." He smiled and I cried.
The old man with a plastic pipe drum made me remember God again. Though, I still couldn't see God's plan and it didn't make sense to me. All I have to do is ...
"Trust his way."
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How was it po? Sorry for wrong typos and wrong grammar structures. Hehe. Taglish na muna guys. :)
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10 Days Before I Meet God
General Fiction"I wanna question his capability of saving lives but I will not; instead I will worship him even more." -Abby
