So before I went home after class, I passed by from a street food stall where an old man was serving. Since the stall is also serving sliced mangoes, I bought one to satisfy my cravings.
Another customer came after me, and she's wearing a uniform that something I don't know but I feel it that she's rich. She also ordered sliced mangoes and since the man is old and weak, he couldn't sliced the mangoes fastly and I could feel that the teacher became impatient while waiting her order.
The old man finished slicing my mangoes and I was shocked when the teacher claimed my order but then the old man grabbed those mangoes from her hands and gave it back to me.
"Sorry, Ma'am pero siya po ang nauna," the old man said.
The woman looked embarrassed and anger painted across her face.
"Ang tanda mo na pero ang bastos mo!" she yelled at the old man, still infuriating in anger.
"Kaya kong bilhin ang lahat ng paninda niyo manong kung gugustuhin ko! I've never been disrespected like this in my entire life! Akala mo kung sino ka eh hamak na taga tinda ka lang naman ng mumurahing pagkain sa kalye," she shrieked.
The old man became silent and he bowed down his head in shame.
I couldn't help but to interfere.
"Ma'am, he just did what is right. At kung kaya mo pa lang bilhin lahat 'to, dapat hindi ka na lang dito bumili," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
"Kung sanay po kayo na kayo ang unang siniserbisyuhan, then this is not the place for you," I added.
Now, she's facing me.
"At ikaw na bata ka, sumasagot-sagot ka pa! Walang modo!"
"My mother taught me to respect elders not unless when you give me a reason not to. Just because you are older, doesn't mean you deserve respect. Your age and your status aren't tickets to belittle those who are below you. Just because you are older than me, does not mean that you are better than me. You are a fallible human being. Treat me with respect and you will be treated as such in return and vice versa," I uttered and tears began to form at the edge of my eyes.
The woman became speechless, can't find a word to utter and she then walked out right away.
The old man thanked me and I saw droplets of tears in his eyes.
I realized that he gave those mangoes at me, who ordered first maybe because he knows how it feels being treated unfairly by the society just because of the social status he has.
