The Jerk at the Terminal

My friend is a tricycle driver. Though he loves being a driver, he wouldn’t do it if he has a choice. I understand him, of course. Being a tricycle driver is difficult. It is tiring, it feels hot, it feels cold, it can be dangerous and a lot more. But then again, if you have no choice, then, just accept being a driver and be a good one.

So, my friend got irked when another driver approached him asking if he has smaller bills for a one hundred pesos. He said he had and handed the driver one fifty peso bill, two twenty peso bill and a ten peso coin. The driver took the money and left..

He didn’t come back.. at all. He took the money with him but didn’t give my friend back the one hundred peso bill. My friend waited. He waited until noon, then afternoon, then evening, but no… the driver just simply forgot to give him back his one hundred pesos.

Knowing how my friend worked for that money, I felt bad for him. But I also know that it wasn’t actually the money that irked him a lot, it was the attempt to outsmart him. It was the conscious effort to make a fool out of him. It was the malicious intent to rob him of his hard earned money.

Well, what can I say but there are a lot of jerks in the neighborhood..

Life Isn't Easy

Arman* and Julia* had been married for nearly 20 years. Without tertiary education, it had been difficult for both of them to get a job. Eventually, Arman found work as a porter in a wet market. Julia, however, didn’t find any, which was for the better as she had to stay home to take care of the kids.

Things seem to be going well. But then, Arman developed an ugly vice, drinking. Half of what he earned went to the bottle. Moreover, Julia developed an even uglier vice, card betting, and that in addition to the expanding family.

A few years after the birth of their 6th child, Arman got sick. He got it from too much alcohol. Julia was too distracted to find work. Then, she became pregnant for their 7th child.

What to do?

The family had to interfere. Arman’s parents helped him to get proper medication. And when the baby came out, the family decided to put the child up for adoption. With Arman under medication and Julia out of focus, the family sought for a distant relative who, they believe, would take care of the baby as if it were his own. Fortunately, they found one. He was a cousin who wasn’t blessed with a child of his own. He and his wife took the baby in.

That was 2 years ago. The baby has grown up to be a healthy child. Arman has gotten well and is now back to work. I just hope that Julia would get cured of her card betting and start thinking of her family.

*not real name

Don't EVER Drink and Drive

Last Christmas, my friend had the traditional drinking session with his buddies back home. Naturally, they got drunk. One of his drinking buddies tried to borrow my friend's motorcycle but since they were all drunk, he refused.

The night wore on and my friend got so drunk he fell asleep. He woke up late in the afternoon with a splitting headache. But there was worse than his throbbing temple. His motorcycle was gone and so was his key.

He was gripped with fear, and in his mind he begged the Lord not to let whatever was in his mind happen. But the arrival of a grim-faced friend was almost a confirmation.

As my friend feared, his drinking buddy stole his key from his pocket, rode his motorcycle and crashed against a checkpoint. He was taken to the nearest hospital but was transferred to another, bigger one because of the severity of his injuries. The motorcycle was a total wreck.

Though I am thankful that it wasn't my friend who had an accident I felt sad and bad for his drinking buddy. He should've known better than to drink and drive..

The Most Assuming Guy.. EVER!

We’ve been living in our subdivision for exactly 11 years now. We moved her on February 2003. So, not surprisingly we have numerous acquaintances as is common in an ordinary community.

Among our ‘nickname-basis’ acquaintances is Don*.Well, as far as I know, Don is known around the subdivision because he is a tricycle driver, so, chances are, most of the residents know him by face.

But one thing I noticed about Don is that, he is very friendly and he assumes that he is close to everyone, especially girls. He has a habit of greeting someone and talking to her as if they are grade school classmates that sort of thing.

I also learned from others that he has a habit of hugging a ‘friend’ as he greets her with overly enthusiastic and exaggeratedly cordial '’Friend!!” which is how he calls everyone.

But on New Year’s Day, as he was waiting for passengers outside the church, he actually saw an acquaintance and as is his habit, he approached and hugged the ‘friend’ in his usual sunshiny tone. But the warmth in his voice was stopped short by the icy palm of his friend on his face. He was, in short, well.. slapped.

He immediately got on his tricycle on drove home. He never showed up for the rest of the day.

Well.. Isn’t he assuming or what?

*not real name

When Water Gets Thicker Than Blood

Fernan* is the youngest of 8 children. Their father was an austere and tough man who believed everything could be settled by fist fights. Uneducated but hardworking, the old man did not send all his children to college and none except the one who supported herself for a higher education made it through tertiary level.

When the old man got too old to work in the fields, his children began to fight among themselves over the big parcel of land their father has accumulated through hard work. So, the old man decided to divide the land. As soon as he got his part, each sibling turned his back on his family and went on with his own life, including Fernan.

All of them did well except for Berto* who happened to be a little sickly and therefore physically weak. When problem arises, Berto would try to ask help from his siblings who were willing to help him out as long as he would give them back whatever he borrowed. Berto tried, but somehow he failed to pay his siblings back so they turned their backs on him.

Then, a few years back, Fernan got sick. He needed an operation but he didn't have enough cash. He approached his much wealthier siblings who were willing to lend him money IF he would give his land as collateral for the loan. Fernan had no choice but to accept his siblings' condition. He needed to get well so that he could support his family.

That was a few years ago. Fernan is now completely recovered from his illness but his land is lost altogether to his siblings who are now enjoying the fruits of their brother's land.

I don't know but there is something sad about this. And the worst part? They are my distant relatives.

*not real name

A Little Bit of Tact

I know several people who have issues concerning tact. I, myself, have problems controlling what comes out of my mouth every now and then. But compared when I was in my 20s, I think longer now before I talk which saves me a lot of embarrassing situations.

So, when I heard about Mr. Naga*, an old and stern preacher, I felt vindicated(?) well, better off. Mr. Naga is a severe and very outspoken preacher who felt it his Christian duty to remind each and every one of his or her fault, IN PUBLIC.

It was for this reason that my cousin, Rica* started to miss masses. She felt that he was picking on her. Then, Rica started having marital problems which led to a painful separation and which was aggravated by her miscarriage. Rica nursed her bruised and bleeding heart by refraining to talk about it with anyone except her family.

Then one day, Mr. Naga came and asked about her condition. It seems a very sweet and humane gesture.. at first. Because before he left, Mr.Naga said that Rica’s separation from her husband and her miscarriage were punishment for all her sins.

Rica hasn’t set her foot on the church again until now.

 *not real name

No Record

My aunt has been living in the United States for decades now. She helped me and my cousins through college and helped my sister come to the US as well.

Last year, my aunt suddenly decided to try to file a petition for her siblings to come live with her in the US. It was such a marvelous idea my cousins sprang up to apply for their parents’ passports. But the promising world came crashing down on them when they learned their parents have no birth certificates.

Well, how did it happen that two old men near their sixties don’t have any proof of their birth?

It seems like, during that time, women usually gave birth at home and not in hospitals. As soon as the baby came out, the local midwife would ask a neighbor who was going to town to ‘have’ the baby registered at the municipal hall. Now, if this neighbor was not able to do it because he had his hands full of errands and forgot to mention the little detail to the mother, the truth would stay undiscovered until such time as this, getting a passport.

Quite common but undeniably annoying, this is an issue that we can only solve by late registration.

To avoid such inconvenience, I got copies of my children’s birth certificates early on to make sure there was no mistake in names, birthdates, names of parents and so on. Because it may sound funny if it happens to other people but seriously inconvenient when it happens to you..