My P100 Was Not Enough
We, my family, were on Starbucks (in Robinsons Otis) earlier just drinking coffee and eating stuff at around 2PM. We went there just so we can get some rest from all the things that we did for the tedious 36 hours that just passed. We were just talking about random stuff over coffee and donuts. At one point during the conversation, I realized that I’ve never experienced celebrating Christmas on a rainy day before so I asked them if they’ve experienced one when I was not born yet. They haven’t. I looked up at the sky and the nimbus clouds are forming, I thought it would be my first rainy Christmas, but to my dismay, it did not. Not that I wanted it to rain, I just wanted to break the no-rain-during-Christmas-streak. (And oh, my family lives in the heart of Metro Manila, just in case you’re wondering about the weather on our place).
From that question, we continued the conversation talking about the differences between the past Christmas celebrations and the one that we just had this year. I think we all agreed that presents are harder to come by this year. Case in point, no one aside from my family and Beth (which I consider family as well) gave me presents this Christmas. It’s not like we’re counting the presents we’re giving and receiving, it’s just an obvious thing which is not very hard to descry. My dad also noticed that there were less number of kids who did caroling now compared to the previous years, he thinks that the “Just go back on the 24th” response scared them. And so we went on and on talking about those stuff which, if you sum up, only means that the past Christmas celebrations were better than this one. I don’t mean to be crass, but it’s somehow true. Life in the Philippines is getting harder and harder everyday.
It was 2:30PM when I told them that I’m going to Alabang to meet with Beth and attend an afternoon Christmas service with her (different story), and that I need to leave in a minute. So I just gave my mom my unfinished doughnut, kissed her and my dad goodbye, wrapped my coffee-cup with paper-napkin, and left the mall. The main road is just in front of the mall, I crossed it and tried calling a cab. After a minute or so, I was already on my way to Taft.
Inside the cab, I was just being OC with the paper-napkin wrapped around my coffee-cup when the driver started a conversation with a ”Merry Christmas, sir”. In my head I was like “Okay, I just hope you’re not one of those people who uses the occasion to ask for a tip.” I hate cab drivers like that, if you’re blatantly asking for a tip, you’re missing the whole point of giving tips. Good thing, well I don’t know if it’s actually a good thing or not, he’s not like that. “Merry Christmas din, kuya. Kamusta po ang Pasko ninyo?” I replied. I don’t like conversation dead-ends, so as much as possible, I try to end my responses with interrogatives or with totally-dumb-to-the-point-of-being-self-deprecating remarks, some people find it funny. But for some strange reason, my words just lingered inside the cab for 5 seconds or so before he answered my question ”Hindi okay, sir.” And with his shaky voice, he began with his story, which by the way disturbed me big time.
Yesterday (December 24), armed with home-made percussion instruments and childish joyfulness and gleefulness, his two children went out to go caroling around their community. It was almost Christmas when he noticed that the two are not home yet. As the Father of the two, he was so worried so he started looking at the possible places his children might go to. Finally, he saw his children on a place where kids doing caroling can be commonly seen, but it wasn’t a good sight. His children were lying on the ground bleeding. They were hit by a speeding car while they were on their way home. With everything he had, he rushed the two to the hospital. One of two kids is in critical condition, almost dying, and the other one just did.
We were on the middle of our way to Taft when his story finally sunk-in to my head. I was completely silent inside the cab from then on. I didn’t know what to say, I’m flabbergasted. I can hear him trying to avoid the possibly cry and I can see him from the mirror trying compose himself. Then he ended with “Kaya ‘yung isa nasa ospital, ‘yung isa nasa morge“. And it all came to down to me.
There I am, trying to keep myself busy with the paper-napkins, complaining about how worse this year’s Christmas is for me compared to the last ones, and then there’s this man who just lost a child and might loss another one should he not make enough money for the required medical procedures. I didn’t know what to do, I was shivering. I wanted to help, but my mind was blank. I saw that we’re almost on my stop so I quickly looked into my wallet, did a quick approximation on my budget, and came up only with an extra P100, I felt bad. When I was about to go down, I gave him the P100, plus the payment for the meter. I told him “Kuya, I believe that through this situation, God is teaching something, not just to you, but to everyone involved, even me. I’m sorry for you loss, and I’m sorry if this is the only amount I can give you. May your Christmas still be merry.” I just wish that I’ve said that as smoothly as how you guys can read it, and I just wish that I have more than a P100 to give.
What are the things that you are complaining about? What are the things that you are grateful for? Remember, everything we have came from the Lord and he gave it to us even though we’re undeserving of it. Only He is worthy of taking it back from us.
Happy Christmas and a blessed New Year to all of you. Good night.
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