Despite how cruel the world can be...

... it is still a beautiful place to live in.

There are still so many good people around the corner and I am thankful to God that this planet isn't that bad. Omigosh don't blame me for sounding like a juvee student, who's writing her Theology reflection paper, I just have to say that goodness still prevails, despite the temptations everywhere.

I just have to share this funny yet touching experience of mine. It happened last Wednesday. It was such a mundane day for me. I was so excited to go home and chill when father dearest called me. He asked me if I could buy a barong for him because he'll use it in a meeting the next morning. I agreed and went to Landmark as soon as Magneettoo (that's his alias, Mang Nito, the driver) picked me up in the office. So I bought the barong and went straight home. I was so proud to show father dearest how nice the barong was and it had really cute burdas when suddenly, father dearest paused and said "Anak, jusi toh eh. Pang wedding naman toh. Dapat bilhin mo yung gusot-mayaman." Then he showed me a sample of a gusot-mayamang barong. My gosh! Ang mangmang ko buh sa kabarongan?? I didn't know what to say and my dad concluded "Anak, balik ka sa Landmark! Meeting ko 8:00!"

When we were quite panicking what to do, we realized that it was eight-thirty in the evening (duh which means the store closes at 8pm). But I didn't think of whether it was closed or not. I just said to myself "Hay bahala na si batman!" So I rushed towards the car with the jusi barong. As soon as I arrived Landmark, they were shutting down the windows and doors. I ran inside and the guards tried to stop me.

"Mam close na po kami!" said the guards.

"Eh kelangan na palitan yung barong!" I exclaimed and immediately ran at the barong shop. When I got closer at the barong shop, it was my first time to see such a llloooonnnggg queue of sales attendants being checked by the security.

It was official. Talagang sarado na siluuhhh!!

But I didn't want to go home without having my dad's barong exchanged. Heck I was inside already so might as well make the most of it. I had no choice. I had to pull a damsel-in-distressed drama....

"Naku... tulungan niyo po ako.... kelangan po kasi papalit itong barong na nabili ko.... kelangan kasi ng daddy ko kinabukasan... umaga pa naman meeting niya..." All of the sales attendants threw me a pity look, some of them whispered "nakakaawa naman si Mam" and one of them said "Naku mam, bukas nalang po."

"Naku sige naman po, maawa na kayo sakin, tulungan niyo po ako. Kelangan po yan ng daddy ko... Bukas na kasi ang meeting niya....." The store manager approached me and started to help me out. He called some of the attendants to do the arrangements of returning the barong and exchanging it into the right kind of barong. After 20 minutes of tension and all that drama, I got my father's gusot-mayamang barong. What's even nicer was that I got him a second one! The jusi barong cost at Php2600 while the gusot mayaman was at around Php1400, so I just added a few bucks. O deebuh??

After paying at the cashier, I couldn't help but thanked them like a gazillion times. I shouted "Thank You" on my way outside. The manager just smiled and humbly said "You're welcome Mam!"

When I went outside to look for Magneettoo, I was digging in to my bag to look for my phone. Maybe it was the tension and all, but for some reason I couldn't find my phone. I was so rattled, I was actually looking for a payphone. Luckily, I saw some roving security guards and so I sought for help.

"Boss tulungan niyo naman po ako.... Nawawala yung driver ko.. Di ko pa mahanap celphone ko"

"Naku mam ganun ba? San niyo ba natabi celphone mo? Pero sige sige walang problema! Ano po ba ang plaka ninyo?"

"Ah eh XRW.... naku nakalimutan ko yung number... basta blue siya na SUV."

"Ah ganun ba? O sige sige walang problema yun!" Then he held his radio to alert his fellow roving guards about my missing driver.

After 5 minutes, I still dug into my bag and guess what, I found my phone. The guards just smiled and said "Naku mam, maliit pala yung celphone naten eh." And I smiled back and said "Onga eh. Buti nalang andito lang siya sa bag ko." After calling Magneettoo, I waited for a while and when he arrived, the guards were courteous enough to open the door for me. My gazillion thank-you's were one again expressed because the guards really helped me out.

On my way home, I couldn't help but smile from Mercury to Pluto. I couldn't help but think that there's so much goodness in people, despite their cynicism & cruelty. Some people would think "eh aanga-anga naman 'tong si Mam eh, ba't pa bibili ng jusi?" or "ano ba naman 'tong si Mam, kung saan saan nilalagay ang celphone" and would end up not accommodating that little damsel-in-distress. But instead, people will offer their helping hands. Even if it is part of their duties & responsibilities, I saw that it was more than just doing their jobs. It's essentially goodness. It goes to show that God works through different people. It made my mundane day really nice. Something to reflect on the inate goodness of people.

As soon as I arrived home, my dad was just thrilled to get his barongs. He was like a kid getting his candies from his parents... Haha that's funny... In this picture, it's the other way around.. Oh yeah something funnier occurred and I realized that God can be funny too you know... The next day, my dad exclaimed...

"Anak, na-cancel yung meeting..."