It was a tuesday evening and its raining really hard.
“You should’ve went home earlier” said my guy
“Well, i guess you’re right” I said
Holding the umbrella in one arm and holding me with the other, he accompanied me out of his village.
“Ill ride a taxi going home, its definitely flooded back at my compound” I said
“let’s just hope there’s one” said he.
As we went out of the village gates and started to cross the street, a freak thunderstorm suddenly broke out. With only a big umbrella there to protect us from the cold rain, he pulled me closer to him each time there’s a boom of a thunder. When we arrived at the corner of the street, we’re left standing there waiting for the taxi to bring me home…
“Where are all the taxi? How will I get home?” me feeling so helpless
“Don’t worry, there’ll be” were his comforting words for me.
Then suddenly, the rain poured even harder than before. All of a sudden, the flood on the streets was already as high as my ankle. Lightnings kept on flashing, accompanied by a loud boom after. All we did was huddle in his umbrella and hope that a taxi would pass by.
When things were a getting really bad, a pedicab driver stopped in front of us.
“Gusto niyo sumakay? (Need a ride?)” said the man
“Hindi po, okay lang po. Nagiintay po kami ng taxi. (No, its okay. We’re waiting for a taxi.)” I said.
All of a sudden, the man went down his pedicab and walked through the rain and into the middle of the street. He halted every taxi that passed by, not bothered by the cold rain. Unfortunately, not one stopped for us.
“Oh my gosh! That man is soaking wet! Why is he doing that?” my guy said looking astonished.
“I don’t know why!” was all i could say.
After around 10 minutes in the rain, I called the attention of the man. I told him its okay. That he doesn’t need to do it for us.
“Pasensya na, takot kasi siguro lumusong yung mga taxi sa baha eh (Sorry, maybe the taxis were afraid to go through the flood)” was what the man said as he rode his pedicab and pedaled away.
As the pedicab inches its way through the flood, the rain became worse as cold gusts of wind tried to blow our umbrella away. We didn’t have any choice but to go and cross the street again and seek shelter at the nearby 7 11 store.
As we crossed the street, a very frightening boom of a thunder broke out. Car alarms went out and screams of little children from the nearby public school can be heard. I almost cried, good thing he hugged me tightly and said that everything will be alright.
As we arrived in front of 7 11, he left me there alone as he went back to the sidewalk to continue looking for a taxi for me. As I wait there, a group of suspiciously looking guys approached me…
“San ka ba papunta (where are you going?)” said one of the guys there.
“Olivares po. Kailangan ko po kasi ng taxi eh (I need a taxi to ride going back to Olivares)” I said
The guy tapped one of his mates and asked him to go and fetch me a taxi. He chatted with me about how the flood might reach up to knee high and he even asked me to call my boyfriend to accompany me there as one of his friends fetch the taxi for us.
After a few grueling minutes, the guy who was asked to fetch a taxi signaled to the guy beside me saying that he got a taxi. I thanked the group of guys for fetching me a taxi. As I sat down the taxi seat, I waved goodbye to my guy as I scream a loud “thank you” to him. Then the taxi drove off into the flooded streets on my way home.
As I sat there soaking wet from the rain, I realized that there are still good hearted people, although one cannot see it from their outside appearance. Like that old pedicab driver and that group of suspiciously looking men, who’d thought that they would do a good deed for someone they don’t even know. I learned that even the cover of the book is torn or is covered with filth and grime, what’s important is what’s inside.
Daily Thoughts 