There's Hope in the Stranger

This post is for those who have no faith in people they don't know, for those who are paranoid everytime they walk in public streets, and for those who don't think they are obliged to acknowledge the existence of people outside their personal sphere.

After work yesterday I was heading to Greenhills. Since I don't have a car, this would only be possible thru one trike then one jeep ride. Easy.

But it wasn't going to be easy this time. As I was getting off the tricycle, I started rummaging around my bag to find my wallet, and to my idiotic misfortune, it wasn't there. I had nothing to pay the driver with except a bunch of papers, a book entitled "Introduction to Tourism", and my umbrella. So when we got to the shuttle terminal to Greenhills, the conversation went like this:

Me: Pasensya ho, nawawala yung wallet ko. Pwede kong ibigay yung payong ko na lang!
Manong Trike Driver: Okay lang ma'am. Di na lang.
Me: Ha? Sigurado ho kayo!?
Manong Trike Driver: Oo ma'am. Alam nyo naman kung san ako naghihintay. Next time na lang.
Me: Salamat po manong, pasensya po uli.

And so he left. I still didn't have P7 to pay for the jeep to Greenhills. The drivers were telling me to hop on, but I told them I lost my wallet.

Drivers: Sige lang ma'am! Sakay na kayo!

Me (reluctantly): Maraming maraming salamat!!

They let me ride for free again. And my fortune didn't end here. Before one of the passengers stepped off the jeep, he taps my shoulder, quickly says "Eto ate, para makauwi kayo", drops P15 in my hands and gets off the jeep. I was left bewildered.

And so before getting off the jeep in Greenhills, I offered the money I received to the driver. He refused the money and told me to use it to get home.

I didn't need the P15 anymore, since I was meeting up with Abe in Greenhills, and he was to bring me home. I gave them to Abe, and told him to give it to someone who needs it.

Abe: Any beggar in particular you want to give it to?
Me: No, just give it to ANYone.

...
I found my wallet in my room that night (Thank God!), but I went to bed with a smile on my face, and a rejuvenated feeling of hope that people can still do good, even in the smallest ways.

That's all.