Tatay Ogie

With the sudden onset of last night's downpour, I lost three things: my mobile phone, my wallet, and a bit of my (sometimes faltering) sanity.

Ten seconds after I felt something wrong, I checked my bag, retraced my steps, and officially declared the loss of the two most important material possessions I have as of the moment. After five minutes of running under the angry rain outside Lourdes Academy, I found my phone submerged in floodwaters, dangerously leaning toward the abysmal terror that is Mandaluyong sewage. It was in that moment when I realized that amoebiasis was never in the list of my concerns. Hahaha

The phone was dead and the wallet remained unfound. It was the most intense fifteen minutes of my life. Drenched, penniless, tired, anxious, and exasperated. I am almost hopeless. But then Hope brought, well, hope. An evening inside the rice bag ressurected the phone. But with quiet resignation, I've accepted that I will probably never see my wallet--- official IDs, business cards, folded bus receipts and all---again.

At 11:45AM today, I received a message. 

In this photo is Rogelio 'Ogie' Santos. 52 years old. Former seaman, now working as a security guard in Calalang General Hospital, Valenzuela City. Tatay Ogie (one on the right) took a minute from his busy day to reach out and tell me that a magtataho passed him the cashless wallet. "Nakita ko may mga ID at ATM card sabi ko importanteng mga dokumento to", he said.

I am spewing words once again and flooding your timelines with walls of text but this is my way of showing how humbled and awed I am of Tatay Ogie's kindness. 

In today's time when we take social ills for breakfast, ugly politics for lunch, and natural disasters for merienda, we go to sleep hungry for change but at the same time hardened and toughened, indifferent and, at times, spiteful of the humanity we should be having. Lack of discipline, greed, hunger for power, taking advantage of others: much has been said about the downfall of the 'kaugaliang Filipino'. Rudeness is common and antipathy has been a daily habit that when we meet the likes of Tatay Ogie (and the unnamed magtataho), realization hits us so hard and we get to think: is the world this bad that seeing people like them is like finding a diamond on a dark alleyway?

Since when did kindness become so rare?

How my wallet traveled from Shaw Boulevard to MacArthur Highway, I may never know; but there is one thing I am certain of: today, Tatay Ogie did not only return a worn-out faux-leather packet of discount cards and IDs. He also restored my dying faith in humanity, particularly the modern Filipino. Honest and without prejudice. His actions may mean little to him but it meant a world to me. Our everyday trips using the MRT tell us that righteousness and chivalry may be dying but Tatay Ogie is a proof that it is not dead.

Last night was a test. And today I received answers. That God works in mysterious ways. God, the Force, the Universe, the random coincidence---whatever you call it, whatever you believe in---is full of surprises. Regardless of our faith and beliefs, it pays not to lose hope in life and in humanity. 

"Alam mo ba na ngayon lang ako nakakausap ng tulad mo kaya masaya ako kanina, ipagmamalaki ko sa anak ko mamaya pag uwi ko."

Ipinagmamalaki din kita, Tatay Ogie. 

I will not forget this day and I will pay it forward.