Compassion

The red traffic light caught us.

Yesterday afternoon while my family and I were passing Aurora Boulevard, a small boy hopped into the jeep we were tailing at the stoplight. He then distributed white envelopes to the passengers for alms. I have received one of those envelopes before. Something written in negligent Filipino was on the envelope, asking for some help to feed a family of nine, if I remember correctly. More likely, it was the same kind of envelope the boy was giving out, since the driver of the jeep looked back and started to yell at the boy, possibly because he was becoming a nuisance for his passengers. But the boy didn't mind, and still continued to hand out his white, crumpled envelopes.

"Nakakainis yung mga ganyan.Yung iba kasi, pinipilit kang bigyan."

Although deep inside, I felt a little heavyhearted to see the driver scolding the boy, and the boy needing to beg for help.

Partly annoyed by the events unfolding in front of me, I looked at the side. People were walking here and there, while a mother and her small tot sat on what appeared to be used boxes and thatched sacks. She gloomily held out her hand for alms, teary-eyed as she made her child sit closer to her. The kid was innocently looking at the passers-by, while the mother was looking for a little kindness and mercy from the strangers ignoring their presence. People strode by past them as if they didn't exist, selfish to give even just a little look.

The facts of life, I thought.

It was then that a lady holding packages from a fast food chain walked past the mother and child. A few paces passed the itinerants, she turned back, headed towards the waif, and handed to her a small pack of drinks. The mother thankfully accepted the drink, as the lady nodded in return and walked away. Showing the softdrink to her child, the mother peacefully smiled and gave it to the kid, who was filled with delight and excitement to see what the plastic cup contained.

We started to move after seeing that. I tried to look back, and saw that the mother has started to beg again, continuing to rely and believe on the kindness and compassion in each and every person that walks past her.