Resilience

We were let off work early on Friday in anticipation of typhoon Pepeng's arrival. The practical employee would've went straight home, stocked up on emergency supplies, snuggled on the bed, and watched the news.

I, on the other hand, was not practical. In fact, I thought I bordered on stupid that night. I spent more than an hour waiting for a cab. And another hour and a half inside one while I traveled from Makati to QC. In my defense, I had good intentions. Who was it who said that hell was paved with good intentions? Anyway, I wanted to check whether I was qualified to donate blood to a friend of a friend. We were of the same blood type and there was no supply of it in the hospital.

You have to know that I prefer not to take cabs by myself. I am paranoid that a lot of cab drivers are homicidal maniacs and I am willfully getting into a death trap. But I can't avoid taking cab rides altogether. Whenever I get off safely from one, I voluntarily pay more than the fare. I just want to thank them for not murdering or mugging me.

Mr. Makati-QC Cab Driver did not turn out to be a murderer or a mugger. What he turned out to be is chatty. And very animated, too. I mean, when the light turned green, he yelled "Go! Go! Go!". When the rainfall would strengthen, he said, "Ayan na! Ayan na!" He was tuned in to AM radio, which I was thankful for. I wanted to keep track of how much I would regret not taking the chance of early work release on that stormy night. Mang Makati-QC would react to grim updates with "tsk, tsk, tsk" or an occasional "shi-yet". He laughed out loud at the antics of Gerry and Anthony of DZMM. He also gave me a recap of the news. How strong Pepeng was getting, its speed, its direction.

Mang M-Q told me of how Ondoy, just days ago, flooded their home in Tandang Sora and how he lost all appliances and furniture. The water almost reached the second floor where he and his family took retreat. He had wanted to save at least the TV or the mini-component but his son had pleaded for him to stay with them and keep himself safe. He saved up for those appliances, he told me. It took a long time, but he bought them while he worked as a truck driver a few years back. "Sabi ko nga rin sa sarili ko, ang mga appliances, pwede mapalitan. Kitain uli. Ang importante, kumpleto kami at walang nasaktan." He told me all this in a conversational way. Without a trace of angling for pity. He said that I'd be his last passenger for the day as his wife has been worried sick and texting him to come home since earlier that afternoon.

I got off at St. Luke's and thanked Mang M-Q.

After the initial screening process, I was eventually deferred on account of my colds from a week ago. Which - for a lack of better term - sucked. I wanted to tell the med tech the utter ordeal of getting there. But it wouldn't have helped. They were just doing their jobs. And a lot of people have better reasons to whine than I do. Barely remembering my courtesy, I thanked them for their time.

Mr. QC-Pasig Cab Driver was also tuned in to the AM radio. I was again given the summary of Pepeng's current strength, speed, and direction. He mistook me for a student (ahem) and advised me to stay indoors during the weekend. Mang Q-P remarked how traffic was much lighter at that time since most of the people have already gone home early. He'd have gone home to his family and also-flooded house "pero kailangan maghanapbuhay".

I got off at my street and thanked Mang Q-P.

It was late when I got home, but I was safe. What I took from that night is a little less paranoia of cab rides and a little more pride in the resilience of the working class Filipino.