wooden cart

ben

Of all the second-hand stall vendors I had talked to, there was only one person who stole my heart. He's there in the bus station market. I also saw him in the Wednesday night market and even in the Walking Street market. I thought at first he was just there to accompany his son or anyone in the family because he's quite old for this job. The next time I went to the market, I saw him alone again. So in order for me to believe that he was just by himself, I got to the market earlier one evening. And expectedly, he was there alone opening the sacks of second hand shoes to be sold to the passers-by. I was wrong. He was really all alone.

But that's not it. What touched my heart was when I saw him one late night pushing his wooden cart carrying those sacks of shoes home. "No wonder he's got a hunched back," my mind was thinking. After a few minutes, I offered a hand and he yessed to it. I was able to experience and  follow his turtle-like pushing routine at night. I lost track of time. It took him and me 2 hours to reach his home. More than that, it tore my heart so much when he shouted a name in front of his house and later found out that he was talking to his 90-year old wife who had been bed-ridden for some years because of old age. At that time, I realized that he was working not for himself but for his better-half. As I turned my face back to glance at the couple after I bade goodbye, I saw this 85 year-old man feeding his wife with the rice porridge he bought when we stopped by near his house.

free

ben

"I suppose you killed someone. Or maybe you robbed a bank? Let me guess, you were accused guilty in a court for a crime you didn't do?" an inmate teases Ramon, a new prisoner, as they go to bed in a prison cell. But Ramon never reacts to the inmate at first.

The morning after, this inmate tries again to dig the case of Ramon while eating. "Come on, Ramon, tell me what happened? Did you hurt, rape, or kill someone? Did you burn a whole community? Tell me why you're here?" Still, Ramon keeps his mouth zipped.

A month has passed, and the inmate has forgotten why Ramon is behind bars. One night when Ramon is about to go to bed, he tells something to the cell-mate, "You know what, I like it here."

The inmate is stunned and replies, "Strange. Why you like it here?

Ramon answers, "Outside, no one cares about me. Outside, I need to beg for alms or food. Outside, I always worried where to go when rain was heavy.  Here, everything is free. I don't need to worry about having money. Here, I don't need to buy any. Here, I don't need to worry when rain comes because shelter is for free. Food,  library, education,sports are all available here without any cost. Bed, clothings...all is free." He suddenly paused for a moment.

Then he ends, "And these are the reasons why I am here."

a newbie

ben

"Congratulations, Becky. You are now the title holder of the best gymnast in the country," Kathy whispered to Becky's ear as their names were being recognized and camera flashes were like lightning on a three-divided-stage in the dome.

"Thank you, Kathy. My parents would be so much thrilled for this." Becky happily whispered back to Kathy.

When Kathy went home, her parents' gestures were like someone had died in the family. Her family was so disappointed with what happened in the competition.They asked her what was the reason why she failed to bring home the bacon and got only the second post. But Kathy never told her parents the real reasons why she lost over Becky who was just a newbie.

On her room, as she closed her eyes to sleep, she made a simple prayer, "Dear God, I know Becky is so happy with her family about the victory she received. Thank you for the five years of making my family happy. Thank you for making them proud for five years. Now, I also want to do what my heart wants. I want to pursue my dreams. I want to be proud of myself, as well. Guide me, O, Lord. Amen."

the doll

ben

It was her favorite doll. It was really a nice one because it could turn around as if it could dance when a button was rotated counterclockwise. It was beautifully dressed in pink gown with laces on its collar and on its hem.
 
Hanna sobbed so deeply. She even rebelled against her Mom at that moment when she was not granted to have it. She ferociously asked her Mom to buy the doll for a couple of times, or even more. She cried more and more, louder and louder, and she did all the possible means just for the Mom to buy the dancing doll. But she failed!


Hanna did not talk to her Mom until they went back home. As she was about to go to bed, she heard a familiar sound at the kitchen where her mother was. So she slowly tiptoed going to the kitchen where that sound was. All she saw was her mother flooded with tears on her eyes. She saw a piggy coin-bank on the lap of her mother. She drew closer to her mother and asked, "Mom, what are you doing?"

The mother quickly wiped her cheeks with tears and answered Hanna, "Nothing, Hanna. I am so sorry for not buying the doll. All I wanted was to buy it but I couldn't. Forgive me, Hanna." The mother couldn't help but cry so excruciatingly.

Hanna answered, "Mom…I really want that doll. Maybe some other time, Mom."

The mother ruefully interrupted and explained with tons of tears coming out from her eyes as she held the piggy coin-bank, "These are just the only money we have. I am so afraid that I couldn't bring your sister to the doctor. How are we able to survive if these money are gone?"

The only thing Hanna could do was to turn her eyes on her twin-sister, who had been attacked by poliomyelitis, sitting in an old wheelchair.

the bridge

ben

After more than a decade, a reunion was conducted for them to see each other again. At the party, Mila, 37, was a bit stiff  knowing her ex-boyfriend, Lino, was there. They used to be in a relationship for 2 years but eventually, things weren’t lucky for them. In her heart, Mila still had this weird heartbeat for Lino which she couldn’t understand why. So she tried to get away from where Lino was. Whenever she saw that she was near to Lino, she looked for a better spot where she could not really bump into him.

After some moments of trying to get away from Lino, Mila finally met Nina, her college bestfriend. Her smile was so gigantic when she saw Nina. She noticed something different to Nina’s tummy. When the evening went dark, Nina whispered to Mila. 

“I am 4 months pregnant, Mila. I will be a mother soon. How about you?”

“Wow, congratulations! Ummm…me…still single. I have been alone since the day Lino broke off with me. But don’t mind it. That was long years ago,” Mila uttered with a long face. “I know you can still remember because you were the ‘bridge’ between us before. Am I right?”

“Ummm..ye…ahh…” reluctantly answered by Nina.

“By the way, who’s the lucky husband?” Mila enthusiastically followed up.

“Would you believe...it’s Lino!” Nina happily remarked.

All of a sudden, the world paused at that moment. 

Surprises really do come along when we least expect them!

two plates of spaghetti

ben

A mother of two kids was wondering why one of her sons, Gabriel, 5, was crying out loud in the middle of a birthday party. So she went straightly to where her son was and attended to him to inquire what happened. The boy exclaimed, "My plate of spaghetti fell down while I was eating. Someone nudged on it," as he cried more poignantly. The mother continued to pacify the kid because he was still sobbing on their way home. Inside the car, the mother asked again why he was still crying. The boy wailed and said, "I got TWO plates of spaghetti for myself. I ate one but the other fell down. I just wanted to bring home the other one for my brother." Then, the mother smiled as she cuddled the boy in her arms.

Linda and the dog

ben

The dog in the neighborhood kept on barking. It had started the moment Linda turned on her computer to finish her research paper. As if no more tomorrows for the dog grinding its throat and had barked incessantly. At first Linda ignored the dog. But as the night went deeper and as she went more focused on her work, she had felt a little annoyance towards the dog. She went out and shouted at the dog to stop barking. For a moment, the dog stopped making any sound. But as Linda approached her room which was beside the dog's house, the dog  started to bark again. She angrily went outside this time to tame the noisy dog. She shouted again at the top of her lungs which prompted the dog to shut its mouth temporarily up. Linda thought that the dog would stop from barking after she shouted at it loudly, but still when Linda was concentrating on her work, the dog unwaveringly unleashed its loudest outcry that made Linda lose her temper. Linda took the scissors on her table and she walked fast towards the dog's direction. She threw the scissors aiming at the dog. After some seconds, the dog moaned miserably as it ran around the neighborhood to seek for help.

Thought to ponder: Linda fought with a dog. Are you like Linda? How do you manage your anger? How long can you keep your tolerance to something?

war & politics

ben

As I was reading the newspaper this afternoon, I nodded my head sidewards when the headline story went like this: Bt 7.2 Billion to buy Ukranian-made Army tanks, and Bt 920 million for ammunition.

The world is so much focused on war. The world is being driven by these conflicts made by itself. People against people. Country against country. Race against race. War paved its way ever since the moment my grandfather told me stories about the Japanese and American War. I know for a fact that there were even a thousand or million before that.

When will these wars end?

Meanwhile, there are many children who don't eat because of poverty. Many of them die everyday. If there were no wars, would these children be able to eat and live longer? What if that 7.2 billion to buy an armor would be used to feed the hungry children?

Politics. Blame all of them to bad politics. Because of politics, war has turned into a lucrative business. Because of politics, children have no more food to eat. Politics has been overthrown by war, so as war has been eaten by politics.

When will politics disappear?

coins in my pocket

ben

Was there a time in your life that you only had 2 ten coins in your pocket left?

Yes, this was true to me a few years back. There was a time that these two coins sustained me for a day.

I was new to my job. I only had enough money for a month but I paid an advance for the rent of my apartment. So the budget for my allowance was cut. One day before the payroll, all my monies were gone. I was not familiar with the people around me so I hesitated to borrow from them. My stomach tried to test me. For some hours, I kept it empty. Until evening came and I was still in search of a penny.  I wasn't able to see a coin nor even a single cent in the house. I tried to rummage for money on my tables, in my bags, and luckily, I found coins inside my pockets. Pathetically, these were the only money I had for a day.In a flash, I went straight to a convenience store and bought a cup of noodles for my dinner.

Now that my work is stable, I have more than enough what I need. But if I am to look back the day I ran out of penny, I just make a soliloquy, "Thank God for giving me those pennies."

luggage

ben

Two years ago, I bought a huge luggage. Whenever I traveled, I always used it because it could contain most of my things and belongings. Until one day, the side handle broke. I had it repaired so I could use it again on my next trips. I didn't want to dispose it because it was my favorite.

Lately, I flew to another country with this luggage. To my disgrace, not only the handle got damaged. Even the trunk of it bulged up to the point that it vomited out everything that I brought on the trip. It was so embarrassing that it also happened in the airport where many and busy people pass by.

Sometimes, we have to let go of the things that are not of good use anymore. We have to throw those things that would bring us harm or shame. In life, there are so many things that we keep in our hearts that are not of good use anymore. It could be hurts, pains, bitterness, hatred, and the likes. Learn to release those so we won't end up embarrassed by our own selves or in front of the others.

So just a few days ago, I bought a new luggage. I disposed off the old, and I am going to use this new. No worries, no hassles!

another window

ben

A boy always gets annoyed whenever he opens the window pane and looks outside. There he sees a crowded city which he never gets used to live with. When he wakes up in the morning, he sees the busy vehicles passing by. When he closes the window at night, he can smell the bad smoke coming from the outside.

Until one time, the boy changes the lay out of his room. He never realizes that there is another set of windows in his room. He quickly rearranges the stuff in it so he would be able to get a good morning and a nice night. After some hours, he is happy with the difference made in his room.

Tomorrow, when he gazes again outside on the other windows, he will definitely smile because from afar is a pristine river with raging water. When he gets to bed at night, he would likely have a good sleep with the sound of the breeze coming from the other windows.

Life is a matter of perspective. There are always choices in life. Choose which makes you happy. Live a better life. 

two sides of a coin

ben

How could I ever judge who charged the most mistakes?

An ex-couple fought over and over unconsciously on the latter part of their relationship. And for those battles, I was always the one who was at the middle. I saw each other's gruesome and cruel moments. I was able to witness the most grotesque hiatus of their relationship.

Our common friends are asking me of whom got the largest or biggest mistake between the two. Since I am the only one close to both, I am asked by the same question each time the group remembers the ex-couple. But how can I ever rightfully answer them when the fact I know is that they tell me heaps of information, from the woman's party, then after the man's party. How could I ever segregate or balance my statements so that no one would seem superior or inferior to the other? How could I ever defend them when they  malign each other in front of my face? How could I ever tell our friends who has got the most mistakes?

In this case, only the couple knows what really happened in their relationship. There maybe some things I know from both of them but there are these things that only and both of them know. No matter how close I am to both parties, they, alone, hold the reasons to their mishaps.

If it happens my friends ask me again the same question of who has the most mistakes, I will answer them with this statement, "There are always two sides of a coin!"

she, mom

ben

She fought for me when I was a kid.

She gave me my first/decent education.

She was my first teacher with the "Ang Abakada"

She rushed me to the hospital when I got some parasites in my stomach.

She taught me to achieve high.

She wanted to see me on my JS Prom yet I was so bad wanting her not to come.

She did the laundry of others for me to finish HS and University.

She cleaned other houses just to finance my schooling.

She cried when she couldn't give me what I wanted.

She never stops on loving me eventhough

I am hard-headed.

I am stubborn.

I am self-willed.

I am wishy-washy.

I am childish.

I am stingy.

I am moody.

I am bad.

She is an epitome of LOVE. A love that transcends any kind of feeling.

She, mom, the same!

i had a dream

ben

Once, I had a dream. In my dream I was climbing a tall coconut tree near a sea. Since my skill in climbing was not good, I couldn't reach the fruit which I wanted to get. Presumably, for two hours of trying to reach to the top, still I wasn't able to get the fruit, not even get to the middle of the tree.  Then, I stopped. I got awakened realizing it was a dream.

In life, I tend to reach things which are unnecessary and not really meant for me. Because of envy sometimes, I try to do things to be equal with people. When they have this, I should have that too. When they know this, I have to know that too. When they go there, I have to go somewhere just to be in the same state with them.

Now, I know what I am reaching. I know what I should be getting. I don't need to climb a coconut tree when I want to have is another one. Since the coconut tree in my dream was enticing and everybody wanted to get a fruit of it, I also tried to climb it. In my dream, all I really wanted to get and eat was not a coconut, but a papaya.

devastated heart

ben

I thought TWO was too much.

This is my third time to have a motorcycle accident. I am a favorite of this so-called perilous activity. Every year, my motorcycle gives me untoward incident. Sad to say, now my upper cheek is in pain.

Excruciatingly, my bruises are eventually eating up my whole feeling. At night, they  hurt me like a bite of a stinging scorpion. The pain continues to create in me a feeling of living in hell. The bruises bring much agony in my body.

But what hurts me most is the fact that she never cares for what I feel. It sorrows me to know that the only thing she told me after she knew about it was this, "Don't you like your face anymore?" Well, I expected  a piece of sympathetic lines on her part but she was blunt and straightforward.

The accident was traumatic. But what is more hurting to see is my devastated heart.