In my recent experience, the four kinds of people are the:
1.) Good Samaritan
2.) Opportunist
3.) Ignorant and
4.) Willful Ignorant
Amidst the brimstone of poverty and financial scrutiny; I managed to simply spend my dosh to enjoy all the weekends with my partner; and luckily for me, that sense was reciprocated by him. Although, we both know that upon this splendor, we would radically be poor in the future.
Amidst the brimstone of ravishing crimes and undignified salutatory from the atrocious politicians especially here in the Philippines; I would consider us the many kinds of people who have motivations upon reaching one goal: to have money… huge amount of money.
And amidst the brimstone of Madam Janet Napoles who stole billions of dosh for the sake of nonchalantly live in the world where she and her family will just lie in a cushion made bed in a twenty-star hotel (if that’s possible) and not minding if ‘that’ in the bank has lost thousands just for one glamorous night in luxury!
Here’s my story…
One Saturday evening…
I and my partner were prepared to head to a burger place where the buzz is all about. After two hours of preparing for our date; we then went down the boarding house where he is staying and I barge in on the weekends.
We then waited for a jeepney to take us to that specific place, since our stomachs were already famined. We even shared laughs on the pavement, while the noise of the passing chariot tries to disturb.
We then saw an upcoming jeepney, with headlights shining viciously, blinding us both. And we waved for it to stop by.
I and my partner then were inside the jeepney, and we noticed, there were only a few people inside. While we sat on the further part from the driver; we saw to women just across us; they maybe aren’t related because they were obviously away from each other, and another girl wearing headphones in her ears who sat a feet behind the disabled front seat.
We were all silent, hoping for a pleasant night even when you can see the grim and suffering on the faces of these people.
And then the interesting part came when my partner got hold of my attention to something really valuable, he said, “Hala B, naai nahug nga pitaka!” (Someone dropped their wallet).
I looked at the ground, and indeed, there was a wallet on the ground inches away from the girl with the headphone’s feet in front of her. I noticed how she was nonchalantly listening to the music. But sense came to us realizing, how come she’s not able to pick up that wallet when it’s just right in front of her?
My partner convinced me that she actually sees it, but did not act about it!
He then told me, “Kwa-a b!” (You get it, B!)
In my heart, I was willing to pick up that wallet, because I know deeply, incorruptible; I’ll be handing it over to the owner, dignified. But I was sitting at the very end of the jeepney while my partner was beside me, but blocks my way to reach that wallet. But I was also in battle of myself that it could be the girls’ wallet. But that doesn’t make sense since it was obviously for men! Also, the jeepney was moving fast. Those things stopped my gut to get it.
Then the jeepney stopped, a guy with a backpack entered and sat behind the girl with the headphones on, and one of the older lady in front of us dropped off.
That stopped my gut again, and the jeepney continued while I and my partner continued to talk about how it came about there and how much worried the owner might be at that very moment.
The battle continues inside me, up until the jeepney again stopped and another lady came in and sat beside my partner.
I and my partner said to each other that it’s better if we got hold of the wallet because it’s safer since we know that we could return it complete to the owner.
Then the guy with a backpack transferred seats, across the girl with headphones on.
I have a gut feel that he already had seen the wallet, and my partner told me that he might get it and not return it. I even saw him took a glimpse of the wallet.
When we gave our fare, that’s been passed by the lady next to my partner and she handed it to the guy and the guy then passed it to the driver who got hold of the fare. He then quickly bent and, (I was right) got hold of the wallet.
What’s interesting was he kept it in his hands and looked away… still, acting like there’s nothing happened.
I and my partner were babbling about his body language and how it is likely possible that he won’t return it, since we concluded that if he really has good intentions for that wallet; he would’ve scanned it right away to look for the name of the owner OR he could have simply asked the girl in front of him if that’s hers, or ask us if we knew who that wallet was. We could be wrong, but our hunch tells us the other way round.
He kept it in his hands and looked away, maybe trying to avoid eye contact with us.
I and my partner then realized how awful that situation was, and regret was in our guts.
It was like our society where there are people who are blinded and ignorant of the hideous happenings around. Some choose to rather be blind and deaf to exclude themselves from tension, OR some have not yet discovered the true maleficent nature of people and the events but are willing to fight, if given the chance so.
Then there’s the willfully ignorant people, who sees everything that’s been happening around them, how they could less care about listening to people who are willing to fight for what’s right, and press on with what they do for living instead.
And there are these good Samaritans who are willfully willing to help, but gets caught off guard by situations while reaching for the goal of the barrage for equality, peace or simple respect.
Then there are opportunists who are always on the move whenever there’s a loophole they could pass in to. They would neglect values and slumber their souls in figurative squalor while acquiring the plentiful of others. They would rather save thyselves rather have the unspeakable suffering others already are in. They would rather step on other’s heads for them to reach the mountain of fortune.
But then I realized; it all boils back to us…
We could’ve done something more than just looking at that wallet and run for it and willfully return it to the deserved owner whose dead worrying the whereabouts of his possession.
But no, we were just there; feeling regret while ranting about giving the guy the benefit of the doubt that he himself is suffering from financial needs and does the dirty job instead which gives him quick access to gain money… or we were totally wrong. But we know in our guts that we’re not.
I realized, we were not the ‘Good Samaritans’ yet. We could’ve really done something… I personally could’ve done something MORE.
