Why do we toil the earthen workplace with selfless devotion? Is it for experience? Love for the job? Or stupidity?
I have my own reasons.
I want to pay elegy to one of the kindest friendships I have in my life...to Irvin Sy. This was written with beautiful reminiscence from my past in remembrance of you.
Her name was Ruth. She was my subject teacher in sixth grade and she taught us Mathematics. We spend forty brain-cracking minutes with her everyday, solving problems and calculating formulas before moving to Home Economics.
I saw Real kindness in Ruth during those days of my life with her. She was soft-spoken and forgiving. She was a cut out of the typical terror teachers that students feared. She was an amazing person. Her kindness spread like lilies in the field. It was not prejudiced to anyone. Not withstanding stature. She was a very gentle person.
I have not seen Ruth since getting out of Elementary School. And I have not seen kindness since then.
Kindness is usually mistaken for goodwill in exchange of something else. It is so hard to find much of kindness in this ordinary world with ordinary people living ordinary lives. I can still count in my fingers the number of kindness I have encountered in my life. Perhaps, this is why we never get to attain contentment within ourselves because there's too much toxicity for our selfish wants over our needs.
Why is there so much cruelty in this world? I was told of so many incidences when certain individuals commit suicide because of bias. I have heard too many times about people losing or breaking loose their jobs because of injustice. When I see people getting oppressed in situations beyond their means I curse the ill-hearted people doing this to them. How can one stand to take advantage of other people's weaknesses to gain their evil intentions? Why are we so filled with greed?
It was in Ruth's eyes where I have first seen Kindness in its nudity...clear as crystal. It was the type of kindness that was without any mixture of malice or underground intentions. Her Kindness was an inspiration that I carry up to this day.
That Kindness resurrected on the eve of July 8, 2005. I was on my way home after logging off from the net. I stood out in the street waiting for a commuter tricycle to pass by that I can pick to drive me back to my supervisor's apartment where I stay whenever I am out base. And after a few minutes a tricycle drove by. I put up the hitch sign until the driver pulled over undecidedly. Without waiting for what he had to say, I instructed where I wanted to be delivered. He was quiet. He smiled. After I sat on his meek vehicle, he drove along serenely. When we got to my destination I got off and handed him a five-peso coin. He just shook his head and, smiled again and drove away after saying, "Welcome to the neighborhood".
I stood there frozen.
Well, truly, my supervisor had just moved into that village and I was just very amazed at how the people there could be so kind. I remember his smile again before he drove me to the apartment. It was dark where I stood to wait for a ride, but I could still picture out his genuine smile. Looking back I remembered the Kindness of Ruth.
I remain committed to my job because of people like you, Irvin. Now your spaceship has landed and the space boy has aborted his mission on the moon to go back to earth. But to wherever your spacecraft will launch again, remember that our camaraderie will not end. Thank you for the KINDNESS and FRIENDSHIP.
Copyright ©2005 Theren Alexander
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