HOPE FOR THE CHIRPING BIRDS

HOPE FOR THE CHIRPING BIRDS
May 20, 1993 – 4:10 p.m.

As usual no electricity and the summer heat is just terrible. It penetrates to the bones. There is no water; you cannot afford to be thirsty. The generators are on; their sounds are deafening.

Thanks God there are happy birds, playing, jumping, chirping, jumping from branch to branch round the neighbor’s mango tree. The earth is not dead after all. There is hope for survival. The government is not dead. Someone must be doing something to keep it alive. There are still many good reasons to live.

My wife is coming back home tomorrow. Good news. My daughters are coming back a week later. Good news. Robinson Alabang is planning to hire me as retainer physician. Good news. Someone is going to buy one of our lots. We can pay the bank. Good news. My two sons are behaving very well. Good news.

Rainy season is not far away. Water problems won’t stay. The plants will be happy. There will be more fresh air and less pollution, which means better health, happier life. Good news.

There are many good news and why are the papers printing bad ones? Why are the radios airing bad stories? Why are the Televisions showing brutalities and dirty news?

Well, who reads good news anyway?

DISABLED DRIVER
May 24, 1993 – 8:30 p.m.

There is light all over. Electricity was cut off earlier and was resumed earlier. There is nothing new however.

This afternoon I was picked by an insurance agent to examine a client. He was driving an owner type jeepney but that’s alright. What was unusual was the fact that the man was an amputee. His right arm was amputated to 1 inch below the elbow while his left hand had only the index finger intact.

I didn’t bother to ask why he was like that. It looked like an offshoot of a bad accident but it was very impressive and very inspiring to observe him driving very well. He had a driver’s license. I wonder how he wrote but he was a licensed insurance underwriter.

NOTE: I had a chance later to ask Rey Alvie (his name), about his disability. It was inborn (congenital) according to him.

I could feel the shame creeping all over me whenever Rey picks me with his jeepney to pick a client. Here I am anatomically complete but couldn’t even drive a car.