CHAIN REACTION (Abuse of Goodness)

CHAIN REACTION
(Abuse of goodness)

It all started when I offered my home as a shelter near the school of an “honest boy”. He found a wallet with bunch of money but instead of keeping it he tried to find the owner whose I.D. was in the wallet. His act impressed me that was why I helped him.

He must be so gratified by the way I treated him that after a few days his mother and an auntie came-by to apply for work in my home. Since they couldn’t be accommodated they applied their children to “do any job” there was available.

I hired the 17 year-old girl cousin of the boy for my daughter in B.F Homes to help with the needs of my grand daughters. Now the Auntie told me about her 17 year-old daughter and 15 year-old son who cannot continue their studies due to poverty. She pleaded to me to accommodate them for whatever they could do. But they were in Bicol so the woman asked for P1,500.00 for the bus fare to Manila with promise that the two would arrive the following day. The money was given but the two didn’t come as they needed to finish their school activities. The woman must have purposely lied to me. The money sent was quickly spent. The poor liar requested for additional P800.00 this time promising very firmly that the two would arrive soonest. Only the 15 year-old boy came but the original ‘honest boy’ that I offered shelter was now telling me he was going home to help his parents and siblings. That was after he had broken a giant century old Dama Juana bottle; after I have given him a pair of imported shoes and several T-shirts and shorts.

After a few more days the 17 year-old girl cousin finally arrived accompanied by a friend who was also looking for a job. The sister of my boy helper would be given to my daughter in Caloocan while her friend would replace the one who was hired first but already went home after less than a month.

Now, the woman came to me very early the following day (Monday of Holy Week) requesting for advance payment for her daughter. I was beginning to feel irritated and impatient. I didn’t give her the advance. It has always been good to be good but when one’s goodness was already being abused, one must set a limit. Poverty was most of the time being used as an excuse for dole outs and was wrongly turning out to be a choice. Let us help them help themselves too.