LP: Stranger

Ako ay parang Miss Congeniality noong bata pa. Kapag may nagtatanong ng directions, lagi akong nagpeprisinta. Isang hapon, mga 8 years old yata ako, naglalakad ako pauwi galing sa eskwelahan nang may huminto na owner-type jeep at nagtatanong kung saan ang bahay ng dating principal. Binigyan ko sila ng direksyon at para di sila maligaw, isinama nila ako papunta sa bahay na hinahanap nila. Dumaan ang sasakyan sa bahay ng lolo ko, nasa front-seat ako at nag-wave pa ako sa aking tiyahin. Pagdating sa bahay ng dating principal, nagpasalamat ang driver at bumaba na rin ako sa sasakyan. Nagulat at natakot ako nang makita ko ang aking tiyahin na nagmamadaling bumababa sa tricycle at namumutla. Bakit daw ako sumakay sa sasakyan ng taong di ko kilala, at pinagalitan ako.

Hindi ko naintindihan. Di ba laging sinasabi ng guro, maging matulungin? Heto tumulong ka na, pinagalitan ka pa. At galit na sabi naman ng nanay ko--- Basta! h'wag makipag-usap sa taong di mo kilala dahil mapanganib ang mundo. Syempre, nangatwiran pa ako--malapit lang naman yon e, sa kabilang kanto lang.

Sa aking paglaki, nakita ko ang maraming estranghero na dinadala ng tatay ko sa bahay. May mga batang na-rescue sa pang-aabuso ng magulang, mga taong walang mapuntahan, o naliligaw ng landas. Ang mga estranghero pala ay mga kaibigan na di pa natin nakikilala.

Tama si Shirley MacLaine sa sinabing n'yang "Fear makes strangers of people who would be friends." Pero ngayon, gets ko na ang katwiran ng nanay ko. At kung may anak ako, mahigpit ko rin na ipagbibilin ang "don't talk to strangers." :p

Ang mga nasa litrato pala ay mga kaibigan ko. Pero at one time or another, estranghero rin kami sa isa't isa.

I was little Miss Congeniality when I was a kid. When someone asks for directions, I would always volunteer. One afternoon when I was about 8 years old, I was walking home from school when an owner-type jeep stopped by and asked for directions to a former principal's house. I did my best to give them directions but worried that they would lose their way, the driver asked me to accompany them. I sat on the front-seat and we passed my grandfather's house, I even waved to my aunt. When we arrived at the principal's home, the driver said thank you and I climbed down from the vehicle. But I was surprised to see my aunt getting down from a tricycle looking pale. She almost shook me and asked why I went with strangers, she was very angry.

I was confused. My teacher always said to be always helpful. But my mother, with a lot of hostility, told me to never talk to strangers. "Why?", I asked. "Because the world is a dangerous place," she said. But it was just down the corner, I reasoned innocently.:p

Growing up, I met a lot of strangers my father brought home. Children rescued from abusive parents, people with no place to go, strays who needed a place to eat and sleep for a while. Strangers are friends we haven't met yet.

I agree with Shirley MacLaine when she said, "Fear makes strangers of people who would be friends." As a grown-up, I understand my mother's logic...and if I have a child, I would advise her/him not to talk to strangers.:p

The persons in these photos are not strangers, they're my friends. But at one time or the other, we were strangers.

with friends and strangers

Posted for Litratong Pinoy