"Kindness saves,
Kindness heals,
Kindness does,
Kindness never asks why..."
Five minutes, I only had five minutes left. I knew my time. When you work in a call center, you should have the virtue of Jimmy Neutron
who calculates time to the nanoseconds. From the last MRT station at Edsa to MOA, with the right move I should not be late. "I have never been late," this should be my legacy. But, that night I would lose it... because of the woman I have never met before.
One of the reasons I decided to immerse myself into the world of Batmen
was to discover their universe. The world of call center is a curious one. When I met my former students and they started telling tales of their life, it made me ask myself: "can I do what they do?" Can I take those humiliating racist comments and curses thrown at them by customers?" "Can I stay awake the whole night and be productive?" But nearly three years of stay in that environment made me get more than what I have bargained for: a good pay and an empty soul. Trickery, ubiquitous pornography, cliché kind relationships among colleagues and dark realities of business
sipped into my used-to-be principled stance in life. My decades of spiritual reap melted into the acceptance of pragmatism and hedonism. I knew I was not at home. I wanted to go back, but I could hardly remember how it felt to be at home. I asked for a redemption.
I saw a woman standing next to the big post at the MRT station. While people came back and forth, she did not move there. There was an empty bench on the deck, but she did not bother to take it. I walked straight, almost running towards the escalator. It was five minutes to ten thirty. I would be late. But before I could set my foot on the escalator, I thought I saw her looking at me, waiting. She was in dark big sunglasses
. I stopped for while and reviewed my vision. She was in her 40's, I believe, thin, and had a cane. Suddenly I understood. She was blind. Deep inside, I knew she needed a help; one mistake and she may end up under the railway. The practical side of my mind pushed my feet onto the escalator: "somebody will do it." With an occasional glance of my watch, I heeded up. But, I was almost on the second deck when still, nobody did help. Several things went into my mind. my would-be perfect attendance award and my reputation. But, she might get killed. Ahhhhh! Those seconds felt as though I were in purgatory.
I went back. I confirmed too that she was indeed blind; I saw at the side, the eyeball parts were hollow. Upon my inquiry, I gathered that she was heeding to Quiapo. While I felt a sense of being a hero, a nagging thought would shake me, "what if she is just a fraud." But a line kept me on track: "kindness never asks why." I forgot where I heard it before, but never mind. It kept me going. After I endorsed her to the driver and paid for her fare, I went straight to my work. Dell
would not ask why I was late. I would simply lose that record and opportunity. But deep inside, while I was walking, for the first time in three years I felt peace. I felt forgiven, saved. It's crazy, but I felt tears coming down from my eyes.
After months I left Dell
, or more accurately, Dell left me when it ceased to operate in MOA; it was a blessing. When I look back and think what really happened that night, I asked myself: "Did I save somebody that night? Yes, or maybe no. But, one thing for sure I know what happened that night: it was that blind lady who saved me. I am home.
who calculates time to the nanoseconds. From the last MRT station at Edsa to MOA, with the right move I should not be late. "I have never been late," this should be my legacy. But, that night I would lose it... because of the woman I have never met before. One of the reasons I decided to immerse myself into the world of Batmen
was to discover their universe. The world of call center is a curious one. When I met my former students and they started telling tales of their life, it made me ask myself: "can I do what they do?" Can I take those humiliating racist comments and curses thrown at them by customers?" "Can I stay awake the whole night and be productive?" But nearly three years of stay in that environment made me get more than what I have bargained for: a good pay and an empty soul. Trickery, ubiquitous pornography, cliché kind relationships among colleagues and dark realities of business sipped into my used-to-be principled stance in life. My decades of spiritual reap melted into the acceptance of pragmatism and hedonism. I knew I was not at home. I wanted to go back, but I could hardly remember how it felt to be at home. I asked for a redemption.I saw a woman standing next to the big post at the MRT station. While people came back and forth, she did not move there. There was an empty bench on the deck, but she did not bother to take it. I walked straight, almost running towards the escalator. It was five minutes to ten thirty. I would be late. But before I could set my foot on the escalator, I thought I saw her looking at me, waiting. She was in dark big sunglasses
. I stopped for while and reviewed my vision. She was in her 40's, I believe, thin, and had a cane. Suddenly I understood. She was blind. Deep inside, I knew she needed a help; one mistake and she may end up under the railway. The practical side of my mind pushed my feet onto the escalator: "somebody will do it." With an occasional glance of my watch, I heeded up. But, I was almost on the second deck when still, nobody did help. Several things went into my mind. my would-be perfect attendance award and my reputation. But, she might get killed. Ahhhhh! Those seconds felt as though I were in purgatory. I went back. I confirmed too that she was indeed blind; I saw at the side, the eyeball parts were hollow. Upon my inquiry, I gathered that she was heeding to Quiapo. While I felt a sense of being a hero, a nagging thought would shake me, "what if she is just a fraud." But a line kept me on track: "kindness never asks why." I forgot where I heard it before, but never mind. It kept me going. After I endorsed her to the driver and paid for her fare, I went straight to my work. Dell
would not ask why I was late. I would simply lose that record and opportunity. But deep inside, while I was walking, for the first time in three years I felt peace. I felt forgiven, saved. It's crazy, but I felt tears coming down from my eyes. After months I left Dell
, or more accurately, Dell left me when it ceased to operate in MOA; it was a blessing. When I look back and think what really happened that night, I asked myself: "Did I save somebody that night? Yes, or maybe no. But, one thing for sure I know what happened that night: it was that blind lady who saved me. I am home.
photo:stuant63 @ flickr
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