Should I had just shut up?
I’ve been hearing things about this woman who’s been visiting houses at the village to ask for food and money. Surprisingly according to my source, the woman looks very able-bodied. She’s “fat”, according to Michi.
And so I confirmed what she was talking about just this morning. While sitting with my lola and Michi in front of our house (we have this little porch), Michi saw the woman, young and able-bodied, walking on the street and heading towards the direction of our house.
To shorten the story, the very young, able-bodied and healthy-looking woman asked for 10 pesos. She has to buy milk for her child, according to her. What’s a 10-peso coin’s worth to us?
But my lola refused. That was the second time she went to our house. During the first time, lola gave her half a kilo of rice. And even during that time, the woman was expecting a kind donation of one kilo of rice.
Our initial hostility wasn’t enough to discourage her from asking, that time, 5 pesos. Just five pesos, for her child’s milk.
The first half of the time I was just sitting on the chair, facing Michi who’s whispering, telling when she previously saw the person on the other parts of the village. My grandma can’t seem to tell straight into the person’s face that “young, able-bodied, healthy-looking persons like her shouldn’t just go around begging for food and money, and instead work for whatever they want feed into their stomachs”.
The scene climaxed as I blurted out and scolded the woman, asking her why don’t she just look for a job instead of practicing her parasitic tendencies. I knew the woman felt bad. She walked away mumbling something about the “worth of 5 pesos”.
I knew that was just bad. Even lola and the maid said nothing after that. The way I confronted her wasn’t right. I even laughed when she walked away. I should’ve told her subtle-ly. But I don’t feel guilty. Some people just have to be dealt with the hard way for them to learn. I just hope that the person won’t hold any grudges against us.
And I promise to do same thing to those teenage boys who go to houses asking donations for the dead.
I would have done the same thing too. I mean, sure, I would pity the woman to a certain extent but if she takes advantage of others’ kindness like that, she would be told off eventually. Sigh.
tama yung ginawa mo. walang mangyayari sa bansa natin kung lagi na lang awa ang pinaiiral. lahat tayo mamalimos na lang kasi mas madali.
tama naman a. mga ganung tao minsan kailngan ipa-mukha sa kanila ang ginagawa nila. sa akin mas kabaitan yun kaysa dahan-dahan at mahinahong pag-sabi na hindi pwede. at least sa pagsigaw mo sa kanya natauhan siya na may mali siyang ginagawa at hindi lang dahil sa ayaw siya bigyan.