I remembered when we still lived in our previous neighborhood we had a neighbor who was a drug addict. Of course I did not see him use drugs or anything but you hear whispers and rumors. It’s so sad when people become addicted to drugs, alcohol, sex, etc. He was a nice person who fell in with a bad crowd. Maybe their family situation contributed something to it with a very strict father and very little money. I don’t know if addiction treatment would have helped him but I’m sure it was something their family could not afford. I remembered that he always paid my jeepney fare whenever we coincidentally rode the same jeepney together. Maybe it was because he was older that he thought he should be the one to pay. But I remember my aunt mentioning that he paid her fare also when he saw that they were in the same jeepney. There must have been something innately good in him that he was seldom able to express. As I grew older I seldom saw him in the neighborhood. When we moved away, his father died. My mom and I went to the wake but we were not able to attend the funeral. My best friend said that the guy was there but in handcuffs and escorted by the police. It’s so sad and such a tragic waste. I just hope that sometime soon he’d come to his senses and find a way to build a brighter future. It might be a cliché but as long as there is life there is chance to change for the better.
Passenger Talesstories about my experiences as a traveler and passenger
