A Lesson from an Old Man

After going to the grocery last night, I dropped by a drugstore to buy some vitamins for myself. I have been busy and tired these past few days and my cousin who is a doctor advised me to take some multivitamins. While waiting for my order, I noticed that beside me was an old man who looked tired. He seemed sleepy, too. He was wearing a tattered shirt and a pants with hand-sewn patches. Little did I know that my encounter with this unassuming old man would remind me of something I have forgotten to do lately.

The old man smiled at me. Probably, he noticed that I was looking at him.

“Magkano babayaran ko? (How much do I have to pay?)” he said to the saleslady who approached him with the medicine he ordered.

“450 (pesos) ho” came the reply.

The old man counted the money in his hands. Then, he counted the money again.

“Pwede ho bang 400 na lang? (Can I just pay 400?),” the old man said.

“Naku, sori ho pero hindi ko ho pwedeng ibigay ang mga gamot kung ganoon (I’m sorry but if that’s the case, I cannot give you these medicines),” answered the saleslady politely.

“Pero 400 lang kasi ang pera ko eh. (But I only have 400),” the old man said in a very apologetic manner. I noticed that he was teary-eyed.

I pulled a 50-peso bill out of my wallet and handed it to the saleslady. “Bayaran ko na lang ang kulang niya (I’ll just pay the rest),” I said and smiled to the old man. The old man looked surprised. He smiled back at me. It was a smile full of gratitude. He didn’t have to say thank you. It was enough, more than enough in fact, for the 50 pesos I gave him.

I offered to accompany the old man to where he could get a ride. He said he was on his way home after borrowing some money from a friend. I’ve learned that the medicine he bought was for his wife who has cancer. They live on their own, renting a small house in a shanty. They have no children. At 67 years old, he still drives a pedicab, their only means of earning money.

Since I had no more money in my wallet, I gave him some of the groceries I bought which I thought they could use. “Bless you,” he said, smiling. He profusely thanked me but I told him there was no need. No need, indeed, because at that moment I felt that I should be the one thanking him.

These past few days I have been complaining of the neck-deep work in the office, of the deadlines I have to beat, of the things I have been missing because of work. The old man made me count my blessings. He made me realize I have been complaining too much when my problems are only a speck of his burdens. I have a regular job in an office. I don’t have to drive a pedicab and endure the sun and rain. The job I have may not be the highest-paid one in the world, but I have sent three of my siblings to college because of my earnings from it. I have been able to visit some places in the Philippines through it. I have met a lot of friends, helped some people, made some people happy in my own little ways because of it.

I went home with a light heart.