Accepting the buko man

Written 23 April

[WARNING:  Parts of this post written in Filipino are not translated into English.  Apologies to readers who do not understand Filipino.]

What the…?!  The gall!  Baket?!  So ganito na porke’t sigurado ka na sa akin?  Dun sa bata at seksing kostumer, young and sweet buko.  Sa akin, brownish-green ang husk at makapal ang laman malapit-lapit na habulin ng pangkayod! 

What gives ba?!  Porke’t loyal customer ako, ganun, bibigyan mo na ako ng di gaanong magandang buko?! Yung pang feeling mo dumadaan lang ng Roces at di na ulit dadaan dun?!

Kainis ka!

Sige di na ako sa yo!  Akala mo…meron pa sa Sct Santiago, tabi ng fruit stand, noh?! 

Pero, hinde, ‘yokong mainis sa yo.  Patatawarin kita.  [BLEEP]! pero kainis ka eh!  How could you treat me shabbily as a customer, dun pa mandin sa time na di ko gaanong na-a-appreciate sarili ko?  Kainis ka!

Pero ayoko ngang may kaaway.  Atsaka para ba sa isang pagkakamali ay di na kita babalikan? Paliliitin ko na ang mundo ko?  Yoko rin naman ng ganyan.

Patatawarin kita,  babalik ako sa yo at bibili pa rin ako ng buko mo.

Pero truth is, there were three occasions earlier when I could have gone back to your kariton but didn’t.  And I know you saw me on two occasions rush on to Quezon Av after getting off a Roces jeep.

Serves you. 

Although I do feel for you too because ganun lang talaga tayong mga tao e, nang-aabuso sa alam nating “kuha na” natin.

Still I know I am going back to you because I want to minimize cases of  “hwag na, ayoko na dun kasi pumangit na interactions dun” in my life.

Today this morning I finally did.  Binalikan kita. 

And it was sweet. 

You gave me buko juice that tastes sweet and fresh, and the coco meat…young and just-right tender.  Para ding pakiramdam ko sa sarili ko at that time.  Haha!

Me:  “Ang dami nang umiinom ng buko ngayon.” 

You:  “Oo kasi mainit e.”

Me (thinking “hinde…”):  “Marami kasing may alam na na maganda yan sa katawan.”

Tango ka dyan.

Me looking at you choosing my words carefully:  “Alam nyo bang mabili at mahal ito sa ibang bansa?”

Tango ka ulit sabay “Sa pinagkukunan pa lang, hinihiwalay na ang malalaki e, para dun [overseas market].”

Me, impressed with you: “Kaya pala maliliit na lang natitira rito.”

“Oo.”

[Shades of many other products in our country that separates the quality ones so the “rejects” are the ones left for us here to consume.  Flashing through my mind my time living in coastal villages as researcher/development worker where the fishers hardly get to eat the big or good quality fish they catch because they sell it as it fetches a good price.]

Earlier at home as I get ready to leave the house I mulled over accepting.  People have feet of clay.  Ang magandang samahan, maayos na pakikitungo ay nagwawakas.  People make mistakes.  They will irritate me.  They will anger me.   (They will stand up to me, ouch!  They will mirror me, ARAGUY!)  They will thoroughly disappoint me.  That time comes as sure as the sun rises every morning.  It comes time and time again if I stay long enough interacting with them, having a relationship with them.

Pero pag di ako nagpatawad, not letting go of people’s “trespasses”  san ako pupulutin?  Yung kinainisan ko malamang naka-move on na…magaan na ulit, ako, nagngingitngit pa rin.  Less happy.

So forgive and accept people as they are especially their weaknesses, I tell myself.  I know I have to do this no matter how difficult it is (the more close to me, the harder).  Lahat nagkakamali.  Each one has their radiance and darkness.  Each one is trying their best (in their own way).

I, too, have done my share of irritating, angering, thoroughly disappointing people.  Many of my friends, relatives, associates have seen my muddy feet, my dark heart.  Still, many of them accept me for the person that I am.  The least I can do is do the same for them as well as others I meet along the way.

Thank you buko man for being a channel of this lesson.

Side story:  The buko man in Roces is my brother Sani’s original source of buko.  We would go to him after our early morning exercise at Amoranto Sports, mid-year 2011 (my bro’s most recent Manila visit).  In an earlier post, I wrote about the buko man who became my suki while I regularly held clinic days in a pranic healing center in front of St. Lukes Hospital QC.

P.S. (3 June)  I have gone to get buko from the Roces Av buko man several more times and each time he has given me the young coconut with quality I prefer best.  Bless his soul that flexibly learns from experience and acts accordingly.

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