what cute kids can do

i guess you can’t blame me when i say i’m always extra careful when walking the streets nowadays. sa dami na ng naririnig nating kwento about expats being mugged, harassed and everything. these days, the streets are no longer safe even in this part of the world. you have to be up your guards all the time. and in my case, i’ve come to a point where i no longer trust anybody, lalo yong mga ibang lahi, na nakakasalubong ko sa daan. i’ve turned into one big walking cynic who no longer believe nor trust in the goodness of people.

until something - or at least a couple of things - happened to me lately.

i was walking hurriedly one night trying to catch kadiwa before prayers. malayo pa lang napansin ko na ang isang little boy, siguro mga 3 or 4 years old, negro pero cute na cute with his bright, round eyes looking at me intently. the kind of look that tells you that he is being fascinated by what he is seeing. kung anoman ang iniisip nya, basta he was looking at me as if I was something he has never seen before in his young life.

nang malapit na ako, he waved his hand. in his own cute, unspoken way, he was trying to say “hi”. and then he offered his hand for a handshake. i was pleasantly surprised and, with a bit of hesitation, shook his hand. i hesitated kasi baka his parent was around and think ill of me. yon nga, masyado na akong cynical.

i briefly held and shook his tiny hand. then let go and started walking past him. saka ko narinig na tinawag na siya ng isang bata din, a lot older than him which i assume is his big brother.

i smiled. cute na cute ako don sa bata and what he did. and i thought to myself, “how can you even think twice to shake the hand of a little, innocent boy who has no other intention but to reach out and say hi to a total stranger like you? how can you refuse a kid trying to communicate to you the purity of his innocence?" napahiya ako ng konti sa sarili ko. then I smiled and, again, thought to myself “you gotta do something with that attitude.”

kahapon naman, pumasok ako sa isang bakala malapit sa bahay ko. this time, galing na ako ng kadiwa kaya may bitbit na akong dalawang plastic bags. binaba ko sa sulok ang mga plastic then picked up a few more items from the shop. when i headed to the cashier to pay, may pumasok na isang little boy, this one siguro mga 5 years old na. mukhang inutusan ng nanay to buy something.

nagbabayad na ako when my plastic bag fell from where i put it. nakita ng bata that i looked at the bag so naisip nya agad na sa akin yon. without hesitation, he picked it up at inabot sa akin. not only that, kinuha nya rin ang isa pang bag at inabot ulit sa akin. i gave him a big, wide smile and said “shukran”. and he responded, in all politeness, “afuan”. naisip ko, sa dinami-dami ng mga batang balasubas na nakikita ko ngayon sa daan, here’s one little angel who is not just polite but also has the kindness to help even a total stranger like me. nakakatuwa. very heartwarming.
cute little kids. pure innocent souls. sana hindi sila magbago paglaki. sana they become addition to the better breed of people walking on this planet.

i will probably never know these kids. siguro hindi ko na ulit sila makikita. but what they did to me will stay with me forever. these two reminded me that people are basically good. and that the world is still full of good souls. and I don’t have to be so cranky about people in general. and I don’t have to be such a big jerk walking around judging and branding people unnecessarily.

as for these two cute kids, i wish them the best in their lives. and most specially, sana hindi sila lumaking jaded tulad ko.