A stranger's Talk

Walking in the streets of Baguio City in the dark, cold night has always been my way of winding up. Aside from the physical benefit I get from walking, I am always engrossed in watching people’s activity and their dealings with one another. I consider this as a wonderful result of communication, a process where one can learn from the other. And I personally take each communication process an opportunity to listen to lessons gained from bitterness but surpassed with resilience.

I want to share my encounter with a single mom who tries to earn a living by selling Ukay-ukay products in the dim streets of Baguio City. I approached her out of curiosity, asking her where have all the other ukay-ukay vendors gone? She said they were instructed by the city government not to sell anymore in the pavements of the streets on night time. She failed to provide me further information of her comrades’ disappearance in the street. But she still persisted in selling used clothes; otherwise, she’ll go home with nothing to eat.

I was surprised when she’s been talking and telling me stories of her life. I did not know her, and she just met me right there. I got her complete name but let me just call her Andrea. I just told her my first name so we could address one another by name. We’re both strangers at that moment. And I think we became friends.
I came to know that she’s from Cebu, migrated in Baguio City more or less twenty years ago. She’s been separated with her husband for quite some time now, and she serves as the father and mother to her only child. Andrea speaks good English, very vocal, high-spirited, principled. I would say she’s gentle and sweet at the same time.

I got carried away with her story. I was flabbergasted with the trust she gave me. Andrea speaks from the heart. She’s not ashamed with her past; she’s confident to say she has moved on with her past relationship. She’s not even afraid to face tomorrow even alone. We talked for less than an hour until the policemen told her to vacate the area. Ukay vending is already forbidden in the pavements at night time. She has to leave and so I had to bid good-bye…

What a stranger’s talk with nothing to lose! It only requires willingness to listen and to learn, to respect and to trust, to consider others more highly than one self. It’s a simple talk that can edify a lowly-spirit like mine, who fervently misses to commune with the One who only searches the attitude of the heart. †