My wife Lydia had quite an adventure a few days ago. While she was en route home from a mall, the taxi in which she was riding broke down on a street where empty cabs rarely pass, and the driver was unable to summon a replacement. So she decided to get out and walk to the next intersection about a kilometer down the road while carrying her load and in the pouring rain, hoping to get another taxi.
Along the way she passed the guard hut outside the entrance of a gated community. She explained her situation to the staff there who also tried to get a taxi for her but to no avail. Finally they flagged down a van leaving the subdivision and asked the driver to give Lydia a ride which he willingly did. And even though it was very much out of the way of his original destination, he dropped her off about a 10 minutes walk from our condo.
As for my own involvement in the matter, I was frantic with worry when Lydia texted me of her situation, but there was nothing I could do. However, if I'd had my wits about me, I would have immediately contacted Grab (the local counterpart of Uber). Yet even then, finding a driver to pick her up would have been iffy due to the foul weather at the time. So naturally, I was very relieved when she finally walked in the door, as well as amazed and grateful that she'd been rescued by a total stranger.
Personally, as a senior I've also encountered the kindness of strangers which I appreciate even for such simple acts of holding a door open for me or offering to help me cross the street or navigate the steep steps of pedestrian bridges. Not that I need such assistance, but it's the principle that they literally extended a hand.
In short, as harsh a place as Metro-Manila can be, there are good folks here willing to help and who expect nothing in return. And it's truly uplifting to be on the receiving end of such generosity of spirit.
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