the little man in quiapo
Yesterday, I went to Quiapo with my folks. My mom wanted to do some pre-Christmas shopping and basically checkout the merchandise in the area for possible Christmas gifts.
As we passed by the Quiapo Church and on to Cariedo Street, we were being bumped by people from all walks of life. Unfortunately for me, I got squashed by two very smelly vendors and I wanted to take an alcohol bath right and there, just to get the stench (and feel of sweat) out of me. I couldn't stand it so I took my mom's hand and led her to a path with lesser number of people.
We were on Cariedo Street when we found ourselves walking in front of a very small boy -- a toddler actually. At first, we thought he was with some parent or relative. But then he just went on walking and walking by himself.
"Alam nya kaya kung saan sya pupunta? (Does he know where he's going?)" my mom asks.
"Mom," I replied, "he doesn't look like he's over two years old."
So on we went following the little man. As the three of us passed by KFC, he got bumped by two adults and then he started crying. He didn't fall or anything but I think he got hurt. My heart broke. I couldn't stop myslf, I took him in my arms, dirt and all. He was smelly, dirty, and had mucus on his nose, but looking at his small brown eyes, he's adorable.
I wanted to take him home right there and then. My mom took out tissue paper from her bag and wiped the mucus off his upper lip. As my mom started a conversation with one of the vendors regarding the child, I looked at the little man and he stopped crying. He was such an amiable baby.
I couldn't leave him there. I told my mom to ask for directions to the police station. The vendor pointed out the police outpost and said it might be the best idea since there were a lot of syndicates kidnapping babies.
I carried him all the way there, as if I didn't want to let him go. When we reached the police outpost, my mom started talking about how we happend on the little man. I laid him down on a chair and fixed his slippers. I noticed he has dirty and bruised hands and I wondered what kind of parents would let their toddler wander around a busy market. I asked my mom for some more tissue and put a little water on it and started wiping his face. As the dirt went off, I noticed that he was a cute baby. I continued wiping his little hands, half-hoping that no one would be there to claim him so that I could really take him home.
I know it sounds as if I'm just taking a puppy home but if you could only see how he behaved and acted, I'm sure you would feel the same way. He's such a good child. No temper tantrums. No kicking and screaming. No attitude problem. Just a sweet, innocent, amiable child.
A couple of minutes after the blotter, a mother came by the police station and one of the policemen recognized her. It seemed that Magda, the vendor mother's name, is the mother of the little man. She didn't even thank us for finding her son until the policement pointed out what we did for her child.
As we went out the police post, I noticed her berating her other child (about 4 years old) for not taking care of the little man and letting him walk on his own. I couldn't believe that such mothers exist.
I didn't look back when I walked away. I didn't wanther anyone to see the tears on my eyes as I left a very good little boy in the hands of a not-so-good mother.
As we passed by the Quiapo Church and on to Cariedo Street, we were being bumped by people from all walks of life. Unfortunately for me, I got squashed by two very smelly vendors and I wanted to take an alcohol bath right and there, just to get the stench (and feel of sweat) out of me. I couldn't stand it so I took my mom's hand and led her to a path with lesser number of people.
We were on Cariedo Street when we found ourselves walking in front of a very small boy -- a toddler actually. At first, we thought he was with some parent or relative. But then he just went on walking and walking by himself.
"Alam nya kaya kung saan sya pupunta? (Does he know where he's going?)" my mom asks.
"Mom," I replied, "he doesn't look like he's over two years old."
So on we went following the little man. As the three of us passed by KFC, he got bumped by two adults and then he started crying. He didn't fall or anything but I think he got hurt. My heart broke. I couldn't stop myslf, I took him in my arms, dirt and all. He was smelly, dirty, and had mucus on his nose, but looking at his small brown eyes, he's adorable.
I wanted to take him home right there and then. My mom took out tissue paper from her bag and wiped the mucus off his upper lip. As my mom started a conversation with one of the vendors regarding the child, I looked at the little man and he stopped crying. He was such an amiable baby.
I couldn't leave him there. I told my mom to ask for directions to the police station. The vendor pointed out the police outpost and said it might be the best idea since there were a lot of syndicates kidnapping babies.
I carried him all the way there, as if I didn't want to let him go. When we reached the police outpost, my mom started talking about how we happend on the little man. I laid him down on a chair and fixed his slippers. I noticed he has dirty and bruised hands and I wondered what kind of parents would let their toddler wander around a busy market. I asked my mom for some more tissue and put a little water on it and started wiping his face. As the dirt went off, I noticed that he was a cute baby. I continued wiping his little hands, half-hoping that no one would be there to claim him so that I could really take him home.
I know it sounds as if I'm just taking a puppy home but if you could only see how he behaved and acted, I'm sure you would feel the same way. He's such a good child. No temper tantrums. No kicking and screaming. No attitude problem. Just a sweet, innocent, amiable child.
A couple of minutes after the blotter, a mother came by the police station and one of the policemen recognized her. It seemed that Magda, the vendor mother's name, is the mother of the little man. She didn't even thank us for finding her son until the policement pointed out what we did for her child.
As we went out the police post, I noticed her berating her other child (about 4 years old) for not taking care of the little man and letting him walk on his own. I couldn't believe that such mothers exist.
I didn't look back when I walked away. I didn't want
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