an unusual ally

It only took you ten days to rattle my world.

Ten nights. Through ten sleepless nights, I've learned how to hope for the better. With the usual pessimism and cynical disposition wiped off of my system, I've learned that I was actually capable of dreaming about a future that have always seemed impossible. Ten sleepless nights were all it took to make me believe that life can get even better with you.

Ten cups. Through ten cups of coffee and tea, I've learned how to remove all self-consciousness. A cup of Joe, your listening ear, and a very entertaining "couple" were all it took to make me speak my mind without hesitation. Unafraid of judgment and discrimination, my self-esteem got the boost that it desperately needed. With a cup in my hand and the sound of our laughter, I've never felt so happy being honest.

Ten fingers. Through ten fingers intertwined, I've learned how to focus on what's real. A gentle but firm grip between two hands was all it took to teach me the difference between what's "made up in my mind" and what's real and in front of me. With a tight squeeze that jolts me back to the real world, I've learned to accept that while it is not bad to dream, it is also not bad to know what's really going on and how it really is. I've learned that no matter how much I repeat to you what I wanted to happen, some things just can't change and must be accepted as it is.

Ten days. Ten days were all that's needed to alter the course of my life. I was on a rough patch and I was on the verge of giving up, but in ten days, you've managed to set me straight. In ten days you've helped me in ways you don't even know.

And in ten days, you are gone.

I may not know what will happen in the future but I know that I can wait ten lifetimes for you to come back. It may not be in this lifetime or the next, but I know, one day, things will go our way, my unusual ally.

gratitude

So, there was a motorcycle accident near our house early this morning. The rider hit the ground hard and is bleeding from his head. He may have injured his neck so the people who were there did not move him. I called for an ambulance and brought out an umbrella to, at least, shield the guy from the sun which was directly on his face. I didn't want to leave my umbrella so I decided to wait for the ambulance as well. People, probably his friends or family (a few drunk ones so I assume the rider was also drunk), were already there doing what needs to be done so I just quietly stood by the sidewalk, waiting and trying not to add to the chaos.

Suddenly, this guy came out of nowhere and started talking loudly about a man walking "wild" (yep, his exact term) dogs which "caused" the rider to fall off his bike. This guy then looked at me and said "I think it was you." (In Tagalog, of course.)

Considering the accident happened next to a speed bump (which obviously can cause accidents when you don't slow down) and with the rider thrown meters away from his bike, the weird guy was still able to come up with a very stupid story just to blame someone else for the accident. He was actually trying to pin this whole thing down to "a guy walking his dog" next to a speed bump, which, unfortunately, was supposedly me.

Wow, really? All I could do that time was raise an eyebrow and give him a smirk. I didn't even feel it was worth defending myself for. I could have easily made a fool of him but it would literally be adding insult to injury. With all the awkwardness in the air, the weird guy just stared at me accusingly the whole time until the ambulance came.

I swear this will be the last time I'll help strangers aside from calling cops or ambulances. It's just sad how this incident now makes me think twice about helping others.