A Chance Encounter

by Andy Smith
Though taking a bus was cheaper, taking a taxi from Manila proved more profitable

Crates of tropical fruit appeared on the baggage carousel. Then came the suitcases. Mine came unusually early. I grabbed it and headed outside where taxi companies sought my business. I walked past them to a bus stop 100 yards on. Five minutes later, none had come by. Perhaps it was too late.

Quickly changing plans, I hopped into one of the waiting taxis. The driver started the motor and I told him, 'Quezon City'. His face dropped. He explained that he had assumed I was a businessman(!) staying in a Makati hotel and that he needed to get the taxi to the garage in 30 minutes. I told him understood and climbed out.

Other taxi drivers offered their services. On hearing my destination, one of them asked how much I'd pay. I replied, "What the meter says and a bit more." He asked for 50 pesos more. Being too tired to bargain further, I agreed and off we went.

"I'm, Andy. What’s your name?"

"Buboy."

I didn’t need to ask him what kind of work he did. Nor did I want to reveal my line of work yet. So I skipped the usual next question and asked,

"Are you married?"

"Yes. How about you?"

"No. I'm single," I said, "How many children do you have?"

"Three. The oldest is in high school. The middle one’'s in the second grade. The youngest is two years old."

"It’s not easy raising children these days, is it?"

"No. I can feed them, but I don’t know how I’ll get them through school. You speak Tagalog well. How long have you been in the Philippines?"

"About 14 years now. I very much enjoy it here. Where are you from?"

"Bicol."

"Bicol!" I switched languages. "Where in Bicol?"

"Naga. You know how to speak Bicol, too?"

"Just a bit. I lived in Albay province for seven years. Do you go home often?"

"Not anymore. Can't afford to. I used to go three times a year."

"Let me guess. For fiesta in September, for Christmas and for Holy Week."

"You’re right! My mother-in-law died recently. I couldn't afford to be away from my work. So only my wife and children went for the funeral."

"I’m sorry to hear that. That couldn’t have been easy."

"Are you a Jesuit priest?"

"No, I’m a Bible Christian."

"Really? I’m a born-again Christian, too."

"That’s great. There aren’t many Bicolano men who know and follow Jesus."

"That’s for sure! Something in Bicol seems to lock them into the majority religion. I came to faith here in Manila. My boss promised to pay us drivers a full day's wage if we worked half a day on Sunday and attended his Bible study. I took him up on it. Before long, I saw the truth."

"Many Bicolanos come to faith either here in Manila or while working overseas. Maybe we need to send everyone out of Bicol for a while!"

"Maybe so," he replied, smiling.

For the next 30 minutes, we discussed our spiritual lives. Then we reached my apartment. I pulled out the agreed fare. He returned part of the extra. As I walked up the stairs, I thanked God for the chance encounter And I prayed for the 97 per cent of Bicolanos who still do not know the living Christ.

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