It’s christmas eve, two and a half hours from midnight. It’s a rainy evening, and the kid-carolers on the street are few, allowing me some quiet moments to write this blog. On December 19, two days before my friend George left for the US, we visited his cousin, Joel, a structural engineer, in far-flung San Mateo, Rizal. Joel, our host, turned out to be very engaging, as he entertained us in the spacious 2nd-level patio of his strikingly beautiful home amid some social drinking.
The weather was good and the night skyline of Marikina clearly visible over the horizon. The cool breeze highlighted the tranquility of the night, punctuated only by rambunctious laughter of our small group. Joel was telling me how he is always apprehensive in visiting the US. The first time was when he did it contrary to doctor’s advice, landing him in a hospital where a hole was drilled in his skull to relieve pressure on a clot that he sustained in a fall.
But this blog is about Joel’s latest sojourn in the US where he took the opportunity to visit his cousin and my friend, George. This time he lost his passport.
Joel reconstructed the chain of events that led to the loss by detailing the circumstances of his travel from Sacramento, where he met his brother, to Camarillo, California, where George lived. At some point in between, they drove into a campsite at Big Sur for some rest and food. While there, he met Jack, whose appearance makes it seem he is either a hobo, a drifter or vagrant bumming around.
Joel approached Jack’s table and greeted him warmly. “Good afternoon. What’s that, man?” “Oh, this one here is jade. I’m putting a hole on it so I can make it to a pendant which I sell for 20 bucks”, said Jack.
Joel’s wife Gemma shouted to Joel from their own table: “Pabayaan mo yan!” (“Leave him alone!”). But Joel’s interest was aroused by Jack’s skill as he drilled holes to several flat stones he carried, manually and rigorously scratching them with other stones. The two men made good conversation. “Hey, Jack, what’s the best way to get to Camarillo?” “If I were you, I’d take the Pacific Coast Highway One. I’ve been a driver a long time, I use it always coz it’s more scenic, you’ll enjoy the ride, believe me", Jack answered back.
Then it was time to travel, and as Joel made his way back to their car, he took a last glimpse of Jack, and, pointing at him with a finger as if a pistol, affectionately ended their short meeting with these warm words: “Thanks, man. I believe you. Good Luck on your business.”
After another six hours of driving, they arrived on the doorstep of George’s home around 10PM. George greeted them a warm welcome with these ominous words: “Pasok kayo. Wala ba kayong nalimutan?” (“Come in. Did you not forget anything?”)
Joel gave this small talk little thought and began unloading his stuff from the car. Suddenly he stood stupefied, albeit momentarily, after realizing he cannot find his laptop bag. In it was his passport. Then it dawned on him that he had brought it out to Jack’s table back at the campsite in Big Sur to check quickly on his emails.
Wasting no time, Joel made a decision to travel back to the campsite immediately. While they drove another six hours, he recreated mental images of what had transpired that day just to be sure. As he did so, he got a steadily increasing sense of portentous things to come in the eventuality that he does not recover his passport. How long will it take to process a lost passport? Will he stay here the whole time? What about his resources? He is on leave and his work cannot afford a long absence.
Joel regained his balance however when he found an old tune running in the trove of his memory. Perhaps he saw himself so helpless that he found meaning in a Neil Young song – ‘Heart of Gold’ so he quietly sang it in his mind: “I've been to Hollywood, I've been to Redwood. I crossed the ocean for a heart of gold.” Perhaps Joel was hoping against hope that his salvation can come in the form of an honest man with a heart of gold. This place by the coast is an ocean detached from what he calls home in San Mateo, Rizal.
They pulled at the campsite at 4AM. It was still dark so they had to pass a few anxious minutes waiting inside the car. At daybreak, the first people they met were park rangers whom they apprised of the situation. The rangers made a few calls of inquiry but all returned negative. Joel asked about Jack. The rangers knew him as the guy who visited the campsite from time to time and lived by selling stuff. Joel told them he didn’t care for his laptop, he just wanted his passport back. Although the situation appeared to turn more desperate, it was only 6AM and they were asked to wait till the office opened at 8AM.
After what seemed an eternity, the door of the office opened. Joel rushed in to tell his story to the person in-charge, who then made more inquiries while Joel stepped out to wait.
Shortly thereafter, the guy at the office came out and stated in a matter-of-factly but congenial voice: “We got it!”
Joel couldn’t believe what he was hearing for the first time so he was tentative. When he was finally ushered inside the office and handed the laptop bag, he instinctively reached out for the side pocket and found everything intact, including his passport. The next few minutes made Joel busy, filling out forms prior to release. Then every excruciating moment prior to this point turned into a blur as he stepped out into the fresh, cool morning air.
Yes, it was Jack who returned the bag.
When they said their ‘good-byes’ Joel volunteered to leave 200 bucks at the office for Jack, in case he ever came back to the campsite. The voice of the guy in charge was firm: “Sorry, we can’t do that.”
As they drove away, Joel reflected on the “what-ifs”. What if he had not gone out of his way to accord some civility to Jack when they met? Yes, it definitely pays to Believe in people.
PS.
To Jack, please know that we created a slogan in your honor and it goes this way: (with finger pointing as if a pistol) “I believe you!”
This slogan was heard repeatedly throughout the evening of December 19 when I met Joel and the solace it brought erased my doubts in the universal goodness of man. Jack, you are our “The Anonymous Heart of Gold for 2011” awardee.
Merry Christmas.
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