Tuesday, July 29, 2008

mr.Perez

Someone knocks on my door.
“Mrs. Perez”, the mail carrier ask me
My eyes roll back and forth and I tell him that the name does not ring a bell.

“Water bill, Perez”, shouts the deliveryman of water system.
Again, it does not ring a bell.

Then the phone bills, the electrical bills, and other bills, asking for Mr. Perez

I never bother to ask who Mr. Perez is. Then time has passed nevertheless, with the same scenario, Mr. Perez unknown for me, the heck for me to ask. I live in a compound of 6-unit apartment, roughly for a year already but little information I have about our neighbors. The unit on our right is the owner of the compound; a family of Jehovah’s Witness while the one on our right is a big family of Muslims and the rest of the three other units are unknown to me. But whenever I go out of the compound, I usually see two old men hanging around at the compound’s gateway. Mr. A, as I brand him, he always has a book, magazine or anything to read on. I usually see him every afternoon sitting on the porch yard. He is pretty old with a façade of sad face. Then, Mr. B, as a call him in my mind, he has a big tummy dangling back and forth whenever he walk. I usually see him cleaning his old, gray corolla car every morning, at around eight or nine. Life goes on every day. Just a simple glance and mandatory smile to acknowledge their presence whenever my eyes come in contact with theirs.

One sunny day, the owner of the units, Granny Nag, the name speaks for her; she is lean but energetic granny who loves to plant herbal shrubbery. “Is she gonna ask for the payment, it’s not due yet” I thought. Then she utters this “Si Prof patay na”. As always, my gesture turns out to be clueless. Then she immediately adds “un me ari ng corolla”. Tight cramps on my tummy, a bolt from the blue. Granny Nag then tells the story on how the Prof dies. At the end of the tête-à-tête, I discovered that Prof, Mr. B, and Mr. Perez are just one person.

Just a thought: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.

3 comments:

Mharms said...

tnx..see u in my blog always..by d way, i linked u

Anonymous said...

hmm pre, buti kapa klala mo neigbors mow, ako hdi,hahah, halata ba, e nsa rm lang ako forever..but know what, sometimes its really a good thing to know them , bad or good, they are of a big help tlga especially times of emergency, call 911.lol.wakokok, email nnman ba to?thanks pre s time and comments pala.have a nice day!!keep it up, pagging good writer!idul idul!hahaha!TAGAY

Unknown said...

My neighbor came over to my house and yelled at me over my dog!

I have a dog that I can't keep in my yard. I have tried everything and she always finds a way out. Anyway, this lady comes to my home, knocks on my door and when i open the door she points her finger at me and yells obscenities at me. Apparently my dog was in HER neighbors garbage and then pooped on HER NEIGHBORS LAWN! Why didn't she come and talk to me like a civil human being? Why was she a vicious monster attacking me at my door? I calmly went over to HER NEIGHBORS house where the garbage was and picked up every piece, and the dog poop. I agree that I have that responsibility to clean up after my dog. The one thing I don't agree upon is someone coming to my house and screaming in my face about something I didn't know about. Is anyone out there been blessed with a psyco-neighbor?
I don't think anyone remembers the golden rule...Do unto others as you would want done unto you!
I sent them a lovely card from this site I found...www.URAJerk.com