A Few Good Men

In this era where criminality abounds, especially, burglary and thievery are looming just around the corner, there are still a few good men left.  Not all persons, especially Filipinos, would seek to this criminality inorder to live.  No matter what it costs, these few good men would remain immaculate and pure.

I am basing this on the true account of my wife and my daughter.

Last April of 2013, my wife and my daughter decided to have a week long vacation in Carrascal, Surigao del Sur.  Considering that I was not able to file any leave of absence, I chose to stay here in General Santos City.  

It was around 6:00 o'clock in the afternoon of Thursday when I sent them off.  They took an air-conditioned Yellow Bus.  Because they were carrying a medium-sized red trolley bag, this was not allowed to be placed inside the bus so  I carefully placed the red trolley bag at the baggage board (I am not sure of the exact term) and then I told the conductor to look over the same.

After the bus sped off, I then went home.  We had some exchanged of text messages with my wife while she and our daughter were traveling to Davao City.  I was even reminding them about the red trolley bag I placed at the baggage board.  

While I was in my deep slumber, I was awakened by the ringing of my phone.  My wife was calling and telling me that their red trolley bag was gone.  Everything was in there including their personal belongings.  So relatively, my wife and my daughter had nothing except the ones they were wearing. So what would they be using in Carrascal for one week? Good thing, her shoulder bag where her wallet was placed was not inside the red trolley bag.

My wife was already crying desperately.  All her favorite apparels as well as that of our daughter's were inside the bag.  

I told my wife to remain calm.  That she would not worry about them because those were just personal effects.  What was important, they were safe and unharmed.

So, what happened? They postponed their vacation instead.  They went back here in General Santos City with a lot a frustrations and betrayal.  Frustrated because, that was the vacation that was scheduled a long time ago.  Betrayal also because the conductor of the bus did not pay any attention to the baggage of their passengers.

We were hopeless that we would recover the bag again.  We were hopeless because of what the news we heard about thievery happening almost in every nook and corner.  In short, we did not believe that there were few good men left to help us return our bag.

Until four days after, my wife was able to receive a call from ABS-CBN Davao City inquiring from her of any description she could remember of what were inside the lost bag.  The ABS-CBN people did not really elaborate the matter but informed my wife to be in their station as soon as possible.

So a day after my wife was informed, we then headed to ABS-CBN Davao City to provide in details what were inside the bag that was turned over to the station.  It was only my wife who was allowed to get inside the station and was asked of anything related to the bag.

After almost 30 minutes, my wife came out from ABS-CBN Davao City Station happily carrying our red trolley bag.

How come our bag was brought to the station?

When the Yellow Bus stopped at the bus station located in SM City Davao, there was one passenger who alighted from the said bus and carried mistakenly our red trolley bag along with his things.  That passenger then took a taxi in going to his final destination.  When he was about to get his things inside the trunk of the taxi, he was surprised because our bag was there.  He then told the taxi driver that the red trolley bag was not his and left the red trolley bag inside the taxi trunk.

The Taxi Driver then brought the red trolley bag to ABS-CBN Davao City station for broadcasting.  Fortunately, an hour before my wife and my daughter boarded the Yellow Bus, she bought something in one of the malls here in General Santos City.  She is a member of the consumer club of some sort of the said mall.  When the ABS-CBN people saw a receipt attached to the cellophane, my wife's contact number was reflected in there.  Thus, she was able to be contacted by the station.

My wife and my daughter happily carry our red trolley bag after they claim it from ABS-CBN Davao.

Unfortunately, those few good men never left any information where would we contact them.  They remain anonymous up to this time.  We were not able to say them thank you in persons.  But whoever these people are, saying thank you would not be enough.  We would be forever grateful to you.  We would bring this kindness till the last breath of our existence.

At least, there are still few good men in our midst.