Calao Bridge, Santiago City
November 11, 1989
10:15 p.m.
Skrittsss! Bog! Blag! Honkkk!
My heartbeat suddenly ran fast. I had bumped someone. I felt frozen. And before I could step out of the car, an old man stood up infront of me. I immediately got off and approached him “Sir, are you alright?”
To my surprise, the old man had not even a single scratch, whatever. He was fine. Feeling relieved, I asked to let me drive him to where he was going. “I’m going home”, he replied.
I’ve learned that Mang Fidel, the old man, was once a banker like me. I discreetly took a glance of him. Though he didn’t look like one anymore because of his being thin and haggard, there were traces of virtuosity in his bearing.
“You know, Albert”, Mang Fidel gazed at me, “You live life just once, never forget the essential”, he suddenly said. Strange, I told myself. Then all of a sudden, I felt cold.
Before the bumping (?) incident happened, I just had a long day at the office. I had been busy for that past two weeks. I didn’t even have the time to get a full night sleep because of a big transaction I was working on.
Being reminded of the work I still had to do, I hurried to reach the address given by Mang Fidel. When we reached the place which I was not so familiar with, being new in the City (my family and I had just migrated because of my job transfer/promotion), I was confounded by the house that greeted me. It was so big and obviously expensive. The well-lighted lawn with a garden fountain was stunningly beautiful.
Impressed, I accompanied the old man to the gate.
“Goodbye, Sir”, then I said.
“Until tomorrow”, he replied as he went in.
I was puzzled by his answer. Yet I just shook it off and returned to my car.
That night, Mang Fidel’s thought was erased from my mind because of my being preoccupied with the work I brought home.
“Hon, aren’t you going to bed yet? It’s past two in the morning”, said Grace, my wife.
“Sshhh!”, I cut her off. I had to finish that report.
She put down the cup of coffee she made for me. Then she silently went out of the room.
That scenario had been the same since I took hold of that business contract. I barely had time for my wife, more so with my two kids. Everytime I get home, my children were already asleep. And in the morning, I had gone to work before they finished getting ready for school.
The next morning, my as-usual-busy-day went by. Little did I know that night would be an unforgettable night in my life. A queer blessed night.
I was driving home at around past seven in the evening. Our ManCom meeting ended up earlier than expected. On the carseat, I took notice of a brown envelope beside me. A name was written at its upper left corner – Fidel Castroverde. It must be Mang Fidel’s, I thought.
And so I decided to bring it to his house where I dropped him the night before.
“Yes?”, a man about Mang Fidel’s age opened the door.
“I would like to give this to Mr. Fidel Castroverde”, I said. “He left it in my car last night”.
Suddenly, the man was dumbfounded. And when he found his voice, he asked me in.
“Fidel is my older brother”, Mang Celso said. We were already sitting at their wide living room. “He died seven years ago”.
I was stiffened.
“Fidel was a very successful banker”, Mang Celso started to narrate. “This house spells his richness. This was his”, he swallowed hard. “All of us in the family thought that he was so lucky”, he said in retrospect. “His career was at its peak, he had a pretty loving wife, Lorena, and a lovely daughter, Jean. All seemed to be going well…. If not for Fidel’s insatiable want of power and fame”. The old man paused.
“What happened?”, I asked, full of apprehension.
“Fidel devoted his time to his work to get the position he so much desired. He had neglected his wife and daughter”, sadness was in the old man’s eyes.
“One night”, he continued, “Fidel and Lorena had their heated argument. Lorena decided to leave Fidel. She got in her car with their daughter and ran-off. Fidel pursued them ... But it just worsened the matter. Because of the chase, Lorena and Jean met an accident and died – at the Calao Bridge.”
Mang Celso took a deep breath. “From then on, Fidel was not himself. He lost his job, his health deteriorated. He spent most of his time standing near the very spot his wife and child died. Not caring about himself anymore, he got ill….then died.”
Then Mang Celso opened the brown envelope I brought. He took out what was inside. Both of us were agape to see the blown-up picture of Mang Fidel with his wife and daughter posed happily. Feeling frozen, something struck me inside. And as if hearing Mang Fidel’s voice, his same words drifted through the air, “You live life just once, never forget the essential.”
Like a thunder, the thought of Grace and my two kids crossed my mind. Lately, I had put them aside. I was so engrossed with my work that I had taken them for granted. Just like Fidel Castroverde.
With intense longing to be with my family right away, I immediately bade Mang Celso goodnight. I drove home with excitement. And when I reached home, my wife and two children were so amazed when I joined them watch T.V. just after I changed my clothes. And I saw surprise and happiness on their faces when I kissed them one by one and hugged them as if I wont ever let go.
Now, everytime I pass by Calao Bridge, I always remember Mang Fidel. And I never forget to thank him for reminding me of life’s essence.
