We went back to Olongapo today to pay for the capital gains taxes, or at least the amount we agreed on. We met with our contact Arlene, who acts as our intermediary. Without her help, I probably would be paying the full amount and more.
We took the Victory Liner bus. On our way home, there were too many people waiting for the bus to Iba. We would have preferred an air-conditioned bus, but none came for a long time. So, when the next regular bus arrived, we hopped on.
Actually, the regular bus is fine once it got going. The fresh air is nice and you could smell the vegetation in the fields that we passed.
We sat on a three-seater side and I was at the aisle seat. The seats are narrower, of course, so I was holding on to stay on my seat whenever the bus turned. In the next town, an older woman got on and sat on the seat right in front of me. When the two-seater across from me opened up, I moved over and got a window seat. When the bus stopped again, the older woman moved to the seat next to me as well. I continued to look out the window, but after a while, she asked, "Anong araw ba ngayon? Huebes?" (What day is it today? Thursday?) I replied, "Opo." (Yes.) Then she started talking.
She said that the days go by fast. She had been running errands in Olongapo every day of this week. (Iba to Olongapo is a two-hour trip each way by bus.) I was making small noises and nodding to indicate that I was agreeing. Then she was telling me her troubles.
She said that she was working on getting one of her children out of jail. The vehicle has been released from the impound, but her son is still in jail. (Auntie Baby later deduced that the son was probably involved in an accident.) She says she has twelve(!) children and none of them are of any help to her. In fact, she bails them out when they get in trouble, like this son. One of them also mortgaged their property and didn't pay the loan back, so she had to pay it off. One of her kids is abroad (I don't know where) and she says she doesn't hear from that kid either. I tried to console her by saying that she'll probably get her reward from her grandkids instead. She agreed, since she put them through school too. She says she has so many problems but she just keeps praying.
She complains that her husband doesn't have the backbone to straighten out their kids. But she said he's essentially a good husband otherwise. They've been married for 55 years. She's 77 and he's 79.
However, it seems she's doing well financially. She has several businesses, including a videoke rental business, four stores in the market selling various things, and a beach resort. She invited me to visit her beach resort and said it's called "Rose Anne." Her name is Rosita. I asked where her resort is and it turned out that she lives in Iba as well. I pointed to Auntie Arsing and Auntie Baby and told Aling* Rosita that they were my "tiyahin" (aunts). I told her that I am staying at Auntie Arsing's resort. That was the first time she noticed them and her face lit up. She said that she knows Auntie Arsing. It turned out that Auntie Arsing is the godmother of one of her sons. She said hello to Auntie Arsing and rode the trike with us, but she got off at the market. She said I'm still welcome to come and visit her resort.
A long time ago, Dianne said that people come to me for advice because I'm a good listener. More recently, Jan remarked that we both attract people with problems. Aling Rosita couldn't have known that I'm a good listener; she spilled her problems almost as soon as we started talking. So, it's probably a psychic energy that I broadcast somehow. To be honest, I don't mind. Sometime ago, I accepted that we each have our own cross to bear. I can help lighten someone's burden, but I can't carry it for them. I learned that with Jon. So, I don't get frustrated anymore about being unable to solve people's problems. Most of the time, they just need someone to talk to. Besides, who knows if it's good or bad? :-)
* "Ale" is an honorific title for a woman who is not a relative. When followed by the woman's first name, it changes to "aling."
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