"phone home" the sequel

05.08.2012

We have a scheduled household meeting for Singles for Christ. It was raining. Someone we all assumed and wished to have the household meeting canceled – the attack of stubbornness! But UP ABOVE triumphs over our human nature – we pushed on with the activity.

The activity ended around 10:30PM. As much as I would like to hurry my way home, I can’t. The location of the household isn’t accessible to local pedicabs so we must walk. Consider the darkness and the muddy road – this even made our journey home slower.

When we reached the highway, there were no more pedicabs roaming around the streets. Again, we must walk. We were almost halfway when a pedicab stopped at us and invited us to take the ride. Of course we gave in – it has been a long night and our feet deserve a little rest from walking. Once I got home, I glued my eyes to the TV and watched Dong Yi (Koreanovela). It ended around 11:30PM – time for sleep then. Then I started to look for my cellular phone. I can’t seem to find it. I traced my actions & movements as I got home but I wasn’t successful in finding my phone. I could remember having it in my back pocket while we were in the pedicab. I remember that I turned it to silent mode. Crap! It can’t be gone! Not again!!!

I kept on recalling my actions but I didn’t figure out if I left it somewhere, if I misplaced it, if I dropped it, or what. Then my head started to play forward – what if I really lost my phone? Good thing is I just cleared my Inbox and deleted some pictures (not obscene pictures but awkward pictures). I was worried about the phone numbers saved in the sim card. I was worried on Papa’s sermon. I was worried because it was Papa’s gift to me. No no no! All I could do was worry and overthink. And so I wasn’t able to sleep.

05.09.2012 at 4:00AM

I was still awake. I can’t sleep. I tried changing my sleep position, covering my eyes, hiding beneath the sheets, and even begged into prayer that I’ll be able to sleep but then I just can’t. My mind is too active thinking of my lost phone. I can hear my heart beat pounding my chest. Then I heard our rooster making the morning alarm and I heard Papa opening the door in the sala. Oh my Lord it’s already morning. I got up from bed at 6:00AM and confessed to Papa about the phone with a poor-puppy-dog eyes and husky voice. Yes, I did get my expected sermon. I was still very worried. When I faced the mirror – good heavens!!! My eyes were lumping. Long time no see China eyes. The next thing I did was go outside and trace back the road I passed by last night. Remember that it is already 6:00 in the morning so people in our neighborhood are already up and some are already on their way to work. I wasn’t even wearing a brassiere! If you saw me, you might think that I am whacked because I was looking down the ground – with head moving in left to right and right to left directions. Still, I didn’t found my phone. I can still contact my phone so I am not sure if it is already in the hands of someone else.

I went home frustrated – devastated even! Crap! How stupid and careless could I be? This is the second time that I lost a phone. I wasn’t feeling well due to lack of sleep and I am in a very down mood to go to work. Mama told me to file a leave of absence. Nah, I’m still gonna worry when I’m at home so I’d rather go to work and kill time in the office. Before I took a shower I sent a text message to my phone using my brother’s phone, “Hi. If you found this phone, kindly contact this number. Thanks!”. I was hopeless. I took a shower.

Before I was able to turn on the shower I heard our dogs bark in unity. I thought that a stranger could have passed by our house. Then Papa called me, someone is looking for me. I rushed out – wrapping myself with the bath towel. There I saw the pedicab driver! He handed me my phone and told me that I dropped it last night.

Wow!!! Thank you Lord! It was really weird. The same with the first time I lost my phone, it was returned back to me. I kept on thanking the man. Papa told me to give him a reward. Oh no! I don’t have extra cash – all I have is my 1 week’s allowance. So I chopped out a P100 bill from my wallet and gave it to my heroic neighborhood friend. He refused to accept the money. He said he really intended to return my phone without expecting a reward. He was so embarrassed when I handed him the money. I insisted, “You can buy breakfast or use it for gasoline. It’s just a small amount.” Eventually he took the money that I forcefully placed in his hand. I kept on saying my Thank You. What a day! I got my phone back and someone proved his goodness. Eventually, I spent the day almost sleeping at my office desk, trying to cope up with the hours.

Lessons:

1. If it is meant for you, it will find its way back to you.

2. Never lose hope in others; believe that there is good in every person.

3. Worrying doesn't lead you to any good results.

4. Avoid putting your phone in your pockets specially if you are the forgetful and clumsy kind.