Islander in the City

I have just gone out of the Philippine Embassy gate when I noticed a woman coming towards me. Probably on her mid-forties, she looked like any other Filipina at the Embassy for some consular transaction.

As she drew closer, she smiled coyly and asked, “Pinoy po kayo?”.

I smiled back.

As if that were her cue, she opened the small traveling bag she was carrying and said, “Sir, bilhin nyo naman ‘tong scarf ko”.

Taken aback, it took me a few seconds to manage a reply. “Po?”

“O di kaya me mga branded po akong mga damit dito, pang-regalo nyo na lang po sa girlfirend nyo.”

“Pasensya na po, wala pong pagreregaluhan eh.”

“Sir, baka meron po kayong 1,000 dyan. Pahiram na lang po.”

That stunned me. I have never seen anyone begging in the streets of Tokyo, much less a compatriot.

Fortunately, my phone rang. I grabbed it as I made answering the call an excuse to run away. I did not bother to look back.

I am normally a very accommodating person, even with strangers. But the situation simply seemed so absurd that I was forced to act differently. But now, on hindsight I ask: what if she really needed help? Did I do the right thing?

(For readers who do not understand Tagalog, my apologies. I am opting not to translate the conversation. But I’m sure you’ll get the drift.)