This morning I went over to the local Driver and Vehicle Licensing office with my mother. We were returning the plates for the Sunfire since the plates were under her name and the Corolla is under mine. That office location shuts down at noon on Saturday so there’s often a rush of people trying to get in before closing. God, traffic around there is absolutely horrendous around that time. So, we’ve now made mental notes not to go there an hour before the end of office hours.
Anyway, that office is pretty small. It’s a wonder that people are actually able to form any semblance of a line in there. It kind of snakes around and folds. Some guy said that from the end of the line it’s about 40 people deep. I got close to the front of the line kind of quickly. While waiting in line, the guy in front of me was discussing something with some ragged old guy and his friend at the back of the line. I wasn’t really paying attention to what was said other than the old guy was apparently getting coffee or something. So the guy in front let him in front. I didn’t really care too much because I was close enough to the front. I wouldn’t have thought much about it, but the guy turned around and asked me in Filipino: “Hey man, do you have a 10 on you?” That was pretty random. He must have heard my mother I discussing something in Filipino. So I replied: “Why? For what?” He was showing me a $20 bill that the old guy apparently gave him. I realized that apparently the old guy slipped this guy in front of my a $20 to cut the line. I kind of laughed to myself at how odd the situation was. Then it clicked that the Filipino guy in front of me was proposing that we split the cash. I’m sure that the fact that I was a kababayan played into it. See, knowing that, I did my best to respond in Filipino and use the best Pinoy accent I could muster, which isn’t really all that great to begin with. I told him that I didn’t need the cash. He asked, “Are you OK with that?” I told him I was fine. I can see why I’d possibly be offended but I was all right.
Anyway, everything could have ended there, and all would have been well, however, the guy in front told the old man, “You should pay my friend, too: we’re together.” Eh? I didn’t ask for any cash. The old guy said “OK.” The Filipino guy turned around, switched languages again and told me “I said that we were together.” I was just wondering what the heck was going on, but I smiled anyway and said “thank you.” If this was an anime I’d have had those sweat drops hanging over my head. Many thoughts were going through my head, but the big basic one was that I didn’t want any money that was earned based on a lie.
The line progressed and the old guy and his friend made it to one of the desks. The friend was blocking someone the camera for someone who was trying to get her photo taken for her licence. I was motioning for that guy to move over, but the friend took out his wallet and said “I don’t have any money on me! I’ll get some shortly!” Wow. Disconnect there. It’s not like I was talking in some foreign language. I just rolled my eyes and focused back on the line.
Eventually my turn came up and we returned the plates. We left the office without attempting to talk to the old guy and his friend. I saw no need. I considered that my gift to the pair, although…I highly doubt that the two of there were even going to even fork over the cash (not that I wanted it…just sayin’ is all).
I guess, more than anything I was just surprised at how some random Filipino guy went out of his way to help another Filipino. Sure, it was a matter of deception, but his heart was in the right place, eh?
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