So human

Quite recently, I was at Landmark in Makati, killing time while waiting for hubby to wrap up work at the office.

He was later than expected so I found my way to the food court where I thought I’d answer hunger pangs and rest my tired feet.

I chose a table beside the pathway and opposite a man who had one leg propped up on the chair across him. He had some packages on the table and soon enough, the wife comes and brings him some food. They must have been in their mid-50s.


Since I had some packages myself, I chose to deposit them not on the vacant chair nearest the pathway, where I feared they would invite attention and easy pickup from petty thieves and pickpockets, but on the chair on my other side, which previous occupants had obviously dragged from another set to the kabisera (head) of the table I had chosen.

Anyone who has been to the food court at Landmark knows that there’s not much space between table set-ups. I drew the chair closer to the table so some of the packages would be hidden, while leaving space for passersby. Not much, but enough. Certainly enough for the man to pass through when he got up to get something from one of the food stalls.

He came back with a bag and squeezed through with it, but this time he exclaims, “Di naman kasi dapat my upuan dyan kasi daanan yan (There shouldn’t be a chair there because it’s a passageway)!”

I instinctively drew the chair further in, prepared to transfer my bags when the woman continues loudly, “Ewan ko ba kung bakit kailangan dyan eh puwede naman doon sa bakanteng upuan. Ang dami-dami pa naman sanang upuan. Bakit naman kasi kailangan dyan (I really don’t know why she has to put her bags there when there are so many empty chairs around)!” She went on and on, addressing no one in particular.

I was astounded. Was it so hard to address me? They did not know me and yet they had already formed a judgment. I looked at them, their eyes hard and jaws set and realized that they were not even meeting my eyes. I waited for them to look my way but there they sat in all self-righteousness and a slow anger started burning in me.

I stopped myself from transferring my bags. I drew the chair further out and looked at them. No reaction. I went back to eating. The woman sniffed and there they sat in silence, carefully avoiding my eyes. It was tense.

They were still silent when I left. I checked them out as I gathered my bags. They were still not looking at me.

I don’t know if they realized that they had just ganged up on someone who was sitting by herself, minding her own business. They looked like they felt it was justified. Definitely, I could also have apologized for the inconvenience I had caused but I had been reduced to a nonentity. I had ears to listen to their tirade, but no person. Not enough for them to address, anyway.

The experience drained me. I realized how quickly fights can start..and how hard it is to walk away from one. We are just so...so human. This is why sometimes, the prospects for humanity can be so bleak.