NARDO

REMEMBER NARDO?
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It was a bit busy day that afternoon practicing for our school program. After class, I started walking along the road outside the premises to go home when suddenly it rained. The cold, gentle pouring gave me a good relief as it strummed my face. But it was not a solace to another person roaming alone from morning till afternoon with his big sack, filled with what-not there but anything that would be of benefit to his family.

Yes, if anyone still remembers Nardo, he was the man in his soiled clothing who went house to house in Odiongan for any amount or anything that they could afford to give. As far back as I can remember, some fifty years ago, Untay was ahead of Nardo. I was still a kid when Untay was around, while with Nardo, I was already in my teens. They were two normal people with one common interest, to ask for alms to feed their families. Nardo's look is still on my mind. He was thin and maybe 5'7" in height, and dirty and with an impassive facial expression as if he carries the weight of the world on his shoulder. He didn’t even know how to smile.

UnlikeUntay, Nardo has his own style. When he walks, he drags his other foot like that of a lame man and moves more slowly to look sickly and pathetic, his reason why he’s not able to work for a living and so instead he asks for alms. But a gossip circulated during our time saying that when he's home, he walks normally.

Nardo always had with him a big sack over his shoulder just like Untay, but his was bigger. And he accepted clothes and anything useful as long as he can carry them all. People like Untay and Nardo were harmless creatures of the earth. Who knows, they may be little, big angels of the Lord. We don’t even know if they were sent by God to test how we fare with the less fortunate people.

I consider them angels because they took care of their families, fed them and provided their needs to the best they could battling the tiring daily long walks and the scorching heat of the sun and sometimes rain to ask for alms in nearby towns and so they can’t be identified. They still have a little pride left in their body. As I remember them, one thing came into my mind. If I am not mistaken, Nardo did not only feed his offspring, he sent his children to college as well.

Personally, I don't like the thought of giving alms to the poor. For me, we are tolerating them to become lazy and irresponsible, harebrained. But I feel guilty if I don't give anything too. That's human nature. We like to be superheroes to the needy. And we feel good after helping, rather than not. But that doesn’t make them better persons but the opposite, maybe or maybe not.

Wherever they are now, one thing is sure, they were people with a heart who knew how to love and care for the family they built feeding them in any manner as long as it was not earned badly…and who can say that asking for alms is bad, and who are we to judge? “for there is no man who does not sin”. “Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins”. “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE”.😄