I have kwento.
A few months ago, I was in S&R to buy a couple of things. This was the time when I was trying to stick to my 5,000 peso budget for groceries per grocery trip. Times were unpredictable kaya tinatry ko talaga magtipid. Sa S&R ako naggrocery because it’s the grocery na most maluwag and hindi ma-tao that’s near to my house. The 5,000 peso budget is doable naman as long as essentials lang talaga ng bibilihin. No buying of luho or mga on the spot whims. I wanted to discipline myself.
When I was done shopping, I was pushing my cart along the row of the counters. I was looking for a cashier with the least number na nakapila. While walking, tinitingnan ko yung cart ko na ang konti ng laman. Basic necessities lang kasi ang nandun. I was thinking, dadating din ang panahon when I won’t have second thoughts in buying whatever when I’m grocery shopping. Magiging mayaman na mayaman ako! Charot!
And then my cart got stuck. Ayaw umadar. I stooped down to check and saw this tennis bracelet stuck between the floor and the cart’s wheel.
I gently pried it away and looked up. I said,”Lord, ito na ba ang sagot mo sa akin dito sa pagtitipid kong ito?!”
Hahahahaha!
Side kwento muna.
When I was in 3rd year college, Wowa gave me a tennis bracelet. Alam ng lahat na ang burara ko sa alahas. I lost count na how much of Wowa’s jewelry I lost. Pagkwinenta ko siguro, baka magpalpitate ako. Anyway, she gave me a tennis bracelet just like the one I recently found in S&R. I never used it since I got it because I was scared to lose it. Eto na, one day, biglang I wanted to wear it so I wore it to school. I had classes in the morning. I kept checking my arm to see if nandun pa yung tennis bracelet. For lunch, we went out to eat. DLSU is along taft avenue so dun kami naglakad. We had lunch then went back to school to attend my classes. Then during the first period in the afternoon, wala na yung bracelet sa arm ko. Nanlamig ako mga bakla. Isip ako ng isip san nalaglag. Malamang dun sa Taft Avenue. Gusto ko maglayas that time sa takot ko kay Wowa. Eventually when I got home, I told her. Isa lang tinanong sa akin ni Mama, “Hindi mo ba sinangla?”. I said, “Hindi po.”. Mamatay man ako, hindi ko sinangla yun. She didn’t prod me about it anymore after that. Yun ang mas nakakaguilty. I lost interest na with jewelry after that. Masyadong costly pagnawala and mabigat sa dibdib. After that, Wowa still tried buying and lending me jewelry pero ako na lang ang umaayaw. Nasasayangan kasi ako pagnawala ko. Pagspecial occasions ko na lang sinusuot.
Anyway, back to the story. So I was holding a tennis bracelet on my hand. I think real naman siya kasi mabigat. I sought the help of one of the cashiers and sinamahan niya ako to their customer care.
Pagnagreport ka pala ng ganyan sa S&R, star studded ang magaattend. The customer representative was there and so was their safety head and head of another something plus the officer in charge for that day. Ilalagay daw nila sa vault. Sabi ko ayan ha, kayo na bahala diyan. Sana may magclaim.
I hope whoever lost that bracelet got it back. I wish whoever picked up the tennis bracelet that I lost 21 years ago ay yung taong super nangangailangan and nakatulong yung bracelet sa kanya.
Ang tanong ko now is…. bakit kaya tennis bracelet ang tawag nila sa bracelets na ganun?!