iPerfect

[06:15 Araneta Center Cubao]

I had it all planned. Yet I’m stuck here in the most crowded station of the MRT, waiting for the jam-packed trains to arrive—everything deviant to the great plan I had. So much for the 3:30 AM “wake-up” alarm and my 6:00 AM time-in at work, it was all pointless.

I had a perfect schedule and I was excited to make it work. I woke up at 3:30AM as planned, did my lauds and praised God as scheduled; I dressed-up and was off to work just as I programmed myself I’d do. I then walked the usual 30 minutes stroll to the MRT and as soon as I reached North EDSA station, I was surprised to see just a handful of commuters. It was weird.

I expected a congested MRT lines. I had my mind set to an MRT teeming with early employees in a crazy Friday morning; expected the crowd to be packed more than the usual toes-inside-the-shoes-of-a-lotus-feet cramming. It was reported in the news the night before that more than half of EDSA would be closed for the EDSA People Power celebration that’ll be held in the middle of the streets for that whole day. “Wow,” I thought. They’d be partying in the busiest, most crowded and the most used street in the whole country in a weekday. God bless the employees!

As I reached the baggage inspection booth at North EDSA station, I saw people fleeing the place, looking ghastly as if somebody told them that a great fire burnt their houses down to the ground. I suddenly felt a tug in my heart. Yikes!

“Sira po ang mga trains natin at mamaya pa pong 10:00 AM maaayos.”

It was like hearing a judge sentencing you to a year of community service, cleaning MMDA’s proudest innovation—their pink urinals. A gasp escaped my mouth chased by a sigh of defeat. I’ll be late, that’s for sure. My workload measured a ton and I had activities piled-up for the day, all towering over me, like Goliath challenging me to a fist fight, with my hands tied-up my back—it was torment!

What a disservice to my perfect plan! I was near suing everyone for ruining them and I wanted to treat myself into a silent-treatment (I’ve heard it’s effective, to not talk to one’s self) for staying-up late, plotting a strategy to control the whole universe with a piece of paper, a pen and a watch. Just great!

I followed the disappointed swarm of people down that stairs, like an exodus gone horribly wrong. I stepped into the pavement and, just like the hundred others out on the street, I raised my hands hailing a bus to stop. But all the bus that came never stopped—they’re all full.

I advanced a few paces away from the mob at the station, hoping to seize a better chance of finding a bus but as I looked before me, a hundred more did just what I did. I paused. I sighed. My plan was a gone goose. Disappointment number 1: No MRT.

I looked at the piece of paper that held the great scheme that I had, trying to make it flexible with the recent disappointments that occurred. I asked, "What are the things I need to do to at least bring justice to my waking-up early?" I need to ride a bus to Manila International Airport (MIA). That’s a start. I waited, for awhile but none came. A minute was followed by another and for 10 minutes, not one came. Disappointment number 2: No bus.

 Maybe the busses traveled a different route because of the EDSA People Power celebration. Maybe they’re all waiting for passengers in Cubao. I looked at my watch; I was one hour late already. I looked at my wallet, and saw my last P20.00 bill. I was dumbfounded. How could I ride a bus that would travel the whole route from start to end with a P20.00. I opened my secret pocket and saw my emergency money intact. Thank God for emergency moneys!

I decided to ride an ordinary bus because it’s cheaper. One came, a bus going to Alabang. It stopped in front of me and all too suddenly, I felt people beside me braced themselves as they’d be battling their way in. It felt like I was in the middle of another People Power revolt.

I was in front so I was thrown inside the bus like a gate opened by an angry mob. I flew myself (given the momentum from the crowd) into an empty seat in front just beside the bus driver. And as I sat, I heard a clicking sound before my ear. It was the bus conductor punching holes in the tiny pieces of paper—my ticket. I was exactly beside him and as I grab my wallet to pay for the ride, the punched pieces of papers rained down on me like confetti. I paid P9.00 and we’re on our way.

It was a stressful ride. I found out that the driver was not actually a bus driver but a plane pilot as he flew the bus as if it had wings! I caught myself holding unto the edge of my seat as my eyes frantically searched for a seat belt to strap myself with to no avail. I saw my life flashed before my eyes. I was scared.

The bus flew with such speed that it felt like my soul jumped out of my body. What made it worse was that the bus would stop abruptly in front of every human being crowding the sidewalks. It stopped and it flew, stopped and again flew, I felt puking!

Very soon, I saw the Araneta Center Station of the MRT. We were speeding that way when I heard a familiar rumbling, chugging sound above us. I looked out the window and there it was, my beloved MRT on its full-operational glory propelling towards Cubao station. Wow! I felt my face burn with rage.

The bus stopped by the MRT station in Cubao and I staggeringly alighted. I felt anger swelling up inside me. I climbed the stairs and as soon as I reached the MRT platform, I loose-heart seeing all the people that flooded the area. But weird enough, something inside me felt right. It made me feel at peace, amidst these troubles, amidst the disappointments, I felt so free.

I remembered my beautiful girlfriend Krizia telling me on one of our dates that she wanted everything to be perfect for our wedding. “But nothing here on earth is perfect.” I told her. And at that moment, I heard myself telling that same thing to me.

“Nothing on earth is perfect.”

I may have a great formula to solve all my problems that day. I may have a well organized schedule to finish all the pressing concerns that was bothering me. I may have a wonderful plan to conquer all the troubles I needed to go through but none of these are perfect.

Only God is perfect. Only God’s will is perfect.

I remembered Jesus praying, kneeling in a garden one cold night a few minutes before the centurions captured Him and ultimately died the day after: "… 'Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done'" (Luke 22:41-42)

That moment, I claimed that whatever problem I may have, whatever trouble I may encounter, however difficult it may be, God will make everything right as long as I surrender to His perfect will.

I came to that conclusion as I heard the train coming as people pressed themselves to each other. I believed. I felt excited. The plan I had was indeed pointless. For God already has this great plan for me. It suddenly occurred to me, maybe God wanted me to take the bus to save me from whatever technical problem the MRT may have that time. Maybe God made sure that I won’t ride a MIA bus so that I could ride the MRT. Maybe God designed the speed of the bus so that I may arrive at this platform this very moment and everything felt so perfect I wanted to cry. I was excited for I know, as long as I believe in Him, everything would turn-out to be perfect, jus as He is perfect.

May God’s perfect love make you see the perfect plan He has for you,

Rex Van Carlo E. Mollo

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam