Praying mantis

By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo

 

AT eight o’clock, there was already a long queue at Land Bank of the Philippines, Philcoa Branch. I was among the first to arrive, having been told yesterday that they could no longer accept deposits at 12:00 noon and should come today, despite the fact that I arrived at 11:15 a.m. at the branch.

Noticing the queue and the absence of any guard at 9:15 a.m., the lady guard from the adjacent office asked us if we were not attended to by the guards. No guards in the vicinity. No notice at the entrance. So she called up someone and she was told that LBP will not open, and we should all find an open branch, or return on Monday-Wednesday-Friday (MWF) next week. The others cursed, others shrugged in resignation. It takes very little to post a notice. It should have been posted yesterday. Obviously the guard did not also know because he asked me to come today. My tolerance for incompetence has stretched at breaking point. I then asked my sister who knows somebody in the bank to ask which branch. She was informed that the branch at Quezon City Hall was open. Since she knew that I walked from my house to Philcoa, and knowing that my left knee has not totally healed, she offered to drive me to wherever branch may be open.

Finally, an open branch! Noticing two separate queues, I asked the guard:

“Saan po ang pila?” (Where is the queue?)

“Doon po!” (There!) Gesturing with the stick he uses to inspect bags, aided by the point of his nose.

“Ano yung isang pila?” (What is that other queue for?)

“Pila rin po. Para sa New Accounts.” (It is another queue for those who are opening new accounts.)

The crowd had become restless. A man sitting on his chair waiting for his turn exclaimed:

“Ayan kasi, inuuna ninyo yang New Accounts. Dalawang oras na kami dito sa isang pila, di pa rin gumagalaw!” (You are prioritizing New Accounts. We have been on queue for two hours and our queue has not moved!)

A lady who kept on talking, suddenly took out her rosary and started praying:

“Magdasal po tayo kay Jesus at Mama Mary na bigyan tayo ng tiyaga. Tiisin po natin ang situasyon kagaya po ng ating Panginoong Hesu Kristo na mas madaming dinanas na hirap.” (Let us pray to Jesus and Mama Mary to give us patience. Let us endure this situation like our Lord Jesus Christ who has endured more hardship compared to us.)

“Madonna, kayo po ang susunod, naupuhan na po yung upuan ninyo. Bago kayo magdasal, tingnan ninyo na di kayo nasingitan.” (Madonna, you are next in line, before you pray, please mind that no one jumps the line.)

“Madonna” looked at the healthy-looking man wearing lipstick and long eyelashes flashing a PWDP identification card who baptized and prompted her to take her seat on the now occupied seat by another woman saying she was depositing for a congressman. The PWD nudged the woman comfortably sitting in the chair next to her.

“Siya po ang dapat umupo diyan. Doon po sa dulo ang pila.” (She is supposed to be sitting there. Please move to the end of the line.)

“Madonna” took a while before realizing that everyone was fighting for her space while she was reciting from the beads of her rosary. When the chair was finally vacated, the PWD hurriedly seated her, while she continued to storm heaven with her prayers, asking God to give everybody endurance for an unfortunate situation that competence and common sense could have easily managed. Prayers work, but ultimately, people must take the necessary action.

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