“Listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story”. This is from the 1960’s poem Desiderata.

“Listen to others… very simple… but what about those people you think are dull and ignorant.. or those people you simply don’t like? Painful reliality, but sometimes we prefer not to have conservations with them. Even sometimes, we tend to avoid them.

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I have an anecdote to share with you and I call it “Nothing but A Pig”.

It happened one blue Sunday in 2008 when I was in Cebu. For me, a blue Sunday is like when you’re stuck in a box-shaped room, listening to hissing Sunday-country music from the neighborhood’s defective transistor radio. An all you got for a company was Noy Ben, who knows nothing but to eat, drink and sleep the whole day.

During this awful sunny day, people in the boarding house had different antidotes to boredom. Some mimicked songs as if they were hypnotized. Some took out their clean clothes from their closet, washed them in the laundy area, while having chitchats and flirting with those girls who were wearnig something that showed off their semi-porcelain legs.

In room 14, there were only Noy Ben and I. While he was writing his “swertres” numbers, I was wandering into the magical world of Stephen King’s “Needful Things’. Without a word, he got out to sweep the dried leaves at the façade of the boarding house. When he was done, he popped out in front of me and invited to have a drink. Lifeless and dense, I said “No, Thanks…!”

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A few moments later, Noy Ben and the other guys from the next room bought some bottles of SMB and some chicharon. Then he came to me and said “Good Boy! You don’t smoke, you don’t drink and you always read the bible…”

What…?! He called ‘this’ a bible?! See, I told you…. He knew nothing…

It was 3PM when I finally reached the end cover of the book. My burned a little  but it was okay compared to the noise from the next room. It went louder and louder and even more painful than the stinging heat of the roof. So, I splashed myself to cool down and went to church hoping that the beer session would be over when I gone home.

But I was wrong. When I arrived, the session was still on fire. The pitcher was still half-filled with urine-colored liquid with soap-like bubbles floating on it. Noy Ben and his pals looked like roasted men and their faces looked like they were about to explode with so much redness.

Then again, I escaped from the nuisance. Then I spent my “precious time” with my preferred friends, who I considered worthy to have conversations with. After my “Worthy” conversations, I went upstairs and “thank God” the noise had finally abated.

At the entrance of the door, I found Noy Ben, grotesque and deserted. Then he said, “Sorry Dong, I am very noisy…” As if I had no idea of what he was talking about, I replied a numb “OK”. Then he continued talking, but I ignored him completely. It’s a technique of politely telling a person “shut up” without really saying “shut up”. But Noy Ben was unstoppable and continued talking.

Later on, I felt like a councelor or a preschool teacher listening to a child having tantrums. But unconsciously, I dove into his tall tales. It was so really so sad to be in his shoes. At 50, he had not stable job, no permanent address, and not definite future.

He recalled how his aunt begged him to be serious in studies. But like many teenagers of his time, he prefered his own way of living. He got into drinking, smoking and even drugs.

While he was reciting his little secrets one by one, he was smiling as if he was really happy and very proud. Some of his former friends were in luxurious living. But, they had not even turned their heads on him just to say hello. Many times, he was dumped by the parents of his girlfriends. So, how could he be so proud after of those!

Behind those smiles of him, it was a mark of painful regret. When the light was put off, the rain slowly tickled the roof of the boarding house. It was gentle enough for me to hear series of sobs from Noy Ben.  I felt obliged to say “That’s ok Noy Ben”. But I was silenced more than intended. I felt guilty of thinking this man was nothing but a pig who did nothing but to eat, drink and sleep.

He maybe is a pig, but surely I learned something from a pig!

Fellow TM’s, thank you for listening to a pig!