6:40 am, every day, Monday through Friday. He pulls his on-wheels
shop to its spot dressed very simply and his flip flops on his feet. It must be
in a good place, a hot spot, where sales are certain to happen. “Good morning, Pedro” newsstand owner shouts
and waves. Pedro smiles and waves back, however, he does not stop. He holds his
head high and walks as if a happy tune were playing in his mind. It is a wonderful
sight to see every morning.
As I drive by at 6:40 every day, I always see him and know that he
likes to walk on the right lane and with all due respect most cars, myself
included, drive on the left, not too fast as not to startle him. But then again,
he just marches on with a smile on his face.
On many mornings, I wonder where he comes from and how far he goes. He
is a hard worker for he goes through all this trouble to make ends meet. I
sometimes wonder how big his family is and whether his children, if he has any,
is proud of their hard-working dad. I know I would be.
His flip flops are what baffles me the most is, it does not matter
what the weather is like, he walks with steady feet. It has crossed my mind to
buy him a pair of sneakers or boots to wear on rainy days, but then again, I am
just a driver driving by admiring his determination. Perhaps he has a pair or
two, but prefers to wear those simple flip flops. I guess I will never know.
My homage goes out to Pedro and all those who every day get up to
make a living when life has given you a difficult cross to bear for a period of
time.
Written: April 20, 2022 (This is a work of fiction.)
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| Photo: Meire Marion |
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