13th of March, a Friday. nabangga yung van that took us to the venue of our medical mission. we were negotiating the national highway and out of the blue, i heard a thud and our driver pulled over. i saw lots of men going to our van, just as when the driver opened his door, i instructed the male passengers to lock their doors including the driver, with a warning that no one should go out. almost everyone froze, in split second i decided that i shall go out. brought my camera, rushed to the pedicab driver. i was alone in the middle of the mob...they never hurt me except that they were too rowdy...i checked the pedicab driver...he seemed ok...except that he was pale, young, and lanky. he got lacerated wound on his left knee...no broken bone. i took some photos and got the angles that may help us.
i recalled i have a friend in that place, i asked the police if he knows my friend...just across from where we were was his store...i called him for help. we brought the pedicab driver to the nearest hospital, i insisted that he be checked under xray, but the resident physician said, no need. then went to the police station. the owner of the pedicab arrived. the investigator declared that the pedicab driver was at fault. both vehicles sustained damage.
but just the same we extended help to the pedicab driver, an amount we believed that could help him tide over to the next chance that he could drive. the pedicab owner demanded that she shall also be compensated in an amount that according to her we could afford. we gave her the money, but she wanted that we double the amount. i told her that that's the only amount we can afford to give away...but her agent insisted. so i said if you won't get the money and still you think that you were aggrieved then we will welcome the case that you may file against us. she got the money.
we got the dispositive report cum blotter extract, specifically declaring that the case was closed by amicable settlement ascribing no fault to our driver.
we had lechon for dinner, everything was meat, so i broke my 40 day meat abstention on friday the 13th...
