Rabies Vaccine
A week before the church went to Laoag for the VBS Outreach, our son was bitten by a dog of our neighbor. My wife just heard him scream from outside, like something really terrible had happened to him. My daughter described his shriek like “he was about to die”. He ran to our house holding his left hand, with blood gushing from it. His hand was not just bruised or scratched by the bite. It was punctured buy the fangs of the dog. Tsk! Tsk!
He was rushed by our neighbor to a clinic near our place, accompanied by my wife. An anti-tetanus injection and rabies vaccine was administered to him. The second shot of the rabies vaccine was scheduled within that week. However, the third and last shot was slated on the following Monday so we asked the doctor if the injection can be done earlier, since we will already be in Ilocos on the scheduled date. Hindi raw puwede. And so we just prayed that we would be able to find a clinic or a hospital in Laoag that has that vaccination.
Laoag
May 2, 2011, we were already in Laoag. We asked around for the nearest hospital with rabies injection. The folks there pointed us to the Laoag Provincial Hospital, a 20-minute ride via tricycle from where we were staying. We arrived at the hospital at around 11:30 am. I approached the Information Desk and we were lead to the Out-Patient Department of the hospital. The place was already filled with people - bata at matanda, lalaki at babae, mga sanggol at mga buntis. Even the Animal Bite Center, where we lined up for treatment, was full. There were no more seats available so we just stood and pressed our backs there on the wall. “Ano-anong hayop kaya ang nakakagat sa mga taong naririto?”, I wondered.
After a while, I asked an elderly woman sitting outside the room on where I could go to inquire. She told me to go to the nurse inside the room. I gently knocked on the door before I went in. I spoke to the nurse and told her about our son’s case, that he would need the third shot of the rabies vaccine that day. She asked for the doctor’s prescription and I handed it to her. I must say that she was very accommodating. She asked for my son’s name and wrote it on a paper. Probably noticing that I was conversing with her in Tagalog, not in their Ilocano dialect, she queried if we were just vacationing there in Laoag. I said, “Yes, we’re from Manila.” Then, she asked us to just wait outside, “Hintayin n’yo na lang pong tawagin ang pangalan niya.”
At past 12 noon, she announced to the patients outside the room that we would have to wait till 1 pm for the doctor is out for lunch. "Bunso" was already hungry so I bought some snacks for him from the sari-sari store outside the hospital. Since he was a bit tired already, he fell asleep on my wife’s lap. No complaining or murmuring or whatsoever can be heard from the “madlang people”. They were just conversing quietly in Ilocano (I felt like I was in a foreign country because I do not understand what they were saying. I just smiled at them). Then, the horror came when a certain man of stature arrived.
His Highness
The man brought his “apo” who was bitten by a cat. We just heard him banging the door of the Animal Bite Center, throwing vindictive statements to the nurse on duty. He was saying that the nurse is not courteous. Apparently, he was demanding for the doctor but the nurse said that the doctor is out, which is true. Based on what I have understood and observed, this was how their conversation went:
His Highness: Ano’ng oras darating ang doktor?!
Poor Nurse: Hindi ko ho alam. Out ho siya for lunch.
His Highness: Ano’ng oras nga!
Poor Nurse: Hindi ko nga ho alam. Maghintay lang po kayo.
His Highness: Bakit ganyan ka makipag-usap?! Wala kang galang!
Poor Nurse: Sinasabi ko nga po, hindi ko po alam kung ano’ng oras ang balik ng doktor. Maghintay lang po tayo. Tatawagin na lang ang pangalan ng pasyente ninyo.
His Highness: Maghintay?! Eh, emergency nga itong apo ko! Dapat ninyo kaming unahin!
As I look at the girl she referred to as his “apo”, mukhang hindi naman emergency case. Parang kalmot lang naman! Natatawa pa nga yung nanay nung dalagita. Siguro nahihiya o naaaliw sa eksenang ginagawa ng kamag-anak niya.
Poor Nurse: Mayroon po tayong pila. Kung gusto ninyong mauna, kausapin nyo ‘yang mga taong naghihintay sa labas. Kanina pa ho sila rito.
Sa isip-isip ko, “Oo nga. Pare-pareho naman kaming may pasyente. Pare-pareho naman kaming pagod at gutom na. Alangan namang mauna pa siya! Sinusuwerte siya!”
His Highness: Kaya nga eh. And daming pasyente rito! Dapat hindi kayo nagbe-break. When you took your oath as nurses, you swore to serve the public at all times. You should not have been allowed to have lunch breaks in the first place! (Sabay sarado ng pintuan ng kuwarto. Malakas. Blag!)
Poor Nurse
Pero hindi nagpatalo yung nurse. Binuksan uli yung pinto. Nangatwiran, pero sa malumanay na paraan.
Poor Nurse: For your information sir, noong pinirmahan ko ang kontrata ko dito sa hospital, it was clearly stated there that I am entitled to a 30 minute break. Kaparatan ko iyon!
True, the labor law provides that basic right to workers. Grabe naman mag-demand si “Lolo”. Pati lunch-break nung tao, gustong ipagkait. Sobra!
His Highness: Sumasagot ka pa! What’s your name?! I’ll report you to the authorities!
Taas noong binanggit nung nurse yung pangalan niya. “My name is ___.” Sa pagkakataong iyon, gusto kong tumayo at palakpakan si “Poor Nurse”. Bumilib ako sa katapangan niya. Hindi siya nagpasindak sa mayabang na lolo. Tapos, isinara na niya yung kuwarto, ini-lock. Marahan niyang ginawa iyon pero alam mong nagpipigil lang siya ng galit. Kawawa naman…
Meanwhile, the self-righteous man got his cellphone from his handbag. Opo, handbag po. Isa po siyang sirena. Jeje. He dialed a number and talked to somebody whom I assume is an official from the hospital. Wow, maraming connect si Madam!
His Highness: Yes, this is ___. I’m here in the Animal Bite Center. I have an emergency here but the nurse is “tonta”… Yes, wala siyang galang! Ayaw kaming asikasuhin... Yes, her name is ___… Yes, … Thanks.
After his conversation with his “amiga”, the horror continued.
Que Professor
Since the nurse was already inside and the door was locked, kami naman na naghihintay ang binalingan niya. He continued to draw attention by delivering a monologue, este, lecture pala. “Pampam” talaga! (Pampam is a pinoy slang for “papansin”.)
His Highness: Kaya kayo, huwag kayong papayag na mamaliitin kayo, na susungit-sungitan lang kayo ng mga taong ganyan. Karapatan ninyong makakuha ng serbisyong pangkalusugan. Tayo ang nagpapasuweldo sa mga taong iyan! Huwag ninyong hahayaang insultuhin kayo!
Teka, sino ba ang nagsungit? Di ba siya?! Sino ba ang nang-insulto at nanduro? Siya! Binabaligtad niya ang mga pangyayari. Nakakaasar!
His Highness: Porke ba naka-short lang ako at naka-Tshirt, ganoon na niya ako tratuhin. Hindi niya ako kilala! (Palakad-lakad pa siya, parang rumarampa!) Que professor in De La Salle! Que professor in Unibersidad ng Pilipinas. I had been teaching there for decades. Blah-blah-blah...
‘Yon! Kaya naman pala maangas, que professor pala! Que horror! Kaya pala ang taas ng lipad! Ang taas ng tingin sa sarili!
His Highness: And my companion here (pointing to his pal who was also a “sirena”), ayaw niyang papasukin sa loob! To think that my friend here is a principal! Walang galang ang babaeng ‘yan! Blah, blah, blah…
Que professor? So what! Que principal? Kailangan pa bang ipagsigawan ‘yon?! Para saan? He just wanted to brag, that’s plain and simple! Isa siya sa pinakamayabang na taong nakilala ko.
Nai-imagine ko si Willie Revillame sa kanya. Yung tipong nagpapaka-humble kunwari, tapos sasabihin, “Ayaw ko sanang sabihin ito pero masyado na akong inaapi. Hindi alam ng marami na nag-donate ako ng 20 million sa ganito, sa ganyan. Na marami akong natutulungang tao. Hindi ninyo alam yan!”
Que Horror
I was sighing in anger the whole time. Pikon na pikon talaga ako! Parang gusto kong mag-walk out sa lugar. Gusto kong tawagin yung guard sa ibaba para pigilan ang taong iyon. I can no longer endure listening to his crooked ideas and baseless rants. (Mabuti na nga lang at Ilokano yung karamihan ng salitang ginamit niya sa “lecture”. Hindi ko naintindihan lahat.)
There came a point that I covered my ears and shook my head because he was really full of conceit. Ugh! I just looked away in disgust. Yung parang mababali na ang leeg ko dahil sa sobrang piling ng mukha ko sa kanan! Para hindi ko siya makita.
And I know that he noticed it. That I was not a fan of his. He was able to catch the full attention of everybody in the room, except me and my wife. We did not give him an audience. Kahit napapansin kong nakatingin siya sa puwesto namin, hindi ko siya tinitingnan. Nagkukuwentuhan na lang kami ni misis. Call me rude, but I really cannot stand his pompous stance!
Maya-maya, tinawag na sila sa loob. “Ganun! Mauuna pa sila sa amin? At sa iba pang nandoroon na matiyagang nakapila, na ang iba ay matatanda pa?” Sigurado, tinawagan na nung “connect” ni professor yung nurse at doctor para asikasuhin na sila. Malakas talaga! Ibang klase! Hhmp!
But I kept my calm. I decided not to make a scene, kahit alam kong unfair yung mga nangyayari. I just entrusted to the Lord the situation. And my wife was there beside me to keep me calm. Tinatawanan na nga lang namin eh. Baluktot kasi talaga yung reasoning nung mama. Parang may hablig!
When his “apo” was already treated for the scratch, este, for the bite, and he and his entourage went out of the room, there was an air of pride in him. Parang sinasabi, “O hah! Wala kayo! O hah! Malakas ako dito!” And he again began his trash talk. Nakatingin sa akin. I again took my gaze away. He continued his rants. Di ko nga alam kung minumura na niya ako eh. Ilokano kasi ang salita niya.
Hanggang sa pagbaba niya ng hagdanan, salita pa rin siya ng salita. Parang gustong talaga niyang makumbinsi akong tumingin at paniwalaan siya. He just can’t accept the fact that somebody has just ignored him, despite his stature in life! Neknek niya!
Hanggang nawala na siya sa aming paningin. “Hay, salamat!”
Pero, bumalik uli makalipas ang ilang segundo. Naman! Nanatili doon sa hagdan, mga isang hakbang paakyat. Nag-monologue na naman. Natatawa na ako kasi ayaw tumigil. He looked like a fool! Pero napagod na rin. Tuluyan nang naglaho. Totoo na talaga!
Pero kahit wala na siya talagang-talaga, parang naririnig ko pa rin ang boses niya sa paligid. Parang nag-e-echo! I just shook my head.
After a while, my son’s name was called inside the room. That was around 2:30 already. And we have not yet taken our lunch! “Gutom na kami.”
Pagkatapos maturukan ang anak ko, sinimplehan kong kausapin yung nurse. I told her, “Wala kang ginawang masama kanina. Masyado lang mayabang yung taong iyon. Bilib ako sa haba ng pasensya mo.” She just returned my smile. Tapos niyon, nagpaalam na kami at nagpasalamat.
Truth
You know, I am no respecter of people. We were created and are treated equally by the Lord. I will not bow down or kiss the foot of someone just because he is of noble birth or of great importance in the society. More so if the view of that someone is twisted.
“Mockers are proud and haughty; they act with boundless arrogance.”
- Proverbs 21:24 (NLT)
But how did I kept my calmness? I held on to God’s promise that He is in control. That he knows and sees.
“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written,
‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’”
- Romans 12:19
I also came to realize that “Que Professor” is just like Satan who hurls insults and lies to us. “Ito ka! Ganito ka!” And sometimes we believe him - that we’ve really done something wrong, that we’re really unworthy. But we should always remember where we stand in the Lord.
"As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us."
- Psalm 103:12 (NIV)
Just like the nurse there in Laoag, we should not be terrified. We should stand on our ground.
"LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the LORD always before me.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the LORD always before me.
Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken."
- Psalm 16:5-8
Postscript:
I got the real name of “His Highness” from the people there who were forced to listen to his speech. He is quite known by a lot of them. But I will not divulge his identity here. But my Lord knows his identity and his character…
