A Pinoy Biker’s Philippine Rural Adventures

Last week was a stressful one for me. I had trouble falling asleep after biking from work. I usually arrive at around 12:30 AM, would rest a while and then go to bed beside my wife. But starting Monday last week until the following day, I couldn’t sleep past 4:00 AM. My wife was worried and so she insisted I take the motorcycle instead, starting Wednesday afternoon, to go to work. And so for three consecutive days, I missed biking.

The first two days were ok, and it seemed that the rest was good for me, as I was able to sleep comfortably at the right time, in spite of the warm nights we were experiencing. The occasional rain did not help at all to cool down the remainder of the night.

By Friday morning, I was again restless, no not from lack of sleep but from lack of biking action. And so after breakfast of rolled oats, I told my wife I’ll be doing some biking around the neighborhood. I wore my most comfortable biking shorts but instead of wearing shoes, I strapped on my sandals, and for a change, not a wise one though, I did not wear my helmet. I just wanted to feel the rush of air on my face and head, without the strangled feeling from wearing a helmet.

Like I wrote in another post, I am crippled without my bike. And that was exactly how I felt for the rest of the week. Being able to bike again somewhat lifted my spirit but still it wasn’t enough.

And then I passed by the elementary school. From the road, I could hear the chants of the children, coming from their classrooms, as they recited what I thought was either the alphabet or numbers. Their young voices were indeed as sweet as you could imagine. And if you know how angels sound, this could be the sound they have. Though from where I was, I couldn’t understand what they were reading out loud, I knew that they are learning something that would help them when they grow up.

The heaviness I was feeling somehow lifted, as if the children’s voices took it away from my chest. I continued to bike and went home, feeling refreshed.

I envy those children.  They own the future and if they could only preserve their angelic nature, humanity’s chance to survive until the next millenium will be assured.