My Bestfriend!

Somewhere in Milaor, Camarines Sur, there lived

a fourth grader boy who

would follow this route to school everyday: He has

to cross the rugged

plains and cross the dangerous highway where

vehicles are recklessly

driving to and from. Once passed this highway, the

boy would take a short

cut by passing by the Church every morning just to

say Hi to God, and

faithfully say his, "Magandang umaga po" in Bicol

dialect. He was

faithfully being watched by a Priest who was happy

to find innocence so

uplifting in the morning,

"Kamusta Andoy! Papasok ka na?" "Opo padre … "

he would flash his

innocent grin, the priest would be touched. He was

so concerned that one

day he talked to Andoy,

"From school…", he advised "Do not cross the

highway, you can pass

through the Church and I can accompany you to the

other side of the road

… that way I can see that you are home safe …."

"Thank you father …"

"Why don’t you go home … do do you stay in this

church right

afterschool?"

"I just want to say "Hi" to my friend, God," and

the priest would leave

the boy to spend time beside the altar, talking by

himself, but he was

hiding behind the altar to listen to what this boy

has to say

to his heavenly FATHER.

"You know my math exam was pretty bad today, but

I did not cheat -

although my seatmate is bullying me for notes … I

ate one cracker and

drank my water, Itay had a bad season and all I can

eat is this

cracker. Thank you for this! I saw a poor kitten

who was hungry and I

know how he feels so I gave my last cracker to him

… funny but I am not

that hungry … Look, this is my last pair of

slippers … I may

have to walk barefooted next week … you see this

is about to be broken

… but it is okay … at least I am still going to

school … some says

we will have a hard season this month, some of my

classmates have

already stopped going to school … please help them

get to school again,

please God? … Oh, you know, Inay had hit me again,

it is painful, but I

Know this pain will pass away, at least I still have

a mother … God, you

want to see my bruises? I know you can heal them …

here… here and ….

oh … blood … I guess you knew about this one

huh? Please don’t be mad

at Inay, she is just tired and she worries for the

food in our table and my

schooling that is why she hits us … Oh, I think I

am in love … there’s

this pretty girl in my class, her name is Anita …

do you think she will

like me? Anyway, at least I know you will always

like me, I don’t have to

be anybody just to please you, you are my very best

friend! Hey your

birthday is two days from now!!! Aren’t you

excited? I am! wait till you

see, I have a gift for you …. but it is a

surprise! I hope you will like it! Oooops, I have

to go …" then he

stood up and calls out, "Padre, padre, I am finished

talking to my friend

… you can accompany me to the other side of the

road now"

This routine happens everyday. Andoy never

fails. Father Agaton shares

this every Sunday to the people in his church

because he has not seen a

very pure faith and trust in God, a very positive

look

at negative situations.

One Christmas day, Father Agaton was sick so he

could not make it in the

Church, he was sent to the hospital. The Church was

left to 4 manangs who

would chant the rosary in 1000 miles per hour, would

not smile and would always find fault in what you

do, they are also very

well versed in cursing if you irritate them! They

were kneeling, saying

their kilometric rosary when Andoy, coming from his

Christmas party,

playfully dashed in, "Hello God!!!!! I "

P—-!!!!! (a curse) Bata ka!!!! Alam mo nang may

nagdadasal!!!!!

Alis!!!!!"

Poor Andoy was so terrified, "where’s Father

Agaton? He is supposed to

help me cross the street …. and to be able to

cross the street I will

have to pass by the back door of this church … not

only that, I have to

greet Jesus-it is His birthday, I have a gift right

here …." just as he

was about to get the gift out of his shirt, the

manang pulled his shirt and

threw him out of the church. "Susmaryosep!!! (does

a sign of the cross

fervently) Alis kang bata ka, kung hindi matatamaan

ka!!! So the boy had no

choice but to cross the dangerous side of the road

in front of the church.

He crossed. A fast moving bus came in. There

was a blind curve. The

boy was protecting his gift inside his shirt, so he

was not looking. There

was so little time. Andoy died on the spot. A lot

of

people crowded the poor boy, the body of a lifeless

young boy …Suddenly,

out of nowhere a tall man in pure white shirt and

pants, a face so mild and

gentle, but with eyes full of tears… He came and

carried the boy in His

arms, He was crying. Curious bystanders nudged the

man in white, and asked,

"excuse me sir, are you related to this child? Do

you know this child?"

The man in white, His face mourning and in agony,

lifted up and answered,

"He was my bestfriend … " was all he said. He

took the badly wrapped

gift in the bloody chest of the lifeless boy, and

placed it near His

heart. He stood up and carried the boy away and

they both disappeared in

sight. The crowd

was curious …

On Christmas Eve, Father Agaton learned of the

shocking news. He

visited the house, and wanted to verify about the

man in white. He

consulted the parents of Andoy. "How did you know

that your son

died?"

"A man in white brought him here." sobbed the

mother.

"What did he say?"

The father answered, "He did not say anything.

He was mourning. We do

not know him and yet he was very lonely at our son’s

death, as if he knew

our son very well. But there was something peaceful

and

unexplainable about him. He gave me my son, and

then he smiled peacefully.

He rubbed my son’s hair away from his face and

kissed him on his forehead,

then he whispered something …"

"What did he say?" "He said to my boy …" the

father began, "Thank you

for the gift … I will see you soon … you will be

with me …" and the

father of the boy continued, "and you know for a

while, it felt so

wonderful… I cried, but I do not know why …. all

I know is I cried in

tears of joy … I could not explain it father, but

when that man left,

something peaceful came over me, I felt a deep sense

of love inside… I

could not explain the joy in my heart, I knew my boy

is in heaven now …

but … tell me father, who is this man that my son

talks to everyday in

your church, you should know because you are always

there… except on the

time of his death …"

Father Agaton suddenly felt the tears welling in

his eyes, with

trembling knees, he murmurred," … He was talking

to no one …. but ….

GOD…."

THIS STORY WAS EMAILED TO ME.

I DON’T KNOW WHO WROTE THIS.

BUT ONE THING’S FOR SURE,

IT TOUCHED MY LIFE… HOPE IT’LL

TOUCH YOUR LIFE TOO.