A Piece of Heaven

It was a humid night in early September when feeling a bit restless, I decided to get dressed and venture out of the confines of the condo complex I was staying at in Makati. I was down to the last few days of a two-week stay in Manila. This was my first trip back to the motherland ever since I migrated to the US in the early 90s. The main purpose of my trip home was to see my father who was then recovering from surgery. However, since I’ve been away for quite a long time, I also decided that the trip would also be a great opportunity to meet up with long lost friends. And that’s exactly what I decided to embark on as soon as I landed in Manila.

Midway through my second week, I had pretty much met up with everyone that I needed to meet, from former high school and college classmates to former co-workers and relatives. I met with friends and/or relatives every single day. I met them for lunch, merienda, or dinner. My schedule literally was booked solid. However, inspite of that, there was one last thing I felt I needed to do before I fly home. I knew that my trip home would not be complete without having to go and seek THE PLACE out.

I knew the address but have never been to the place. I was familiar with the general area but never really explored many of the side streets that branched out from the main avenues and thoroughfares. I decided then that I’ve had enough of this superficial information. I had to see the place for myself; I needed to stand right before it. Armed with that desire, I hailed a cab and informed the driver of my destination.

I had picked a bad time to venture out for it was the height of the evening rush hour in Makati. It was bumper-to-bumper traffic on Makati Avenue and on a number of its arteries. But I was not going to be denied. I immediately initiated a discussion with the cab driver to plan and decide on alternative routes. I suggested that we sidestep the business district totally and head for our destination by way of J.P. Rizal Street in Makati and the Santa Ana district. The driver agreed.

J.P. Rizal Street runs through the business and residential districts of old Makati City. From Guadalupe Viejo and Guadalupe Nuevo in the southeast, the street heads in a northwesterly direction right past Makati City Hall, towards the old Santa Ana Racetrack, and right into Manila’s Santa Ana district. Old timers and long-time residents in the Makati and Santa Ana areas still call the street by its old name, Tejeron. J.P. Rizal Street then ends in Santa Ana where it links up with Pedro Gil Street (formerly known as Herran). From there, if one should head west, he/she would be taken to the Paco and Ermita districts. On the other hand, heading east, he/she would be taken to the Mandaluyong/San Juan area. Upon reaching the J.P. Rizal/Pedro Gil junction, I told the driver to head west.

It was that westerly direction that eventually took me to the place. As soon as I saw the street, I ordered the cab driver to stop at the street corner, paid my fare, and got off. I stood at the corner for a few moments. The scene in front of me was typical of many of Manila’s crowded areas and streets. There was a small town plaza where children ran and played clad in “sandos,” shorts, and rubber slippers, a number of women gossiped, and a number of people who were simply out to enjoy the evening air. There were quite a number of small sari-sari stores, each one with its share of bystanders whiling away the evening hours over a few beers and seemingly endless banter. There were a number of ambulant vendors selling quite a diverse selection of snacks. There was a small bakery too that reminded me of pastries I enjoyed as a kid growing up in a neighboring district. Houses, old and new, stood adjacent to each other on both sides of the street.

Armed with the address, I walked down that street. On the way, I passed by a Protestant chapel/center and several old apartment-style dwellings. There were a few ladies selling viands (“ulam”) kept in aluminum pots by the curb/sidewalk and close by, an Internet café was doing brisk business.

It was already quite dark by then. The darkness that had cloaked the city made it quite difficult for me to make out the numbers/addresses on a few of the homes. I ran into something I didn’t quite expect: the probability of not finding the place. I reached a point where judging from the address of the house in front of me, I knew that I had passed the place I was looking for. I turned around to retrace my steps, trying to figure out where my search went wrong. The address I was looking for had an even number, and the even-numbered homes were on my right. I saw a house numbered 160, a real dark alley next to it, and then a house numbered 148. The address I was looking for was in between those two addresses.

I suspected that the place I was looking for might be found within that dark alley. I stood by the entrance to the alley for a few minutes to observe. There seemed to be a few homes within but the darkness of the evening denied me the certainty I needed at that moment. I wanted to venture in, to try my luck. However, I was apprehensive that I might be trespassing into private property should I venture in. I reluctantly decided to end my search. I turned around, made my way back to the main road, and got on a cab back to Makati.

Though I regretted not finding the place, I feel no sadness. Though it was in an area that was crowded, noisy, and quite chaotic, I long to come back. It may take me a while but I won't mind because for me, that place is the nearest thing to heaven simply because she’s there.