Tuesday, October 10, 2006 Editorial: Never too late
IMAGINE someone whose life was snuffed from right under his feet... someone who probably has plans for the future, for his family, for his siblings... someone who did not have an inkling that he would knock on the doors of heaven today, instead of tomorrow.
Well... that someone would probably try to reach out to his family or his wife or kids. But in this instance, this someone reached out to a friend.
Remember when this paper ran a story about a teenager who was killed after being hit by a car? The then unidentified teener was riding his bicycle when the incident transpired.
All the police could tell the media was that he was about 15 to 20 years old, and was wearing beige short pants and white shirt.
Because the victim had neither ID nor identification papers with him, the police even appealed to Mabalacat residents to coordinate with the police if they have any missing children.
Three days after the story came out in this paper, the boy has finally been identified. But how he was identified would probably give you goose bumps, just like it did us.
The victim, who was identified as Bong" Gonzales Junior, had a lady friend who had no idea of the fate which befell the young Bong.
Bong paid her a "visit" for three consecutive nights. He kept telling her that the police had his bike and asked the girl to get it for him.
Asking him why she had not been seeing him for the past few days, Bong would just bow his head.
Probably because of a nagging feeling, the girl went to the Dau Police Station, but failed to ask the police officers there of her friend's bike. All she could do was take a peek inside the police station without speaking and retreat, only to do the same thing all over again.
She probably appeared so restless that one of the police officers asked her if they could do anything for her. When she asked about her friend's bike, the police instantly knew that she was looking for the young man's bike whose identity still eluded them.
And then and there, the girl finally found out that her dear friend had died a tragic death. She was shocked, the police said, and was not able to do anything else but cry.
Such is the power of friendship that Bong was able to reach out to her and tell her of his fate, although in terms that rocked his lady friend.
It was through her that the police was able to identify his body, and through her that his parents were informed of his death.
The message was clear for his lady friend. He may not be able to say goodbye, but it was never too late for him to do so.
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