“LIFE is like a roller coaster. Sometimes you are up, sometimes you are down,” sighs my friend-client, Dante R. Gutierrez.
Early in life, he faced adversities. In his teenage years, he accompanied his then girlfriend, Lourdes home in Caloocan City. On his way out, he passed a gang of bystanders who mocked and insulted him.
He confronted them and asked: “What is your problem?”
“Do you want to square with one of us – mano y mano”
“Yes,” Dante answered without hesitation.
A fist fight erupted that night right in the middle of the street.
Then a member of the gang blurted: “If you are really brave, let’s continue the fight in the cemetery.”
Off they went to the sementeryo. Upon arrival there, one of the gang hit Dante with a 2 x 2. He saw stars. He heard faintly, “Papatayin ka namin ngayon.” One of them got a piece of hollow block and hit in Dante’s face. They left him for dead.
He almost died. He crawled his way to an empty tomb. He stayed there awhile and decided to come out to seek for help. He shouted in his faint words for help but nobody did. A 10-year-old kid came to him and whispered: “I will call a taxi.”
A taxi was flagged down. The driver, thankfully was from San Simon, Dante’s hometown. Dante was brought to Ingasco Office in Caloocan. He was rushed to the nearest hospital where he recovered.
Dante engaged in selling liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and was appointed as sole distributor of Mobil LPG in whole of Luzon. He prospered. He became a millionaire before he was 40. He led a life fit for a king. He treated his friends lavishly locally and abroad. He befriended a number of sultry starlets. He was on cloud nine.
Mobil Philippines Inc. closed shop. Business became slow. Debts piled up. Bank of the Philippine Islands, to whom his account was given, went to court to collect indebtedness with more than P300 million. His wife was swindled by a bogus Filipino investor in America. Dante was down to his knees. He was almost broken but you cannot put a good man down.
The BPI case was settled through a compromise. The civil liability was paid. The remaining lots in his name, were appraised to a sizeable amount. He was on his feet again. After his intestine was cut, he was pronounced -- healthy. Dante is alive again -- with a vengeance.
He lost his wife, LDG. He lost his son, Don-Don. But he has kept his faith on his two sons, James and Jerome. Dante is again on top.