Mahiwaga ang Buhay ng Tao

About 4 years ago meron akong nakilalang super-yaman na Pinay dito sa NZ, si Mrs L. Those who know L considers her to be the the richest Filipino in New Zealand. Na-invite kami sa birthday niya sa Whangarei which is about 2 hours North of Auckland. Hanep sa laki ang bahay niya sa Whangarei. Nasa taas ng isang hill. Wala kang makikitang kapit-bahay. Dahil kapag nandoon ka sa bahay niya, lahat ng natatanaw mong lupa sa paligid, pag-aari niya. At hindi lang yon ang property niya sa Whangarei. Meron pa siyang farm ng hindi ko matandaan kung ilang daang baka meron. Isa lang yon sa kanyang mga businesses. In fact, parang hobby lang niya yon. Ang major source of income niya galing sa airline insurance at hotel business. Aside from a house in NZ, meron din siya sa US, England, hotel sa Canada at Cook Islands.

What is truly remarkable was how she became rich in the first place. For she was once but a DH in Hongkong. Eto ang kwento niya. Sa HK may nanligaw sa kanyang isang matandang biyudo na Kiwi (New Zealander). Nagkagustuhan sila and to make the story short nagpakasal. Pero lingid sa kaalaman ni L, eto palang Kiwi ay isang bilyonaryo. Hindi pinaalam ng Kiwi kay L na siya ay mayaman dahil gusto niyang malaman ang tunay na loobin ni L. In fact, tumira lamang sila sa isang maliit na apartment at hindi binanggit ng Kiwi ang anuman tungkol sa kanyang mga business.

Then after a few years, na-diagnose yung Kiwi na may tumor, cancer sa brain. Natigil mag-trabaho ang Kiwi at inalagaan siya ni L. Isang beses, nag-volunteer si L na bumalik sa pagiging DH para makatulong sa mga hospital bills. Hindi pumayag ang Kiwi pero di nito pinagtapat kung bakit. Inilagan ni L ang Kiwi hanggang sa kanyang mga huling sandali and without knowing that her husband was very rich.

Then parang Hollywood movie, nung basahin ng abogado ng Kiwi ang kanyang last will and testament, halos lahat ng kayaman at mga businesses ng Kiwi pinamana lahat kay L. Yan ang kwento ni L kung paano siya naging multi-millionaire.

Bagamat milyonarya na si Mrs L, very humble and down to earth pa rin siya. Hindi siya nagbago ng ugali. Nung una namin siyang ma-meet, she was wearing a very ordinary pink track suit. Hindi Nike or Adidas. Walang brand name. She wasn’t wearing any makeup or jewelry. She was very simple that if you happen to meet her on the streets, you would not have any hint that she is a very rich woman. She was driving an ordinary Toyota Previa. Her house in Whangarei which she inherited from her husband is a mansion, but had no extravagant furnishings. Kapag pumupunta siya sa airport at sa mga business meetings, nagta-taxi lang siya o kaya bus.

One time pinalabas pa siya ng manager ng isang sikat na department store. Parang yung eksena sa "Pretty Woman" ni Julia Roberts. Kasi pinupuno niya ang trolley niya ng mga mamahaling goods. The manager who obviously didn't know her rudely asked her kung kaya niyang bayaran lahat. So L took the store manager to the nearby bank and introduced him to the bank manager. The bank manager told the store manager that if L wanted, she could buy the whole department store chain! Pahiya yung manager at hindi magkanda-ugaga sa pag-apologize at pina-free delivery lahat ng pinamili ni L.

Tunay na mahiwaga ang buhay ng tao. Hindi lang pala sa mga children's fairy tale books nangyayari ang mga ganito. Meron din pala sa tunay na buhay. Kung minsan may mga bagay-bagay na nangyayari sa ating buhay na wala sa original plans natin. They just happen.

Some call it karma, that good things happen to good people. Some call it destiny, guhit ng palad, kapalaran, tadhana, or God’s plan. Do we have control of our future? Or is the future pre-determined? Is there really such a thing as destiny? Here’s what my favorite TV series has to say about it.

Young Caine: 'As we stand with two roads before us, how shall we know whether the right road or the left road will lead us to our destiny?'

Master Po: 'You spoke of chance, Grasshopper, as if such a thing were certain to exist. In the matter you speak of, Destiny, there is no such thing as chance for whichever way we choose, right or left, it must lead to an end. And that end is our destiny.’