SMOKEY MOUNTAIN

Toot...

Ruthie received a text from Jacky.

"Elena 0932 *** ***7"

Ruthie sends the number to Tony her father.

Tony had hired a contractor to fix his office of 50 square meters space. It is adjacent only to their house.

He will hire a messenger-driver, a janitor and laundry in charge, a cook and garden in charge, an encoder and call center agent, a liaison officer(to coordinate the farm, the couriers and the buyer) and a secretary to assist him to make the export department of Goldenfruits Inc succeed.

Tony made a hiring announcement through the internet.

Tony called the number of Elena.

Ring...

"Hello, who is this?"

"Hello, is Elena there?" Tony asked.

"I just picked this cell phone in the road in Tondo." A man said.

"Can we meet you, she is our friend and we want to know where she is," Tony said.

Tony called Juan.

"Elena's cell phone was seen in Tondo, Manila can you assist me, let's met this guy who found her phone. "

"OK, Dad. Let's meet in Tondo Convenience Store." Juan said.

Juan ride his bike and went to the store.

Tony was calling the cell phone of Elena for the meetup.

Before Juan went to the area, he contacted Jacky if she can contact Elena in her messenger account. Elena doesn't see the post or reply. So they contact Aling Lina the mother of Elena. She gets the address of Elena's Aunt and they are calling all who knows Elena if someone has known her location. It seems she is confirmed lost.

Tony has reacquired the cell phone of Elena, he paid the man with two thousand pesos as a reward.

Where is Elena? 19 years old. He called four hospitals and there was none.

He tried also some of the funeral homes, but no Elena Rodriguez.

He gets a list of all the hospitals

Tony filed a report to the police and it was recorded in the blotter.

Juan then went home and called all hospitals if there was a patient names Elena Rodriguez. He started with Tondo Medical Center, Ospital ng Tondo, Mary Johnston Hospital, then at San Lazaro Hospital there was an Elena Rodriguez confined for stab wound just yesterday. She is scheduled for operation today but with no guardian identified she has just said her name, age, and collapsed and was at ICU.

Juan informed Tony his father and they race to the hospital.

She was in the ICU, Juan talked to the doctors what is her status. She must be operated now, and Thirty thousand pesos is the downpayment.

Juan signed the papers and gave his credit card for the down payment.

Tony arrived and was relieved that she be operated.

Jacky video called.

"What's her status, Juan?" Jacky asked.

"She is still unconscious, she is now going to the operating room," Juan said.

"Why?" Jacky crying.

After thirty minutes the operation was finished, then she went back to the ICU to recover.

The whole operation cost was One hundred thousand was charged to Juan's credit card.

Tony and Juan went to the address given where Elena's Aunt was living in Tondo.

They located it and find her in the squatters area, they found some old people. Aling Lorna, Elena's Aunt was shocked, she cried, she thought Elena was in her lady coworker because if they will get home late, she would sleep there. They went to her coworker but she said she did go with her, she prepared and went to a department store to buy new clothes for her interview in her new work.

"She must have been informed by Jacky about her new job," Juan said.

"Her Aunt is already there in the hospital," Tony said.

"Hello, Aling Lina, She was already operated, and she is recovering in the hospital. Let's pray for her fast recovery. Don't worry about the expenses, God will provide. When she wakes up we can get a possible lead who did this to her. Her Aunt is now taking care of her. OK. Welcome. Bye." Juan in a phone call.

Is Tondo a dangerous place?

Let's start here with our mission.

Juan went to visit Alex Rollo in his secret safehouse. His family is here. Merlyn welcome him in the house and Alex embraced him as he entered the room.

"Boss I came here because a friend from General Santos was stabbed in Tondo. There are areas there that are living in the garbage area. The slums are getting so dirty physically and spiritually. I want this to be a special project on how we can help transform the place and the people who are there to be God-loving, God-fearing people. This is hard and needs a lot of sacrifices, but I want to start somewhere but how?" Juan said.

"Then let's pray first and ask God what to do. I have been reading the Bible a month already Juan and I want to share this in line with what you said now. Luke 4:18-19: "THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME BECAUSE HE HATH ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR; HE HATH SENT ME TO HEAL THE BROKENHEARTED, TO PREACH DELIVERANCE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERING OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET AT LIBERTY THEM THAT ARE BRUISED, TO PREACH THE ACCEPTABLE YEAR OF THE LORD." Alex Rollo reading the verse.

"Let's find out what is Tondo's problem, then apply that verse as our guide to help them? I believe that is what you are talking about Boss." Juan said.

"Yes, I think. I have lived for money, for pleasure, and for fame in the past, but I'm not truly happy, there is something in this Jesus business that I can not understand but I feel the joy to fulfill loving and caring for others that I don't care before. I discover that making others happy in Jesus is a real joy. I shared this with my wife and to my kids, and they say they are happier with me now than before. Let's make this project for the Lord! Yes, I may sound corny but I mean it." Alex said.

"Thanks, Boss, We are making this project organize if it's OK with you to let us meet again and plan this so we can make our first move," Juan said.

"Count me in!" Alex said.

Juan said his goodbyes and went home happy.

Juan had not slept with praying, and the goal and inspiration from what Alex had said stick in his mind, he finds a place to meet tomorrow from the Internet.

"Hello, Juan, you are still online, what's up my love? What is bothering you?" Jacky in a video call from Japan.

"I'm really touched by what Boss Rollo said, and by what happened to Elena. I have seen the place in Tondo, they are really hard up, the desperately poor are struggling and fighting to live. I can see a big difference now in Boss Alex, he gave me a verse, that will guide us in our new quest to obey Jesus in this verse. Luk 4:18-19: "The Holy Spirit of the Lord is upon me because He anointed me [i.e., specially chose me] to preach good news to poor people. He has sent me to proclaim freedom to those who are captives [i.e., to sin]; recovery of sight to the [spiritually as well as physically] blind; to set free those who are oppressed [i.e., by Satan] and to proclaim the year of the Lord's acceptance [i.e., the time when people would become His obedient followers]." Juan said.

"Whatever the plan to help the poor, I'm in. Especially after I'm already a doctor, I'll be on your side to obey Christ, I'll support you if that is your ministry." Jacky said.

They prayed in the video call and went to sleep.

Shobe shabu shabu located in Herbosa Corner Matiisin Street, Tondo, Manila.

The first meeting of "Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan" (KALAHI), this will be a private foundation to help the poor.

Juan opened the meeting with a prayer then a study about Tondo.

"Tondo has 40,000 people living in hell like situation who have no accessible freshwater nor proper sewage. They are still waiting for the housing and jobs promised by an endless line of politicians. 

How the hell can we Filipinos allow this squalor to be so invisible to us? It's 20 kilometers from Makati, which makes me feel guilty. Let's revisit the Smokey Mountain and make it a new dream.

"Let's start with a small significant move. Let's know them first by going to their level, surveys, studies, and activities that we can talk to and really feel and see what they are in and what hinders them. Let's find out what's our enemy against poverty and hopelessness."Alex said.

"I suggest let's organize this, I nominate Alex to be our chairman," Tony said.

"I second the nomination," Paulo said.

"Is there an opposition? being None, I gave the floor to our Chairman" Juan said.

Everybody clapped.

"Thank you for your trust in this job. I now donate ten million as a starting fund for our foundation and I request Juan to register our foundation, and we will adopt the name suggested "Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan" (KALAHI)." Alex said.

"I will make a free Art workshop, I will coordinate with the Life Project Youth Foundation in CP Garcia to be the venue," Paulo said.

"I will lead Alzheimer's survey," Ruthie said.

"I will Coordinate with the Local Government and the Barangay officials," Juan said.

"I will try to give business packages selling fruits and vegetables, and create a talipapa that they can do business," Tony said.

"That's a good suggestion, I will see how can we supply them with fish products," Ely said in Video conference Zoom.

"I'll see also how they can have grocery items to sell," Luz said in Zoom.

"I will tell Jacky about what we have discussed, she is still at school and she has her second surgery of a little girl who has appendicitis. Let's include it in our prayers." Luz said.

"OK, we are now with items in our hands. We will study these proposals individually for its feasibility and in the process see what may hinder us and how we can make it a reality in the fastest way. We will also coordinate with Pastors that can help us in the spiritual aspect that will give the real transformation through Christ alone. Give your proposal time table, submit to me is we can implement it soonest." Alex said.

They prayed. Juan remembered the day that they had nothing to eat and how a dream germinated from those sufferings.

They adjourned full of emotion and they can't wait to start this new journey of love.