I woke up this afternoon and went to the US Embassy here in Manila. There was a book shelf right outside its gates, so I started browsing through the books. Unfortunately, a librarian appeared, and she turned out to be the lady janitor who cleans our building in the university. She came up front and asked me if I was a student of the university, I answered yes. She asked if I was a registered student, currently enrolled, I said yes. I was afraid she’d ask for my ID next, because I lost my ID. I was afraid I would not be allowed to browse anymore. Sure enough, she asked for my ID. Since my ID is lost, I showed her my registration form, it’s a receipt to prove you are enrolled.
She rolled her eyes and said, “you should have told me sooner that your ID was lost!” I thought I would not be permitted to browse the books anymore. But then she continued, “I could have had the whole of Manila swept by janitors to find your ID!” she said. “Really, is that possible?” I asked, surprised. “Of course! One student lost his SIM card and I had janitors sweeping the whole city after which they deliver their trash here for inspection,” the librarian-janitor said with an air of confidence. “How long did it take them to find it?” I asked, still surprised. “Three days,” she said.
And then I really woke up. It was 2:30AM and my electric fan was making a racket of a sound.
