Tag Archives: Jenny

Five People Moment

Lazy Saturday, sort of. Went out to work out (must not forget that ab workout!), then waited for my mom to do some groceries. Now planning to do some writing, and I’ve been procrastinating for almost two hours already. What gives.

But first, a post. I’m having a moment. In Mitch Albom’s book, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, the first person Eddie meets in heaven is the Blue Man, who Eddie barely remembers. The Blue Man almost hit him with his car when Eddie was playing when he was still a kid. The Blue Man ended up crashing into another car, and dying of a heart failure because of his anxiety. I remember being awed at the connection The Blue Man had with Eddie, and it taught me that everyone and everything is connected. Things don’t happen just randomly, and you don’t meet people randomly as well.

This has taught me to appreciate all those random moments and people I meet, no matter how brief, because you never know what kind of effect they’ll have in your life and him in yours.

So let me take this time to honor someone that everyone who’s studied in Taft has known for the past few years.

Rest in Peace, Jenny.

I can’t remember who told me about him first, but Jenny’s been a fixture in Taft when I was in college. He’s known to be the richest and most popular beggar in Taft. Now, I admit to be kind of wary with beggars in Taft, so I never had much time to chat with Jenny. It wasn’t until he sat with us in McDo one afternoon to talk to us. He told us about how we should be careful in commuting because he heard a girl got raped somewhere. He told us about where he lived, and how hot it was so he slept without his shirt. He was cheerful, and he wasn’t scary at all.

Jenny is an icon, an institution. Was. When news of his passing spread in Twitter and Facebook last week, I didn’t want to believe it. It was too sad, even if I only had a handful of minutes in college talking to him. Jenny’s presence in Taft is a constant, a fact, just like how the LRT and University Mall and McDo is there. You just know he’s there.

And now he isn’t.

It’s hard to imagine that he’s not there anymore. That freshmen will no longer see him, or have the chance to give him coins. It’s hard to imagine that he won’t be there anymore to lend an umbrella so you could cross the street, or to join a table in McDo and tell you stories. Taft Avenue will never be the same. :(

Rest in peace, Jenny. You’ve made a lot of students in Taft smile. Your kindness and honesty is truly something, so thank you for that. I’m sure you won’t have to beg for coins in heaven anymore. :)

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On another note: I miss school all of a sudden. :|