Sitting down and having lunch with a beggar is not something most of us would normally do in our daily lives, if we’re being completely honest.
But for Faye Ares, a young college student from the Philippines, it seems perfectly fine as she decided to have a ‘lunch date’ with a beggar and listened to his story. She then shared her heartwarming experience on Facebook, which went viral.
Source: Facebook
Here’s what she wrote:
“Yesterday at 2pm, I was walking in the mall thinking about what to eat when an old man approached me. He said to me,
“Miss, I’m sorry but I have to tell you something. Please don’t get mad. And sorry to bother you. I’m not gonna ask for money. Instead, I want to ask for food because I’m hungry.”
“I was shocked for a minute, not because he was a stranger, but because he could speak English so fluently. I was touched by how helpless the old man was.”
So Faye invited the beggar to Jollibee while pointing at the restaurant. The old man responded by saying, “really?” as if he couldn’t believe what he had just heard.
“I could see the joy on his face while his eyes started tearing up. I told him to find a table for the two of us while I lined up to get the food.”
“After a minute, he came to me and said, ‘I thought I’ve lost you already’.”
After getting the food, Faye sat down and had lunch with the old man. That’s a rare scene in our society, isn’t it?
“While we were eating, I asked a lot of questions about him. His name is Jansen Locsin. Surprisingly, he graduated in Ateneo Manila with an economics background. He had also taught in UP and in Ateneo before.”
Source: Facebook
Source: Facebook
Jansen has no wife nor children. His father has passed away while his mother is still alive. All Jansen ever wanted was to return to his family in Bacolod. The 70-year-old man came to Cebu to do business, but things went south, which left him bankrupt.
The duo then continued to chat, as Jansen told Faye his life stories. He even advised Faye to study hard as education is very important. Aww…
“After we dined at Jollibee, we exited the shop and I gave him a bottle of water and a hundred pesos (RM8.50). It was a small amount but little things do matter. He hesitated to take my money, but I told him that I only wished to help him.
“I apologised to him because I couldn’t give him much as I’m still a student and have no job. But he was very happy and tears started welling up in his eyes.
“We waved each other goodbye. Before that, he asked for my number because he wanted to thank me before he leaves Cebu. Plus, he also didn’t expect me to eat with him and talk to him like an ordinary person.”
After her post went viral on Facebook, netizens praised her for being such a kind-hearted lady. And surprisingly, a netizen who shares the same last name as the old man, is currently searching for him.
Source: Facebook
Let’s hope that Jansen can be reunited with his potential family through this Facebook post.
Also read: Poor and Selfless Filipino Dad Surprised with Groceries and Birthday Celebration by Restaurant
