WHAT A COINCIDENCE

Dear Auntie Patti Koh,


Today, I arrived at my house office early to pick her up, so I decided to stroll around Belmont Harbour along Lake Michigan and take some pictures of what I think is so nice of a subject.


There was this group of men, two Asian and two Caucasian that was taking picture of a pair of ducks that is seated underneath the crab apple tree and these two ducks was not being bothered by the people walking about the lake wall and the pathways for strolling and jogging. I was trying to figure out if these two Asians are Pinoys or not. One of the Caucasian broke the ice and said it was a nice picture that they have taken of the two ducks. so I explained that the reason these pair of ducks does not want to move, is that one of the duck is a female hatching her egg(s) and the other is the husband watching over his mate. Then we broke into a short story and then they have introduced themselves to me and what a coincidence.


One of the guy that I thought was a Pinoy is a Vietnamese. He is a theologian studying at the theologate school in Hyde Park Chicago and he is an SVD seminarian. I told him I was a former SVD seminarian myself and then the ice was then broken and we shared stories.


The bigger of the two Caucasian is a seminarian belonging to the Claretian Order. I told him that his order has a big mission in the southern part of the Philippines in Basilan and in fact one of their confrer was martyred by the Muslim. And he was so surprised that I knew about it. I told him I was in Manila when this thing happened. The other Caucasian belongs to the Religious Order of the Blessed Sacrament together with the other Pinoy looking, who is also a Vietnamese. We shared stories of the seminary life and gave them some informations about my formation with the SVD in Tagaytay City, Philippines.


And so Auntie Patti Koh, it was only a coincidence that I bump into these people. We all have same interest and same schoolings. It was a swell afternoon for me. They gave me their names but I have not written it down so I have forgotten it. Anyway, the only thing I could remember is they are all seminarians, studying at the Theologate school in Hyde Park, Chicago and all are about to be ordained by their respective religious orders where they belong.


Are you not happy with the story?


Respectfully yours,

IN FRATERNAM MEAM