PERSONAL ESSAY
Left Alone At The Border
The importance of having friends we can count on
Last night, a European guy in his mid-20s, traveling alone, was subjected to a secondary inspection at our country’s international airport. I work at our country’s border control as an Immigration Supervisor.
It was the passenger’s first time in our capital city, he had decent hotel accommodations and a confirmed return ticket. He declared he was a sewer, though he could not present any document to prove so.
He had no credit cards and had the minimum cash at hand for a ten-day pleasure stay. Per our immigration standards, his admission was hanging in the balance.
One factor would help him pass through the borders — if he had sponsors, relatives or friends who would vouch for him, people who were staying in the country who knew him.
Upon hearing this, he was relieved and ecstatic, telling us he had many friends in Manila, from way back to his childhood. He was confident of his strong and deep social circle in the country he wanted to see. He then started calling them, confident of their support.
I personally talked to a male and a female over the phone. They were both of his nationality. I explained to them that they could help their friend if they can claim to have invited him or at least know him, and if they could send us copies of their passports or travel documents.
The passenger was on the phone for some time. None of his friends vouched for him, and no passport or invitation arrived. The guy was denied admission and was immediately sent back to where he came from.
I was not sad about his exclusion. This is a big world. There are so many places to visit, and so many countries to choose from.
I was sad for him because at the moment when he needed an ally the most — none showed up.
I have very few friends myself. I prefer to be alone. I do not have a social life. I may even be socially inept. I feel connected to very few outside my family.
I do not know which is more tragic — to know that you have few to zero friends or to believe that you have plenty and none showing up when you needed them the most.
After all, it is not how many friends we can count, but how many we can count on.
Thanks for reading my story.
