The Story Behind the Smell of Jollibee

Just wanted to share a story about my inDrive ride yesterday.

The moment I got into the car, I immediately smelled Jollibee. The driver looked like he was only in his early to mid-20s.

Not verbatim:

Me: "Kuya, your car smells like Jollibee."

Driver: "Yes, Ma'am. Jollibee gave me all this food because I slipped at one of their stores earlier today. Here, Ma'am, have some." (He handed me a container of spaghetti.)

Of course, since I didn't know him personally, I hesitated to accept food from a stranger even if it was from Jollibee.

Still, I became curious. I looked at the front seat and saw that he really did have a lot of food, a bucket of chicken, several containers of spaghetti, chicken meals, and burgers.

So I asked what happened.

He explained that the floor at Jollibee had been wet, causing him to slip. He said he hit the ground so hard that he lost consciousness. A medic and an ambulance arrived and took him to the hospital.

I asked if Jollibee had covered his expenses. He said yes they paid for his CT scan and X-rays, and they also gave him all the food. But they didn't compensate him for the day's lost income. That meant he still had to continue driving just to earn enough for his daily boundary payment.

I asked if he was really okay to drive and whether it was safe, especially if he was still groggy or disoriented. I told him he should be resting instead.

That's when he shared that he didn't really have a choice. He had already informed the owner of the car, but he was still expected to pay the usual boundary amount.

Then he asked me again if I was sure I didn't want any food because there was still so much left.

He told me he had already given some away to elderly people begging on the streets, street children, and even a few police officers he met along the way. He even called one of his fellow drivers whom he affectionately referred to as "Lolo" to ask where he was so they could eat together because he still had plenty of Jollibee left.

I just wanted to share this because I'm usually not the type to chat with drivers. As an introvert, I usually keep to myself. But yesterday, I casually said, "Your car smells like Jollibee," never expecting there to be such a story behind it.

It made me realize that there are people quietly fighting honest battles every single day. They're just one accident away from losing the income they rely on to survive. Yet despite everything, he wasn't asking for more. (Although I personally believe he should have been compensated for his lost wages in addition to his medical expenses especially since he mentioned there wasn't even a wet floor warning sign at the restaurant.)

What struck me even more was that instead of keeping all the food for himself, he chose to give it away to people who had even less than he did. Even though he admitted he still had bills to pay and still had to continue driving after the accident, he shared what he had with others.

No cameras. No audience. No expectation of recognition. No desire for anything in return.

Good people still exist.

God bless you, Kuya. I pray that your test results come back clear and that you recover completely.

By the way, I didn't accept the Jollibee food. I simply told him to give it to someone else he might meet along the way. Instead, I paid him a little extra, hoping it would help him get home sooner and finally get the rest he deserved.

Credit: Bear

This encounter reminded me that kindness often comes from those who have the least to spare. We usually notice acts of generosity when they're posted online or celebrated publicly, but some of the most meaningful acts happen quietly, witnessed by almost no one. In a world that often feels rushed and self-centered, this young driver showed that compassion doesn't depend on wealth, it depends on the heart.

His story is also a reminder that every person we meet is carrying a burden we may know nothing about. A simple conversation revealed a struggle, a sacrifice, and a character I never would have seen otherwise. May we all choose to see people with more empathy, support those who are treated unfairly, and, like him, continue to share whatever blessings we have even when life has not been easy.

Sometimes, the greatest testimony isn't found in grand gestures, but in ordinary people quietly choosing kindness despite their own hardships.