Catching Up with the Mobile Store

It’s a bird. It’s a plane. No, it’s . . . it’s a cow . . . pulling a cart loaded with merchandise. This spectacle, though apparently waning, could be witnessed on various roads in and around the Metro. Just today I saw two of these rolling stores along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City, near UP Diliman. The carts are parked on the road, the cows are feeding on the green grass, and the drivers . . . I don’t see where they are.

The almost primitive sight of the cow, the cart and the merchandise stands out in contrast to the fast-moving cars on a national highway. Weird and uncool as it may look, it’s a part of our past and our culture.

This may look cruel on the animals, but we should remember that these are beasts of burden, just like the equally hardworking carabao or water buffalo. Why use animals? The reason is simple — there’s no need to spend on fare or gasoline for the transportation, something which acquires more significance nowadays that gas prices rise not by cents, but by pesos.

Instead of passing by a gas station, all that needs to be done is to stop by a grassy area. This is eco-friendly, definitely green. Plus there are no pollutants and harmful emissions. The gas emission of cows, most probably fart, is way below the emission testing minimum.

Let me see, what do we have there: walis (broom), bags, chairs, mirrors, hampers, to name a few. Things that you need in the house are here. Lucky for you if the cart (kalesa, karitela, or how exactly is it called) passes by your house, but you can always park at the side of the road and buy something from the cart. It’s not difficult catching up with the cart.