Itago na lang natin siya sa pangalang Kuya Steve. Hindi siya yung typical na tricycle driver. He greets everyone na dumadating sa terminal, yung mga pasahero, pati nga yung tindera sa kanto. Meron siyang contagious energy. Always smiling. Always chatting. Sometimes kumakanta ng malakas habang nagmamaneho.

You’d know it’s him kasi meron siyang signature phrase na laging sinasabi: “Let’s go, mate!”

The first time I heard him say “mate,” nagulat ako. It wasn’t just a random slip of the tongue. Kuya Steve has an Australian accent—legit, not the “trying hard” kind. It’s the kind you’d expect from someone who’s lived there for years.

I’ve been riding Kuya Steve’s tricycle for years now, usually on my way to school. Nung una, hinayaan ko lang. Baka trip niya lang, I thought. But as time passed, my curiosity grew.

One day, I asked, “Kuya, bakit parang Australian ang dating ng salita mo?”

He laughed and replied, “Kasi, dati akong OFW sa Australia. Almost ten years ako doon.”

So syempre, napatanong ako kung bakit siya nandito ulit. Ang sabi naman niya, mahaba ang kwento, at ganun talaga ang buhay, mabilis magbago.

That’s how I found out his story—bit by bit, ride after ride.

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Kuya Steve used to work as a welder in Australia, earning good money and living the dream many Filipinos hope for. According to him, iba raw ang buhay doon. Maganda ang sweldo. Tahimik. Simple. But like most success stories, meron din siyang challenges na hindi siya prepared for.

During one of our rides, he opened up about the choices that changed his life:

• He trusted a close friend with a get-rich-quick investment scheme that turned out to be a scam. Ubos ang ipon niya.
• Nahilig siya sa pagsusugal. Minsan lang daw nung umpisa, pero naadik din siya. Kahit konti ang kita niya, nauubos agad sa sugal.
• While working abroad, he became too focused on earning at nawalan na siya ng oras sa pamilya niya sa Pilipinas. Hiwalay sila ngayon ng kanyang asawa.
• He assumed his job abroad was stable and didn’t prepare for sudden changes. Akala niya tuloy-tuloy na, but when the company downsized, he lost his position and had no backup plan.

Sabi niya sa akin, hindi daw isang malaking pagkakamali ang sisira sa’yo. Yung mga maliliit na mali na paulit-ulit, yun ang tunay na problema.

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When he returned home, he had no savings, no fallback, and no steady income. He took on whatever work he could find, but tricycle driving became his mainstay.

He even said one time, “Kahit ganito, at least may kinikita. Ang importante, buhay pa tayo.”

What I find most inspiring about Kuya Steve is how he handles life. He doesn’t try to hide his past or deny his mistakes. Instead, he uses them as lessons to move forward.

And honestly, riding with Kuya Steve made me reflect on my own life. I started thinking about the small mistakes I’ve been making—the bad habits I keep brushing off, like procrastinating on things I know are important or spending on things I don’t really need. Yung mga simpleng “okay lang” moments ko, paulit-ulit, naisip ko na ganito rin siguro yung sinasabi niya tungkol sa mga maliliit na pagkakamali na lumalaki kapag pinabayaan.

It’s funny how these everyday situations, like a simple tricycle ride, can teach you real-life lessons.

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I don’t see Kuya Steve anymore. That was years ago. Siguro nagbago na rin ang buhay niya. Maybe he moved. Maybe he found something better. Or maybe he’s still driving somewhere else, giving passengers bits of his wisdom.

Wherever he is, I hope he’s doing well. And whenever I find myself making small, careless mistakes, I think about Kuya Steve. His story stays with me, reminding me to fix the little things before they turn into something I can’t handle.

Life is unpredictable talaga.