The day after my graduation in college, my husband brought home a monkey and named it Alex. I told him to bring the monkey away because I had just read a story about a tribal leader who died after being bitten by a rabid monkey. But my husband said that there’s nothing to worry about because the little creature had just been vaccinated with anti-rabies by his cousin working at the Department of Agriculture.

Though I resented the idea of keeping Alex for the reason that animals like monkey were known in our place to drive away luck, I was constrained to let the gorilla’s relative to stay in a tree in front of our house. Sometimes, much to my dismay, I was even forced to feed him with ripe bananas when my husband woke up late.

After sometime, I forgot my ill-feeling towards my husband’s pet when I started thinking about getting a serious job, a job I could keep for life. More so when I had eyed an ad promising a position I had been dreaming since child. Without any hesitation, I prepared the best résumé and submitted right away to my dream-company. After that, I was told to undergo for an examination at their regional office which was, well, two provinces away. I took the test without my husband’s approval. I had a great feeling the examination because it was in-line with my interest.

But it’s true what they say. One doesn’t always get what he wants. Life, in its truest meaning is full of rough roads. You dream only to end up like a loser in the midst of battlefield. In other words, I was rebuffed by my dream- company where I really, really wanted to work for the rest of my life.

Never will I forget that day. The day when the interviewer told me to “better find my luck to other companies.” I was deeply hurt by his words that I wished the earth would open up and gulp me down so I would be out of his sight instantly. It was even more painful to think that my husband was happy with the bad news, only he didn’t show his real feeling.

I hated my husband for deeply rejoicing over my failure. I blamed Alex for coming into our home not only to bring bad but the worst luck ever in my life. I wanted to give him banana dipped with poison so he would be out of my existence. It only proved, I thought, that monkey like rodents and turtle give mishap to any house they entered.

I even questioned God for what happened to me. Why was former classmate hired while I was far better than her? I graduated with honors while she had failing grades. Was I that too bad to deserve a misfortune such as that?

For nights, I kept crying and stayed cold with my husband. I didn’t want to eat and never listened to his comforting words. I could hardly accept my fate. I had no other feeling but hatred and I kept telling myself that life, indeed, was u-n-f-a-i-r.

I thought that I would never forget that demise. But, really, time heals. The joy of seeing my daughter’s everyday development helped me to forget the ringing words of the serious-looking interviewer, “to better find my luck to other companies.” I agreed to what my husband said that it’s their lose of not hiring me, not mine. Furthermore, I came to accept that God had other plans for me and that there’s no such thing as dream-job. It’s the person doing the job that makes it worth dreaming for.

Also, I accepted the fact that Alex had nothing to do with my lot. During his short stay in our home, (for he died after a drunkard made fun of him one day), I received countless blessings that I didn’t count as blessings. I repented for my false accusations and my questioning attitude towards God and I was freed of abhorrence. I became a happy person once again.

Life, they say, is like a wheel and I proved it myself. One time, I was down below when I did not get the job I thought was the best for me. The wheel rolled bringing me to the top, and it’s where my feet are now at rest. As for now, I’d like to enjoy every minute of it and save every possible strength for me to use as I play with life’s cycle.