During my physically exhausting days at work, I come to think “I wish I were a high school student again…” And I remember these hopeless thoughts I once had.

Image by boltron- via Flickr

Where do I go from here? Three months to go and I would be in college. I was beginning to get excited when my classmates began talking about what course they would take and what school they would enroll in. It would be another challenging chapter of my life. While everyone’s saying “What course should I take?” all I could ask myself was “Will I be going to college?” To a boy from a poor family, it was the toughest question to face.

I knew I had my dreams. When I was in elementary, I used to recite in front of “what’s you’re ambition?” class that “when I grow up I want to be an expert in computer.” Later on, I thought to consider one of the things that I love to do. Since people always told me that I’ve got “green-thumb”, so I thought of taking up Agricultural Engineering. After a few years, my dreams changed a bit. Day after day, I listed down courses I wanted to take up in college. I wanted to take basic sciences like Physics and Mathematics, engineering course like Chemical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Architectural Engineering, etc. I also listed names of universities I would love to get into.

One Saturday morning, I handed my lists to my father. I didn’t know what was on my father’s mind but he made no comments. I knew he wanted me to go to college but he just can’t afford it.

With our situation those times, it seemed too hopeless to believe that dreams are yet to come true. I considered seeking financial assistance from my maternal grand parents. But pride took over me. My mother had been away since 1993. And since then, I never wanted to get in touch with them.

My faith led me to believe that there should be way – a better way than relying on my relatives. Part-time job! I thought of having a part-time job in order to finance my schooling. Maybe I could work in a fast-food restaurant just like other working students.

But there must still be another and a better way…

Weeks before our graduation, I was one of those who were in DOST (Department of Science and Technology). Three days before the examination date, I prepared everything that I needed. On the night prior to the date, everything was set – my uniform, the pencils needed, some other books I used as a reviewer, important papers, ID, etc. At 3:00 in the morning, I woke up and tried to scan books in my tattered old bag. I had to catch for the second trip at 5 AM because the venue was an hour and a half from our house, and the exam would start at exactly 7. I waited at the jeepney stop for almost an hour. Time had passed and the roosters started to crow. The sun’s rays started to glistened. I began to sweat a little, not for the temperature that’s getting warmer but because my fancy wrist-watch said it’s 6 o’clock. “There is hope”, I hopelessly prayed.

Then it was almost seven. I was so depressed thinking that I would not be able to make it.

Thank God, my father arrived just in time.

At that time, I was sure I was going to be late. But on the way, I never lose hope and I just prayed. Perhaps, I recited the “Our Father” in my mind for more than twenty times.

When I arrived at the venue, the proctor was announcing names already. I grabbed a chair and took a deep breath. Thank god, my surname does not start with an “A”.

Perhaps, God got irritated with my more than 20 “Our Father’s”… And sometimes it pays to irritate God. I am now a computer engineer and an Area Manager.