He wasn’t born the typical way. It was neither his head that first came out nor his feet. He was picked up from the open womb of his mother after nine hours of commotion and fear.
The boy whose name was never planned grew up like any other kid. Like any other kid, he played. Like any other kid, he got hurt. However, unlike any other kid, he became a man earlier than usual.
He had to face responsibilities at a very young age especially because his mother went abroad to work and earn money. He learned how to divide his very little time between studying and tending the household. As a result, he repeatedly flunked at school and later, he repeatedly experienced struggles in being a father to his little sister and little brother.
He was never interested in school; he was addicted to computer games and even tried stealing from his uncle and aunt. Many people said that he wouldn’t amount to anything and that he’ll just add up to the population of worthless brats.
He grew up believing all these belittlements and never tried to help himself. He started to neglect his life. He experienced not coming home and sleeping in burger vans. Undeniably, anyone who saw him thought that he is a good-for-nothing kid and will soon be a good-for-nothing man.
The things that happened to him can be traced from the fact that there was no one to guide him. No one was there to tell him what is right from wrong. His mother abroad, his uncle away, and his grandmother not always there for him, the child whose name was never planned grew up to be a pathless, hopeless person.
Nobody appreciated his attitude towards reading. Nobody understood his ideas and reasoning. No one saw his potential and no one paid attention to his talents.
A fateful incident happened when he was in his fourth-year high school. An unknown urge pushed him to talk to the adviser of the first section and to ask permission to join her class.
Because of his bad records, the teacher rejected him and he had to stay in the seventh section, accepting his fate. This served as his first challenge. He accepted the rejection and what he did next shocked many people around him.
He strived academically and even surpassed the performance of some students in the first section. He excelled in most of his subjects and then an offer came during the second grading of that school year.
Ironically, the teacher who rejected him at first is now offering him a seat in her class. Ironically still, the student who begged for the same seat rejected the offer. After that was his life in the university.
His passion for understanding helped him a lot in his college education. All the things he has read, he was able to use in the university.
He excels in many aspects. His enthusiasm for learning grows more and fast. He loves devouring books and writing things he keeps inside his mind. He loves arguing and sharing knowledge with people who share the same passion.
Amazement sweeps across his mind whenever he realizes where he is now and what he will be. From a kid who had had a lot of mistakes and regrets, he is now a man who pictures the future so brightly and vividly that it seems only a stretch of a hand away.
He is now taking up education. He sees himself as a teacher someday which is a little bit ironic. The place which he considered as a prison will be the place where his dreams are expected to come true.
Now an EFL tutor for Japanese students, he is now able to help his mother to earn money. He has never imagined that the day would come when he could earn for his family. He never thought life can be this good.
He is now happy for what he has. Dreams await him and he is now prepared to chase those dreams. He imagines that life will be good to him in the roads ahead.
The journey will be endless and bumpy. Life will offer trials and obstacles but at least, the days are brighter now.
Mark Angelo S. dela Peña is now a man. The child, whose name was never planned, grew up the way he did not expect.
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