His One Great Dream

Each one of us had his/her own what-i-wanna-be-when-i-grow-up thing when still young. Even our kids have their own - doctor, model, engineer, lawyer, teacher. I, myself, also had one. I always wanted to be a teacher since I cannot remember when. Due to some circumstances, I did not become a teacher. I finished Bachelor of Science in Information Technology at Saint Louis University. I am now a humble (and privileged senior) call center agent. ^_^

After having spent 6 months in a call center in Manila, 6 months in a technical school in Nueva Ecija (but not as a teacher) and 7 long years (and still counting) in this call center, I realized, I still want to be a teacher. I guess that's my passion and that's the career path that I always know I am going to be happy and feel fulfilled with. Elmer has always encouraged me not to give up on my dream. I can at any time take an 18-unit education course and take LET after that. I have always excused myself with having no time at the moment, the timing is not right, or saving money for something more important - a house here in Baguio. Going back to school to pursue that dream is still an idea that's always welcome to me nonetheless. 

This is not about me. Come on, read on.

Elmer's no different. He's always told me since we met a little over 9 nine years ago that the course he was taking was something that he just "copied" from his closest friend in high school. Because he never wanted any other job but to be a solider. He came to realize this dream when he was a young child when his family briefly stayed inside the PMA campus in Fort Del Pilar here in Baguio. He said that he and his cousin Jay would usually hang out with some of the officers and Ayers. They were just (1st/2nd) lieutenants then and now are famous officials, most are generals, that we see on TV very often. Plus, he had a lot of influences. Two of his uncles were retired generals of the Philippine Marines, one of them was an Ayer. His father is a recently promoted general of the Philippine Navy, also an Ayer. There's also his half-brother, younger than he is,  who is a (soon-to be or recently promoted?) lieutenant of the Philippine Navy, also an Ayer.

From his mother, they are only two siblings - his ate and he. For her I think, he is the only son and of course her only son. She could not afford losing him in some battle in Basilan or Jolo if he were a solider. He took the PMA entrance exam every year since he was 18 and never got any reply if he passed or not. He was very ignorant - I didn't want to say but will say it anyway, stupid - enough to have not thought of checking the results with the Admission Office of PMA. He just found out when he was 22 (at the age when he could not enter PMA anymore) that all those times that he took the entrance exam, he passed every single time. The notifications of the result? Oooh yeah! He realized. All mails were addressed to his home address in Pangasinan. It was his mother who received all the mails from PMA while he was here in Baguio busy finishing college. She kept all of them from him. 

He finished Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Communications Engineering. He is now an engineer. After he graduated from college, he never stopped pursuing his great dream of becoming a soldier. He went to the Philippine Naval Recruitment Center in 2008 and had himself "enlisted" as an officer of the Philippine Marines. (I forgot the right term for it but he'd always corrected me it's not right to call an officer "enlisted"). He traveled back and forth Manila and Baguio for the countless exams and finished all of them in April 2011. He was directed to wait for the call for Class 22. 

Let me make it clear. His father never lifted a finger for him. In fact, his father never knew at that time what he was up to. There was one time, he told me, that an enlisted man asked him if he was related to the general in the Philippine Navy with the same name as his, referring to his father.

Elmer: Wala po akong kilala sa Navy.

Enlisted Man: E 'yung sa Marines na masungit? (Referring to his retired general uncle)

Elmer: Di ko po kilala.

Of course, it didn't take long for them to find out who he was and that he lied. ^_^

He had been waiting for the call since then. In the meantime, he takes a job here in TI as an equipment engineer while still feeling hopeful (and going hopeless) about receiving a call from the Philippine Navy. He had become very impatient. There were times that he called PNRC to check the status of his application. Wala pang final list. Or Kinukumplete pa ang mga kasama sa Class 22. Or 'Di pa napirmahan ni General ganito, General ganyan. 

Sometimes I would psyche him out - Ganyan talaga pag gobyerno, matagal ang processing. And that was even the time when there was the pabaon and pasalubong controversies in the military afloat. Or joke him - Baka walang load ang PNRC kaya 'di ka matawagan. (Baka kaya siya na lang ang tumatawag sa PNRC. ^_^ )

Nonetheless, he never lost hope, or maybe his hope was already only hanging by a thread. Last night was the happiest he had been. He went to bed at 4PM. I followed at 8PM. He usually wakes up at 10PM for he starts his shift at 11PM. It was already 10:30PM and he just woke up. And he also woke me up. (What the?!) I felt I just fell asleep few minutes before that. He started kissing me all over my face. (Isn't that sweet?) Then he gave me a so freakin', bone-breakin', tight hug. He spread his arms and said these exact words "There is God! Thank you God! Fruit of my labor, aaah!" He just woke me up and I was like "Have you gone nuts?". Apparently, he was already contacted by PNRC and was directed to report on October 17 in Fort Bonifacio. He showed me the text message from his contact in PNRC. Text message, really? How informal! 'Wag ka muna ma-excite, baka kung ano lang yan.", I said. He paused from his excitement. I spoiled it. Hihihi! ;)

Then the reality hit me. This is it. That's his one great dream. I have to support him with that. Am I happy that he's happy? Am I excited too? Am I sad that he's leaving? I don't know. I sure am worried though. Worried about us he will be leaving behind here in Baguio. Worried about me having to take care of everything about our family. Worried that he gets killed in a fight with the terrorists in Basilan or Jolo or wherever. But he's always said to me, "Kesa naman mamatay ako sa sakit o mahulugan lang ng eroplano dito sa bahay."

Well, I thought, kung diyan ka masaya e di suportaan ta ka. Good luck, Mahal! :)Last night, I was asking myself. Am I to be or not to be happy? I guess I have to be. I should be.
Ciao! ♥