AT PRESENT TIME
(MIKA's POV)
Today is Micoi's first day in school. Maaga kaming nagising. Excited ang bagets.
We did not push through with our plan na mag-El Nido kasi he has to take summer classes in Filipino. I also hired a tutor. Luckily enough, madali naman nya natutunan yung mga basic. Uhmmmm! Basic pa lang. Haha! He's trying his best na magcompose ng isang sentence each day. Tuloy nakuconscious na sya sa pagsasalita.
I am going to be very busy the whole day. Work! Work! Work! Whew!
Kaya naman I will only drop off Micoi in school. Bawal na rin kasi kami papasukin ng mga guards. Which is fine. Atleast, at this early matuto silang maging independent.
May napansin akong bata na umiiyak. Habang naghahanap ako ng mapagparkingan.
Siguro preschooler. Ayaw bumitaw sa Mom nya.
Sabi ko kay Micoi, ganon sya when he was just a beginner.
"This time Hon, no more crying ha. You're going to be fine. They will assist you inside. Give me a kiss na."
"Mahal kita Mom." Sabay yakap at halik sa akin.
"Mahal din kita Micoi". Nakangiti akong sumagot sa kanya. "Ok, be good. Take care. I will pick you up later. Mahal kita."
Umalis na ako nung matanaw kong nakapasok na sya sa loob. Lord, ikaw na po bahala sa anak ko. Hope maging ok ang first day nya.
Alright Mika, go to work now. Alalahanin mo, 1 week kang Leave next week. Oh yeah, it's my birthday and I deserve a break. Hahaha! 3 days , 2 nights kami sa HK ng mga LINGs. And when we get back, it's Micoi turn naman. Request nya magswimming. Di kasi sya pwede mag absent. Kaya di sya makakasama sa HK. Next time na lang. Kakaumpisa pa lang kasi ng school year. First time kong umalis na di kasama si bagets. Pero panatag naman ang kalooban ko kasi andyan sina Daddy at Mommy.
I now work as Finance Manager in Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation here in Makati. I would like to think that I got hired because of my credentials and not because of my Ate Coi as reference, sa Royal Dutch Shell nga sya kasi work. Kumbaga andun ang mga pinaka-boss ng Shell sa buong mundo. Haha! I may not be as genius as she is pero CPA din naman ako, CFM (Certified Financial Manager) din at the same time. Kaya naman bago ako bumalik ng Pinas, I have a very decent job which I am proud to brag about.
After I gave birth, I wanted to work right away. Kahit na ano sana. Para naman may pera kaming mag ina. But my sister influenced me to go back to school. I need not worry daw about all the expenses including that of Micoi (milk, diapers, etc.), sya daw lahat bahala basta bumalik ako sa eskwela. When I left PH, di ko naman natapos yung course ko at dahil biglang shift from Psychology to Finance, halos walang carried sa mga units ko, thus, it's like starting from scratch.
Awa nang Diyos, naipasa ko yung scholarship ko sa Stanford. Malaking bagay yon kasi di ko kailangan iasa sa Ate ko pati gastos sa pag aaral ko. Although wala lang yon sa kanya, ako ang nahihiya. Little did I know na nagpapadala pala si Daddy ng pera. Nalaman ko na lang when I was already working. Sabi ng Ate ko, never daw nya yon ginalaw, instead nilagay nya sa trust fund. For Micoi's future. Pagdating talaga sa usapang pera, marurunong sila. At sa kanila ako natuto how to spend money wisely. Sabagay dati pa, hindi naman ako BIG spender. I'm not the material kind of girl. I just live simply.
"Oh gosh, it's past 12 noon. Micoi must be waiting for me. Kawawa naman my boy". Patay ako nito. 11:45 ang out ng anak ko. Anyway, Usapan naman namin mag antay lang sya malapit sa aquarium, main entrance. Malapit lang naman ang office namin to Don Bosco pero sana lang walang traffic, which I doubt kasi ganitong oras, maraming lumalabas para maglunch.
