About Time

Chapter 10

June 2014

Days passed and I already bought a ticket for a plane toward my new home for the next 4 months. I sat in at the edge of my bed, looking at the ticket I just bought. I was contemplating on how time flew so fast and realized that I am now a college graduate.

Things are gonna be so much different...

I realized that as soon as I grabbed that diploma, I was thrown into the adult world, not knowing whether I was ready for it or not. I hated thinking about it. I didn't even know what I was about to do. I was not ready to review, I had doubts whether I should've even enrolled in the review center in the first place.

I had to find a motivation somehow, maybe when I get there, I would find it. As long as I stay here in my hometown, memories of this place would cloud my judgment even further.

It was 1 hour long flight, and a 30-minute taxi ride from the airport to get to the dormitory I was going to be staying in. As I entered the premises, I was met by one of my friends who then took me to the dormitory manager.

I gazed at the place and said to myself, "This is where I'm gonna be staying for the next four months."

I took my bags to my room which was on the fourth floor, and placed sheets on my bed. I already had a roommate who was staying for a month already, but apparently wasn't there yet while I was unloading my things, so I hurried downstairs to grab something to eat.

I waited outside for my friends who were just finishing their class. They gave me a short tour of their dormitory, and then we decided to eat somewhere. We rode a jeepney and ate at a fastfood restaurant. We talked like it was just yesterday, catching up on the happenings the last two months I wasn't with them.

We talked for another hour at the restaurant before leaving. After giving my goodbyes, I went back to my dorm room. Inside was my roommate getting ready for a shower.

"Oh hey, uh, nice to meet you, my name's Ralph."

"Lynton, nice to meet you too."

At first glance, I knew this dude was not a dude, but he was going to be my roommate for the next four months, so I didn't really care too much about it.

It was in the middle of the afternoon, still recovering from jet-lag, I opted to sleep. 

The following days that followed felt uninspired, lacked motivation and had no sense of urgency. When I wasn't reading my books and notes, or solving problems, I was sleeping, or outside smoking, or talking to my friends.

Have I ever thought of Marge during those days? I have.

I wanted to know how she was doing.

I wanted to know whether she was happy.

I wanted to contact her, but my thoughts were replaced prematurely when a part of myself also thought that she would be happier without me.

I thought the distance would help me forget these things, apparently, it only made me feel much worse than before.

Away from home, no friends in my dormitory, nothing but books and lots of problems to face day in and day out. It was exhausting, maybe because I never really studied this hard in my life before.

My grades during college was mired by mediocrity. I could have done better if I wanted to. IF I had wanted to, but I didn't care. I graduated electronics engineering without developing a study habit.

Cramming a single semester subject into a three-hour session was not good for my brain. I was already trying hard to catch up to the two months I missed and now I was bombarded by even more study material.

Honestly, I got sick of it. I found other ways to procrastinate when I got bored. I went to different malls, visited some shops, bought books. Books that were relevant and irrelevant to the board exam. Unfortunately, I bought more irrelevant books than the important ones. I knew procrastinating was wrong, but I was the type who likes to get things done when under pressure. The exam was still months away, so I got the relaxing part down already. 

Nothing interesting happened over the month of June. 

Inevitably, came the month of July. Same thing, nothing interesting happened.

As August came, I stumbled upon something I shouldn't have.