You Again, Professor [GL• #2]

CHAPTER 40

After 13 years...

I stood tall with my heels, with a proud, and full of confidence as I faced the crowd. Inayos ko muna ang papel, at in-adjust ang microphone. Inisa isa kong tingnan ang mga estudyante sa Spain University. All their eyes were on me, waiting for the speech that would hopefully leave them with an important lesson about life.

I wanted to share my story—the journey of my life, how it all began, and where it might eventually lead—to my successful life right now.

"Before I begin, I want to greet all of you with a warm and joyful welcome. And most importantly, congratulations to each and every one of you! What a wonderful day this is! Or in Spanish, !Qué día tan maravilloso es este!" I shouted, kaya ang iba ay pumalakpak din. Gumanti rin naman ng bati ang iba sa kanila, pero hindi ko 'yon naiintindihan dahil Spanish.

I cleared my throat. "You have worked so hard to reach this moment, and I couldn’t be prouder of each one of you. Today is more than just a ceremony—it is a celebration of your journey, your perseverance, and the bright future that awaits you. Every late night spent studying, every challenge you faced, and every sacrifice you made has led you to this moment. And today, you stand here, ready to take on the world." nahinto ako ulit at tiningnan sila.

Ang alaala sa tatlong taon na ang nakakalipas ay nanumbalik sa akin. Parang kahapon lang ay ako ang nakaupo sa upuan kung nasaan sila ngayon. Pero ngayon, isa na ako sa bisita nila na magbibigay ng maikling salita.

 

"Thirteen years have passed, since I went here to Madrid, Spain. To study for a pre-law course...a lot of my friends wondered why? Because when I'm in the Philippines, I am studying architecture. Then what happened and why did I shift to study law?" nag-iwan ako ng question mark sa kanilang isipan.

Some students whispered. Nagulat sa sinabi ko.

"When my father died..." nahinto ako ulit at huminga ng malalim. "He gave me a letter...and the highlight of his last will which was also his wish for me...is to study well and work hard for my own life, to build my own successful future. He made it clear that he believed my better future was here in Spain..." nahinto ulit ako.

"Ever since I was a kid, he had always wanted me to become a lawyer. I grew up knowing that was his dream for me. But deep in my heart, I had always wanted something different—to be an architect like the famous architect, Ms. Zaha Hadid. So, as I unfolded his letter, I expected to see those same words, urging me to pursue law, just as he had always wished before..." napakagat ako sa ibabang labi at binasa rin 'yon.

"But as I read through each line, I found nothing of the sort like what I thought so. Instead, his last will carried a different message—one I never expected..." binuklat ko ang next page ng binabasa. "He told me to follow the career where I could find peace, contentment, and true happiness in life...he thought, my life was really meant for creations. But little did he know, he changed my entire perceptions of life..."

I tried my best to keep my voice steady as I spoke, but no matter how much I fought it, the weight of his words made my voice tremble.

"My father...my beloved father. He was once a lawyer. He got blamed and framed for something he didn't intentionally want. He died due to life pressure, stress, and loneliness for something he didn't even want to do...And as soon as I flew here and step my feet here in Spain, I realized that I wanted to clear his name. I want to tell the whole world that my father was an innocent man. He might have done wrong, and that was wrong for trusting the wrong people! I believe that's the only thing that makes him guilty, and I believe that he never committed any crime!" mapait kong saad. I paused. "And that inspired me to pursue law...my father was my motivation for pursuing the career I never wanted at first."