R E D ! [Under Revisions/Editings]

"Two Fold Son O' Hell!"

I tried to recollect all images of all people I have met on the past, but I can't recall where I met him or saw the face of this old doctor, Dr. Arañego.
I was really curious about him back then..
"Who could this man be?", I ask myself.

But when Dr. Arañego saw me thinking so deep, he just immediately spoiled the answer to me.
He said, once again with that husky old voice of his, "It's not really a big deal kid if you don't remember. I am just some avid fan of yours on that very day of your speech... REMEMBER?"

I am shocked, beyond belief! He heard my speech, he knew me before I have entered this room. And he knew me, probably, before I was even selected to become a beneficiary of the University's Academic Scholarship program. But who was he? So I dared to ask, embarrassed of myself and shy,
"I am so sorry Sir, but I don't recall that you were an invited speaker on that day of our graduation ceremony."

He chuckled and asked, "Did I said that I was invited as a speaker?"

Yeah he's right, he doesn't say anything like that, but who is he?

With a huge smile on his face, he asked me a question that made me remembered him, "Who was the one who first stood and clapped his hands after your Valedictory Speech? Huh?!", then he chuckled like Santa Claus once again.

Now, I remembered him. He was that man who was located on that back part of the auditorium and the one who initiated the standing ovation on my Valedictory Speech. So he was that man! "Oh, yes sir! I remember now!"

"See...?" Then grin at me, and said "Even before you entered this room, I knew you already."

Back then, I really don't have any words to reply on what he had said. Mixed emotions were all inside my head. So, if he then knew me already before I even applied my application, was it possible that he also had helped me for my Academic Scholarship Application? Well, that's the question inside my head.

Dr. Arañego spoke with that raspy voice of him again, he looked at me as if he knew all the thoughts inside my head, "Perhaps you were thinking that I pulled your paper out of that scholarship application box and chose you personally, right? But you are wrong."

Damn! How did he knew what was I'm thinking? Am I that too obvious?

He then continued, "Your School Principal recommended you to me. And yes kid, he told me many things about you and your high GPA percentage. He personally recommended you to me. But, I said to him, 'NO'."

I'm shocked on what he had said, but were also curious, so I asked politely, "Sir, then why did you accept me as a beneficiary of the ...."

He cut me, and said while chuckling, "Oh, you don't like it? I can take it back!", then all three of them laughed so hard.

"No sir, I'm just curious.. If you said 'NO' to a personal recommendation of a friend, then why consider me now?", I uttered in a polite calm tone.

"I get your point kid. My answer to that is simple.... I heard your story.... I know its hard. I know its tough. But I don't want to help you out of pity! I don't want to help you just because someone asked me a favor. Kid, remember this words, IF YOU HAVE A DREAM, YOU MUST PURSUE IT BY YOURSELF. Yes, along the way, you will probably need some life-lines and help, but it will never be called as 'YOUR DREAM' unless YOU ARE THE ONE who will took the FIRST STEP TOWARDS IT. If someone did it for you, then its not yours, its his . At the end of the day, you will be forever be in debted to that someone who took that first step for you... And base on your personality... YOU DON'T LIKE THAT, DO YOU?", he said that to me in a very direct, serious, but very encouraging tone.

He always amazed me everytime he spoke even a single line of words. It was as if he read the inner thoughts of your soul. As if, he knew you more than you knew yourself.

I would never ever forget those words he told me that day, whenever or wherever I reminisced about that cool, old, simple Doctor, who in many ways, became my life-lines along my path.

To cut the long story short, the panel voted to support me in my studies and approved my scholarship grant. But in a condition that I have to maintain a 90.00 GPA average, and in college, if you're not serious, 90 GPA, is one quite of a hell.

Another issue was discussed, on how could I pay for the miscellanous fees and other necessities, since pursuing a Doctor of Medicine is really costly and pricey. Then, another thing was about the payment for boarding house inside the campus and my daily food allowances.

I told them that I really don't have any money and my relatives were like ghost shells so, I don't think that they would help me.

"YOU REALLY HAVE A HECK OF DREAM, KID", Dr. Arañego said, while chuckling and laughing with that big laugh like Santa Claus.

So, they decided to offer me a job inside the campus as a the school janitor. I'm not embarassed to be called as Doctor Janitor! To be honest, I'm quite proud of it. Since many of the students back then were really inspired by my story and my perseverance in pursuing my dreams. Of course there were students with their gold butts always tried to make fun of me... BUT I DON'T CARE. I just shaked it all off after each long day of study and work.

I have to work part-time, atleast 4-5 hours every afternoon, after class. It was quite difficult, I must admit, but I needed to at that time. If that's the only way to be a step further for my dream to become a doctor, then, I'll die for it!

It was one of the happiest day in my life. And Dr. Azriel Arañego, was one of the best people I have met in my entire life. I believe, one of the saddest part of my life right now, was he never saw me hailed by the people as the Best Doctor in the Philippines.

He had a cardiac arrest and died, the day after my graduation.

He never saw me fulfilled my promise, that I would place this University on the top.
But I believe, wherever he was right now, he was just laughing and saying these words, "I am proud of you, you two fold son 'o hell!"

My path continued after his death and I will be glad to spoil these now..

That the saddest part was, Dr. Arañego who helped me achieved my dreams, didn't saw me, in this vast crowd - a million of supporters gathered around, campaigning me, to become the PRESIDENT of this country.

Yes, I spoiled it, but these next parts were my journey on becoming A SYMBOL OF HOPE OF THIS SINKING COUNTRY OF MINE.

(To be continued....)