Tulips

22

21: El empiezo del siempre. (The start of forever.)

Graduation na nina Jai at Javi noon. Isang buwan na rin silang magkarelasyon, at hindi pa rin nila pinaaalam sa mga magulang nila dahil mamaya pa lang nila sasabihin na sila nang dalawa, sa lunch nilang buong pamilya.

"Jai, mi amor, te veo luego," (My love, see you later.) ani Javi na papunta na sa harapan dahil siya ang summa cum laude ng buong batch nila.

Si Jai naman ay cum laude at may award siyang natanggap for best thesis.

Hindi lingid sa kaalaman ng lahat na labis ang talino ni Javi. Marahil ay inakala ng lahat na tamad si Javi at walang kuwenta. Pero sa totoo lang, siya na yata ang hihilingin ng bawat magulang na maging ang mga anak nila. Marami na ang nagdaan kay Javi at ngayon pa lang niya malalasap ang ganitong saya.

Nagsimula nang mag-martsa ang mga guro at iba pang personnel ng university nila. Matapos iyon ay nagsitayuan na ang mga tao at sila na ang naglalakad. Si Javi ang nauuna dahil nga sa siya ang summa cum laude ng buong batch. Kasama naman si Jai sa pila ng mga cum laude.

Iba ang pakiramdam noon ni Javi dahil hindi niya naman naranasang makakuha ng kahit anong award noong high school o grade school pa siya. Walang nag-akala na siya ang magbibigay ng valedictory speech mamaya sa podium.

Tapos na ang iba pang seremonya at isa-isa nang tinatawag ang programs ng accountancy, entrepeneurship at marketining and corporate management na kinabibilangan ni Javi.

"Javier María Regalado – summa cum laude," pag-aanunsyo ng kanilang department chairperson habang ibinibigay ng dean ng College of Business Administration ang diploma at ilang awards.

Samantala, si Jai naman ay hindi na magkadatuto dahil ipinagmamalaki niyang silang dalawa ni Javi, sa loob niya. Halos ngiti na lang ang mababakas sa mga mata niya dahil sa tuwang nararamdaman niya sa mga nakikita.

Sumunod naman ang College of Arts and Sciences na kinabibilangan nina Jai, Sandi at Sander. Tinawag na ang mga pangalan nila. Kapwa sila may recognition.

"Alexander de la Cruz Azcarraga – cum laude."

"Jaime Martín de Echevarría Nevado Vizcara – cum laude and best thesis for his work "Learning Styles and Personality Variations among Freshmen and Sophomore College Students."

Napadilat ang mga tao, hindi dahil sa haba ng thesis title ni Jai, kung hindi sa haba ng pangalan niya. Makikita na natatawa lang ang buong pamilya ni Jai sa mga sandaling iyon. Spanish naming custom can be this hard.

Hanggang si Sandi na ang tinawag.

"Sandina Yao Ongpin – cum laude."

Nang matapos na ang pagbibigay ng awards ay oras na upang ibahagi ni Javi ang speech niya sa lahat ng tao na nasa loob ng kinalalagyan nila.

"Good afternoon to all of the distinguished guests, to the dean and the vice dean, president, staff, parents and to my fellow students. It has been a journey that we have worked hard for and brought all of us here. We have done such tremendous deeds and works to achieve the dream – to graduate on time and to live a life after leaving this venue. I will be honest as I go on with this speech. It was hard for all of us to prove something on the people who are constantly eyeing on us as we excel in what we do. Take me as an example. It was hard for me since day because nobody believed on what I can do to change the course or to change what was their view about me or anybody else.

Everybody knew me as a womanizer or the one the breaks every girls' hearts. More than being that person, I am a friend, a son, a brother, can be a sister sometimes, a person who studies a lot every single night just to prove that everybody was wrong about me. I am not the only success story for that matter. I am not the only one who had needed to sail against the largest currents – problems, judgments, and thinking that I wasn't good enough. At this day and age, people are still caring about your success, but they do know less about your failures and mistakes. They only know that side of the story, in which you are seen to be wearing such fancy clothes and enjoying people's company. What is funny about it is that people will not walk or even be with you in your worst times but tries to find a way to enjoy with you on your best times.