A Lunch Box To Ponder

"So like your favorite stories, tag your friends, and share your thoughts to everyone now-only here in 104.8, you never say no toYESS! FM. Stay tune Generals!"

That's the cue for our breaktime. 12:01, lunch, I was already starving a little while ago but work is work and I have to do my noon time show.

"Nicework! Our listeners are already flooding our hotlines and even our Facebook page." said our team's manager.

"It's the story that adds up our ratings. Guess people can relate to these kinds of stories nowadays." I shrugged.

My crew and I walk to the cafeteria and I search for our usual seats. As always, the farthest left corner of the cafeteria is vacant. As if people named it to be ours every lunchbreak. I laugh with that thought. I unpack my lunch box as I wait for them in the table. Then, suddenly...

"Senior, remember that caller we have earlier?" our junior editor asked abruptly as she sits.

"What about him?"

"When she-- I mean he, he introduced himself, I suddenly recognized his voice. I'm prettysure that is Jason Rex Magonon-a senior heartthrob when I was in my junior year in high
school."

We all stare at her curiously.

"He is Jason Rex Magonon-his real name. How did you know that?"

"Nah, I'm sure she read about the X-Files of our caller. Am I wrong?" said by our senior editor-in-chief.

"Noway! Besides we never know where you put those files. And you never let us come with you guys everytime you visit these people."

"Whatever." he pouted.

Of course, because we never keep it and the X-files is just a fraud. It is actually just a folder with trashes on it. Why? Just because.

I stare down at my lunch box as they continue to talk about Jason. How mesmerizing it is to be back in those days where we let our parents prepare food for us. Then, shout it out toeveryone that your mother's recipe is the best of all. Ha. Too young, still an innocent to understand the dark shadows creeping behind this thing we called life.

I was in 9th grade when I first realized that competitions, comparisons, and concurrencies are so hard cases to crack.

First, I encountered being in a middle of a room where several pairs of innocuous eyes staring infront you and suprisingly stab you at your back. I managed to get myself out of trouble for a little while through avoiding competing against big fishes. Yet only a little while. Because they always came across to you no matter what. Then, through competitions came comparisons. You cannot really avoid it because once people got their attention to you they'll start checking out your shortcomings if not your flawlessness. And my naive self, backthen, had just let them be, foolishly.

One afternoon, past 1, I came to our school cafeteria to take my lunch. Ah, yes! It was too late for I purposely wanted to avoid those piercing eyes and loud whispers to crawl under my skin. And I was glad I did. I skipped my classes that afternoon and it was the first time I didn't regret doing it so. Besides, I was aware that my parents were in the principal's office and sooner or later, Madam Principal will call me. It was decided that I'll be transferring school immediately for some reasons I cannot decipher in that age. My father was furious and my mother never talked to me on our way home.

"You little brat You shouldn't have done anything crazy like this! Look! Look what you have done! Are you satisfied now? Do you really think society will be kind to you from now on? Yes?! Then, you're definitely a fool. You should think twice. How dare you dishonor our family-"