Endless Battle

"I don't want you to be just like me, pursue your dreams, have good work, I will work hard to support you," my father said as we are eating our breakfast. I am a freshmen student. My father is a janitor in the school where I pursue my degree in Secondary Education. My mom died last year. I am an only child. My father did everything for both of us to live. He cleans the school almost 24/7 as our source of income. I am never ashamed about my father's job, for he is the coolest janitor who's close to the senior students at school. He is cheerful and friendly. One time I saw him eating bread at the side of men's comfort room sitting beside his floor map, he's sweat starts to fell into his bread, until he saw me approaching, he stood up and said: "what do you want my daughter?" I could see on his face that he is tired and exhausted, so I ask "pa, are you okay?" he fake smile and says "seeing you smiling and standing here with that uniform boosts my energy, study hard for me, and I'll work hard for you.

" One morning as we are about to head school, I can see that my father is so energetic and looks so happy, so I did ask him why is he feeling so happy, he replied me delightedly that he is happy because the school year is about to end and we have made it. Success! I did my best to strive hard at school because that's the only way I know I could give him back the favor.

We celebrate the end of the school year very happy. Not until the Covid19 pandemic breakthrough, we need to stay at home, my father couldn't go for work, his shoulder is so down, and the face is so sad, his fingers are massaging his head, his tears start to fell, "father, why are you crying?" he responds, "I don't know what we're going to do for income, we need to eat at least two times a day," even me was so devastated that time knowing that I don't even know what to do. The pandemic strikes and the government's reliefs are of great help. But my father is a genius. He did sell plants and flowers that he take care of after my mother died, and it sustained our basic needs. I take care of the plants every morning so it could grow more and we could sell more of them. "The more plants, the more income."

I thought the pandemic breakthrough could only last for one month. The school year is about to start, the health emergency wasn't over yet, my father was worried about the expected virtual classes, we couldn't afford to buy a gadget, I don't even have a phone, so I decided to stop my study for a while and continue next year, but with a surprise, I was busy gardening and he was busy about something inside the house, I sneak him inside and I caught him counting coins he saves in a bamboo coin bank, my tears suddenly fell thanking God for giving me such a wonderful father, I may not be blessed with such a comfortable life but with my father, everything is so easy and I couldn't imagine myself living without him.

Life is a roller coaster ride there are so much of unexpected downs, my father is sick, and he needs to be delivered to the hospital for a test, we badly need money for his recovery, and so I did steal the money that he saved, where I saw a text saying "for my daughter's new phone", but I disregard the note, there's no more important than the life of my father. He asks me where I got the money and reminds me that I can't use the money he saves for my new phone, so I lied to him that I got this from a friend that lets me borrow money. He needs to stay at the hospital for some tests and self-isolation.

My father had a good recovery and was able to be at home after two weeks. He was so upset about what I did but, he had no choice, I need to. He's doing everything for income, he sells plants, even work as a construction worker at our neighbor's, and also makes money as a fisherman.

I told him not to abuse yourself for work, but what touches my heart is when he says "whatever that problems would be, God has provided us life to overcome it, one problem is nothing compared to the blessings God gave us, I work not because I have to, but because I dream of seeing you wearing that black gown toga of CTU, we could not just dream, we need to wake up and work for those dreams to happen, the battle has not yet ended, it's just started, let us be strong, we can make it happen" he paused and says I just can't wait to shout saying to your mom "Ma! this janitor has raised a beautiful teacher! I am so proud of her!" he smiled.

The endless battle of my father, poverty? No! Covid19? No? Nothing can beat a janitor that dreams.