A Hundred Flashbacks

Rise and Fall

These happened after graduation. We flew all the way to Manila to start trainings required before going onboard the vessel as an apprentice or sometimes called cadetship program. There were twenty-one of us who passed that company and we were together on the street of Makati like lost ducklings. We reached the office and met with the Global Coordinator for the cadets and thus gave us instructions. She mentioned that it will take some time for us to stay in the dormitory allotted for us cadets to stay while waiting for vessel assignments. In that time I used all disciplined and training I imparted with myself while I was on the academy.

Days before that, I came to the Global coordinator's office alone and said.

"Good day Ms. Jaq! I was so thankful to be part of the company which paved the way for me to graduate for free and for that case, I wished to work in your good office as an on job trainee without any fee as a return of the lovely favor the company has given to me".

You heard it right, I became a company man with the loyalty level of ninety-nine percent. Everyone was astonished and my name was heard all over the company. I was the first scholar who became an OJT and thus this continues until these days. Even asking with no fees with the job I was on, I was given more than the salary as an OJT. I go to worked as early as 5 am and left the office as late as 9 pm. The office keeps giving me food and thus I was free from buying any meals. I was also given salary to the extent with so much favor from my manager and I felt so marvelous. They depend on me like how my senior did more than anybody else since I worked all around.

One time I was assigned to be in a hotel since there was a conference for the Senior Management Training Programs where worldwide Captains and Chief Engineers of our company gathered. I was assisting the training all alone and had given a token after the training as the Speakers was astonished how I handled them. The Training manager was looking after me and predicted that I will be a Chief Engineer in few years' time and hold the office next after him. All the sacrifices I've done as a cadet works. The disciplined I imparted with myself was worthwhile and made me advanced throughout the days.

To make the long story short, I became the first officer in our batch of twenty-one. Each time I was onboard I had a marvelous evaluations and thus I became permanent to the ship I belonged since I was cadet and made a gap with my batch in terms of rank. Same discipline at work was used. Work early, stay late at night working, be a good companionship everything was perfect! All of those years was so amazing and everything vanished in just a single day as the devil takes over me again. 

Next: The Devil Within (Chapter II)