Just this morning, I rode a tricycle driven by a Marine Biologist. When I asked him why he’s only driving a tricycle, he answered that he was already tired of life on a boat.
“Where are you heading?” he asked me.
MSU, I said.
“Ali.” Come.
He asked me what year I’m in as soon as he started to drive.
I’m in fourth year, I said.
“Oh! So graduating na diay ka?” he said. He somehow sounded excited. Too excited, it seemed to me. Coincidentally, my phone was playing Giuseppe Verdi’s Marcia Trionfale, a march commonly used during graduation ceremonies.
I removed the earphone in my left ear to hear him better.
“My son just graduated recently. He was a summerian. ”
What was his course? I asked him. I reduced the volume of my music.
“Electrical Engineering lang naman.” Just a degree in Electrical Engineering, he said with a smile. His voice beamed with pride. Some would say it was arrogance, but I guess it was rightfully so— It was his son’s achievement after all.
I stopped my music and kept my earphones in my bag.
“It took him six years, but he graduated just the same. He’s now in Cebu to review for the Board Exam come April next year.”
We talked all the while as he deliver me to my destination. He told me how a Professor gave his son a failing grade in a major subject. How his son retook the same subject in the summer and the same professor gave a perfect grade of 1.00.
“When my son asked him why he received a failing grade his previous take, the professor said: ‘Trip ko lang, I just wanted to see if he can get a flat-one grade. I knew he can.’
Kaya man diay.”
We were nearing the place. I tried to think of something. Maybe I should congratulate him. Maybe to shake his hand. Or maybe I shou—
Lugar lang ko diri, ‘Ya, I said. I gave him a PHP 20 bill.
“Thank you.” he said as he handed me my change.
“Thank you, too.” I said.
As I ride the jeep, I returned my earphones to my ears. Giuseppe’s Marcia Trionfale played once again.
Kuku Notebook 