by Mat William Roi San Juan, BSA 3-1
(winner of JPIA-PLM Art & Literary Festival 2011 On-the-Spot Short-Story Writing Contest)

Who would have ever thought that I will be at the rib of my chosen path? During my 5 years of trials and tribulations, one thing that I always force to surmise is the fact that I will fail. That I don’t know anything. That at any test I will be facing is the final judgment of my life.

After a day of my taxing job as an Associate Auditor, I always find myself driving at the road of DaangHari in alabang. As I travel at the scorching heat of the sun, the fast always try to visit me. The heat reminds me of the days when I felt that there is no more chance of finishing my feasibility study. The road resembles the lengthy transaction with my professor whenever I miss a certain project. Still, I do not know why I always feel bad towards myself.

While driving, I saw a woman wondering at the middle of the road. After I opened the window, I tried to ask what she is doing. But she is not listening. After few minutes she turned around and I saw her face. Her eyes were alluring, like the gems my mother should always wear. Her hair was silky smooth. It resembles the scarf I gave to my mom. My past suddenly bumped my head.

“Sir, can you help me?” She grasped the collar of her jacket. “You see I lost my tape recorder and I don’t know where on Earth do I misplaced it.”

“You lost it? Are you sure? At this very place?”

“Yes Sir. I’m careless enough to lose anything in my hand. Can you help me?”  I remembered my father’s response that never I ask for help. “I have no idea so I cannot help you.” After the accident, my father had to find a job for we could not seek for my mother’s help anymore. She is resting, and this time, it is not temporary.

“Sir, can you help me?” I went out of my car and held her wrist intensively. She looked at me. “Sir, thank you very much.”

We walked at the side of the road. At this very moment, I still cannot conceive the fact that she had lost something at the middle of the road. It is kind of weird and insane.

“Do you need a paintbrush or what? I’m serious!” She smiled at me. “If you have any problem, just accept it and face it.”

“I’m going to ask you something.” I looked at the road and try to foresee its end. “How can you measure success?”

“Measure? Is that really your term?” She stood right in front of me. “You can’t really measure it by money, fame or any form of luxury.” She looked at road. But she never tried to see the end, she just stared at it. “But you can feel it. If you can accept that you cannot always have what you’ve wanted, but you can want what you have.”

“You have some good script lady.” I tapped her back and suddenly, something fell right from her jacket. It is a tape recorder.

“Great! So now tell me, are you sure you have lost it?” I sarcastically smiled at her.

“Oh my! It looks like I forgot to check my jacket.”

“So, can I go now?”

She smiled at me and said, “Thanks, Sir.”

After a day of my taxing job as an Associate Auditor, I always find myself driving at the road of Daanghari in Alabang. But this time I don’t rush to see the end of this road. I just go with the flow, enjoy everything and wait.

I saw the woman wandering at the middle of the road again. I stopped the car and open the window.

“Now what? Have you lost your tape recorder again?” I smirked.

“How did you know that?” She asked innocently. I get the tape recorder at her back and she was shocked for what she saw. I played it. Tears just rushed through my cheeks. I never thought she had been experiencing this everyday without someone to take care of her. She took the tape recorder from me.

“Thanks, Sir! You may be a stranger but I can say you’re humane. I don’t know you at all, but still, I am grateful. By the way, are you alright? I’ve been watching your face the whole day and-”

“-and you can’t just paint it.” She was startled.

“Hey! How can you know what I am thinking? Are you psychic or what?!”

I just smiled, “Trust me, I knew it.”