Causes + Bosses

Review

This story originally appeared in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on January 10, 2006.

I’ve been seated here in front of my computer for almost an hour now. I’m trying to figure out what I am going to do to fight my boredom while I wait for the sun to rise. Life has been like this since October 2004, the month that followed that gruesome bar examination. 

I was one of the hopefuls in the September 2004 bar exams. I had resigned from work as early as November the year before to concentrate on my review and make better preparations for the bar. I had been a working student, who struggled my way through law school. After graduation, I flew to Manila with high hopes for my review classes at San Beda College. 

Life there was totally different from what I was accustomed to in the province. It was not my first time to set foot in the big city though. I had been there twice before, but only for a few weeks. I had to make so many adjustments in my lifestyle when I was there, I would say. 

I, along with a few former classmates from Silliman University, rented an apartelle near San Beda, fronting the Chino Roces Bridge. We were all witnesses to the shouting and burning of placards by militant groups, who marched there almost every day to air their grievances before the people in Malacañang. It was much easier then to memorize their jingles than articles of the Civil Code. 

During our stay, never did we have a dull moment. I can still vividly remember the night when a fire gutted a house near Aguila Street. And every time I think about what I did, it brings a smile to my face. 

We were all asleep and our sweet dreams were broken by the loud alarms from fire trucks. An adrenaline rush prompted me to jump off my bed. And since I didn’t have wings, I almost broke both of my legs and more. It’s not that we don’t have fire trucks in our province. It’s just because we are not used to hearing so many fire trucks responding to a fire. 

From that time on, I would hear fire trucks almost every night but it did not rouse me from my sleep anymore. I quickly got used to their sounds. 

One thing that added color to my stay in Mendiola was the Light Rail Transit. It served as my alarm clock in the mornings. The screeching sound it made on the rails and the blowing of its horns were more effective than a thousand alarm clocks. The LRT was the first thing I would see from my window every time I woke up up. 

And then there was Centro Escolar University. What a wonderful sight it was to me. It was a constant reminder that I was in the big city, far from home. 

It was also while reviewing for the bar that I learned to live on a tight budget, thanks to Adelaine. I haven’t met a person as kuripot as my friend Adz. If we were being frugal it was not because our parents did not give us enough to buy decent meals, but because we were terribly afraid that we might starve if we didn’t spend our money wisely. So when we bought our breakfast, Adz and I would divide it in two, keeping half of it for lunch. There were times when our breakfast ended up as our lunch and dinner, too. Put yourself in our shoes, and I assure your that in month’s time, you will be as skinny as your favorite model. 

Who can forget the handsome guys in San Beda? It was like raining men every day for Ate Ritchie, my room mate with an Adam’s apple. 

Visiting the churches around the University Belt became part of our lives during the review. Funny how we become instant devotees when we need something from the Lord. Even Our Lady of Manaoag in faraway Pangasinan and the convent of the Pink Sisters in Baguio were visited by some of our fellow examinees. 

Now looking around the peaceful surroundings in our place brings back memories of the people on Recto Avenue, who make the street their homes. The first time I walked down that avenue, my instinct told me to walk faster or, better yet, to run. Some people were openly sniffing rugby, children included, maybe to forget the cravings of their stomachs. 

I may have not made it as a lawyer on my first try, but the rich experiences I had during the review taught me many lessons in life. The friends I came to know are blessings enough for me to be thankful about. The family of Manong Vicente, the caretaker of the building, welcomed and treated us with kindness. They showed me that being happy has nothing to do with having material things. 

My six-month stay in Manila exposed me to the different struggles of the people I met there, making me appreciate more the blessings I enjoy now. Failing the bar is not the end of my dreams, I always tell myself. From that sad experience, I learned that when you want something badly, you have to strive hard and pray hard. I did the best I could, but the Lord did not grant what I wanted that time. Maybe He’s got some other things in store for me or it’s not the perfect time yet.

Cindy T. Hisona

Cindy T. Hisona, 29, finished law at Silliman University in Dumaguete City and now works for the city government of Bayawan, Oriental Negros.

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