Chapter V: You’re an Honor student? And so...?

Finishing my first grade elementary was quite good. My inhibitions have been covered up by the fact that I learned about my potentials. I rarely hear about the good things that I have done. There had been zero appreciation for every accomplishment that I make. It has been understatement of me that I should live without being noticed.

My father had been converted to a new religion. They were born again, according to a tag line. I was in 2^nd grade that time. From the very beginning this tag line entered into my senses, persecutions had been usual. People did not accept the fact that I am a member of that certain congregation. I wished for their happiness and success while they curse me to die. I prayed for their forgiveness while they pushes me and laughed at me. I shared words of wisdom and friendship with them when they don’t accept it. It was a nice change. This was the reality then. The right to have freedom in religion was underscored by the prejudice people have in their minds. Well, it had been the case from then on.

The whole family have been in the religion and we are happy to be in it. Even my grandmother who had been a strong catholic fanatic then had also change. My grandmother would even try to go to our local church even if she feels bad about her health. She tried many kinds of alternative medicine just to cure her sickness but nothing seems to give her the results she wanted. My grandmother had been my inspiration through and through. Even though we haven’t talked that much I really can’t forget her. I often disregard her because of her age. I remember the times when I always step on her beautifully made up toe nails. She would call me in her slow, deep, harsh voice, “Greje”. She often tells me about the way the lived in the past.

A bright same old, typical morning welcomed me that day. The sun was shining bright. All seems to be right. I didn’t notice my mother’s voice right inside that room that used to ignore. What I did notice is the cold wind coming out from that room. It seems to hug me like someone I know before. It made me so tensed that I couldn’t move my feet to trod on that certain direction where I heard the voice of a weeping lady. It was too late for me to know that sad news. I gently trod my feet towards that room and a vivid picture of an old lady lying in her bed with no life struck me. I don’t what to do that time. I didn’t know what emotion I should act that moment. I don’t know if I should cry or what. All the picture tells me is the fact that the person whom I’m annoyed with had been gone for good.

Several days passed, varied things have come into play. The whole house was filled with a lot of people visiting the corpse of my lola. Then I had the opportunity of meeting a lot of people from different parts of the country. My relatives from Manila and Leyte whom I never knew before came to visit. All of them coming into the scene with different emotions: My uncle was crying when he came. My aunt was calm when she arrived. Some were happy, while some were not that emotional at all. All of these giving me the fact that people such as them really loves my grandmother.

When my grand mother was buried, all of the memories have come back. They all reminded me of the old person whom I was annoyed with. Then a realization told me that we remember the value of the person when he or she is already gone.

I was a bout to finish my second grade when these events have happened. The school year was about to end. The teacher announced who were in the top ten of the class. Our teacher told me that I was on top of it. I was so excited to go home and tell my parents about it. I was running for joy as I come home. The whole room was so dark. On a table is my father doing something. My mother was in the kitchen cooking our meal. I greeted them good morning showed them my card. As if unnoticed they continued doing what they were doing before I came home. I left the card let on the table. I was about to tell them about the news when our neighbor who was then a teacher at our school came. “Oh, Greje is such a brilliant boy he is the first honor on the list. She showed the program of activities to them.” says our neighbor. “Oh, you should be ready for tomorrow”, she added. My mother got excited about it and cheered me up.

When we were about to go to our school trouble came. An argument about me has sprout out. My father didn’t like me getting the honor. It was my perception when he told me those words saying, “Pa-honor honor man hine…..” I was so disappointed about it. It broke my heart in two. I don’t know if it was my fault to earn an honor. I am not even sure if I should be happy about it. Will I think for it as a complement? Or a liability?

From that day on, I started to make it as a challenge. I started earning honors from grade 2 till grade 6.

When I reached grade six, I was third honors for the whole batch. It has been a great competition as we competing with people from a Special class. I was the only person coming from a regular class outside the special program but I aced all of the challenges and all of them were shocked to know that someone coming from a regular class would come out to be an honor student.

The following tells you about my years in elementary:

Grade	Section	Honors
1	5	None
2	4	First honors
3	3	Second honors
4	SPED C	First Honors
5	SPED B (Section 1)	First Honors
6	SPED A	Third Honors