We arrived at 1:45 PM. 15 minutes earlier than the call time. Well, coming from Laguna – I did not want the distance to be a hindrance for Joseph to have a great graduation.
I left him in school and got his stuff from his friend’s house. Went to my parents’ house and then went back to school to wait for his graduation ceremony to start.
Well, it was 3PM already yet nothing was happening. The church was already filled up by the parents who were busily fanning themselves with the graduation programs…
I started taking pictures of Joseph with his friends – and as believed I was the coolest uncle, so I coaxed her to have a picture with Graziel ( her gf) but alas! the mom was there too. My poor nephew could not bust his romantic graduation moves!
3:50PM, the van carrying the Bishop of Antipolo arrived. He was 50 minutes late and many eyes were already rolling in frustration. I did not understand how a priest could arrive late for such a very special occasion. It was getting to be terrible.
Well, I took some more shots inside the church. The students piling in and kneeling before the altar and then back to their pews. Since the church was already filled up, I found myself listening to the mass at the very back of the church. Good they were already using powerpoint as well to highlight the points – so it was easy to follow.
Much to my chagrin, the geriatric bishop could not get the attention of the young people. I looked at Joseph’s direction and he was just like any one of them – restless and could not care less about what the Bishop was saying. Well, he was reminding them to love their families and for them to love the country as well.
After 1.5hours, the mass was over. We heard several, conflicting instructions so it took awhile for us “parents” to find our son/daughter so that we could accompany them to the auditorium. The school was poorly designed. The narrow hallways was filled with parents and students who were beginning to sweat profusely. Joseph and a friend dashed to the nearest restroom. I followed suit only to find them washing their faces – so that “our pictures won’t be oily!”
Finally we made it to the gym – the last stop before we enter the auditorium side. I was getting uncomfortable because of the terrible planning done by NUESTRA SENORA DE ARANZAZU PAROCHIAL SCHOOL in San Mateo, Rizal. There we were more than a thousand people packed in the gym – and they were not planning to turn on the lights!!!
We still managed to take pictures as we waited for another 30 minutes before the students were lined up with a parent. The rest were left behind to content themselves by watching the screen – (but it was too fuzzy for comfort).
Joseph and I were given our cue and so we walked down the aisle. I felt so proud walking next to my nephew. My pride easily dissipated when at the end of the aisle, I asked where I was supposed to go… and Joseph comfortingly said “uncle, di ko rin alam eh!”
Aaarrrggh… I turned left and Joseph turned right. I was heading toward the balcony side when an usher asked me “Is your son receiving an award?” “I don’t think so..” Ok sir, please proceed upstairs…
So I joined the rest of the parents whose teenage sons or daughters weren’t receiving any awards. We readied our cameras and nervouly looked at the programs and wondered if this was going to end up so late.
My wife booked a table at a restaurant in Megamall for 7:30PM. The graduation started at 6:10PM. And later on, that reservation had to be cancelled…
Amazing how a quick solidarity among parents were formed. Who is your son? Who is your daughter were the questions I heard often. There was a mother who was panicking because she could not unlock her China Phone and her son was about to march across the stage… there were several of us who tried to help her but it seemed like there was no one who could really help.
The man next to me did not have a camera – so he asked me if I was going to take a video of Joseph’s section. I said yes… his son was the 3rd to come up and I positioned myself and took a video of his son.
But before Joseph’s class was called – I was beginning to feel a lump in my throat. I sent an sms to my sister Joy in Abu Dhabi and I said “His section is next… Haaaay - parang gusto kong maiyak!!” And she promptly answered me with “My baby is graduating na!”
And his name was called. I zoomed and took the picture and wondered why the camera was not very clear (only to discover later on that the videocam that I borrowed had a manual setting, and for some reason, at that time when Joseph was marching across the stage, it was set on manual mode!!)
And in a moment, it was done. More than 10 years of hard study and difficult tuition payments and it was all over.
I looked at the parents all around me. Many of them may have been OFWs. During the year, OFWs come home in hordes during Graduation and Christmas seasons.
A lot of things happened afterwards. Joseph , after his graduation had other plans but I did not allow it. So a couple of minutes after pulling out of the parking lot, he started having his angry, muffled cries…. I did not want to leave him and spend the night with his friends. He was coming back to Laguna with me.
At 2AM – I was chatting with my sister Joy. Through YM, I shared with her the pictures I took a couple of hours before. We had a long discussion about the difficulties that parents go through in order to send their children to school. Many times, these difficulties shouldered by the parents are easily ignored by their children who many times, are oblivious to the sacrifices that their parents go through.
It was a very quick march. But let me tell you, it was paid in blood, sweat and tears.
The following morning, Joseph was waiting for me and we sat down and had one of those serious uncle-nephew talks. It was direct, honest, frank, evaluative and at the same time, I believed, cathartic.
I took him to QC with me and allowed him to join his swimming party. But the parameters were already clear. And I was going to be an uncle that will provide a semblance of structure that he did not get to experience especially during the past four months.
I ended up attending 3 graduation ceremonies in one week. The last one was the graduation of Ambassador School for children.
The first was the Benedictine International School which proved to be the most organized. And being the speaker – I was not as affected by it than the graduation of Joseph.
The second graduation was the NUESTRA. This was the most disorganized graduation that I had ever seen. Many of the parents outside the school were already fuming mad because it ended at 9PM. The year before, their graduation ended at 11PM!
ASC graduation was done at the Auditorium of the Lung Center of the Philippines. I was too tired and the seating was really plushed and the aircon was really strong. I think they caught me dozing off for several minutes there…
At 7:30PM, I met up with Joseph in McDonalds Philcoa. It was good seeing him there because one of the things we are working on is the rebuilding of trust. A young man without any guidelines and structure would need to prove to others that he is worthy of their trust.
Joseph, while I love him dearly, needs to mend the trust that has been broken by his delinquent behavior during the last few weeks of the school year.
But things are looking up! Today on our way back to his school to get his classcards, we were chatting as I drove – and it was a beautiful thing.
I am glad to have an opportunity to take care of him for awhile during the summer before he goes to be an independent young man in college.
(Will scan his official graduation portrait when I get the chance.)
