Chronicle No. 17: The Night It Came Out

Of course I screamed my head off, who wouldn't?

After I confirmed that my name was indeed in the list of successful examinees, my sister picked up her phone and started typing messages to everyone we knew with a vengeance. My brother-in-law, on the other hand, was bouncing his knees on my back while I was seated on the floor. Minutes later, my mobile phone rang. It was my mother." I'm so relieved that you passed! I'm going to feed everyone in Cagayan de Oro, Tacloban and Ozamiz!" she sobbed with occassional bursts of laughter. My sister, Zyrah, also called but was rendered speechless and could only sob on the phone. My relatives were more hysterical than I was.

Text messages flooded my phone. They all contained congratulatory words and expressed how proud they were of me. People I didn't know and people I haven't heard from in a long time sent me their greetings. Even Maico's aunts, none of whom I've ever met, checked the Supreme Court website for my name. It was my high school classmate, Jose, whom I've only met once on a street last January since I graduated from high school, who confirmed that I passed.

For the next four hours, I talked and sent SMS's on my phone, reliving my call center days - seven days to be exact. I was stuck to the sofa with the charger attached to my phone. Soap operas and Pinoy Big Brother blared on the television screen unnoticed.

Despite the fact that a lot of people had already professed that they saw my name on the net, I was still in disbelief. Success, rarely comes into my life since the universe seems to find it amusing to heap pointless trials and tribulations on me. My usual reaction to success is denial. So, eventhough I was busy thanking the well-wishers, I still wanted to make sure. Nothing can be more embarassing than telling people that it has all been a mistake. Fortunately, around 11 pm, our former dean called and offered her congratulations. I relaxed.

It was around 1 am that I went to bed, but, I couldn't sleep. The events of that night were slowly sinking in. " I now have the power to appear before any court in the Philippines. What do I do now?" I asked myself. Six years ago, I never dreamed of becoming a lawyer and now that I am one, it's surreal.

My primary reason for going to law school was to put on hold my looking for a job. I realized in my senior year that I didn't like the degree I took. I had no choice but to graduate because my epiphany happened in the first semester of my final year in college. My roommate then was very enthusiastic in going to law school and I was infected with his enthusiasm. He didn't finish law school, I became a lawyer.

While rolling around on my bed, I occassionally shot my fists to the air and silently mouthed "Yes!". In between bouts of joy, I pondered what I should do next. I didn't know what I was doing when I entered law school and I still don't know what I am going to do as a lawyer. At least, I am now guilt-free since I had justified the hundreds of thousands that my mom had spent on my legal education.

The following afternoon, I found a concrete proof of my triumph in the last and wrinkled copy of The Manila Bulletin in Ozamiz City. Seeing my name in print finally sealed my fate.