A WEIRD EXPERIENCE WHILE TAKING AN EXAM

Last October 19, 1997, I took the Career Service Professional Exam given by the Civil Service Commission in San Fernando, Pampanga. Kailangan ko kasi ito to fully qualify for the position I was considered in. 

Bago ako kumuha ng exam, ilang araw nang hindi maganda ang pakiramdam ko. Hindi lang masama ang pakiramdam ko, in fact, para bang sinapian ako ng unclean spirit. Para akong tino-torture mentally. Masakit ang tiyan ko and I had fears. 

Despite all these discomforts, however, I continued to take the examination as it had already been scheduled. 

The exam venue was an elementary school. Habang nag-e-exam ako, hindi ako makapag-concentrate. Disorganized talaga ako! Ang gulu-gulo ng isip ko. Nakaka-distract ang sakit ng tiyan ko and I was always thinking of the rest room. If I remember it rightly, nag-excuse pa ako to go to the rest room. 

Tapos, hindi ko maunawaan yung mga questions. There was one (I forgot if it was in English or in Filipino) that ran like this: Si Pedro ay mataas kay Juan. Si Juan ay mataas kay Ganito. Si Ganito ay mataas kay Ganyan… (I forgot the whole question). Nakaubos yata ako ng almost one hour doon lang sa particular question na iyon, hindi ko pa rin na-get ang thought. So, I finally decided to just leave it. Hindi ko kayang sagutin. Mauubos ang oras e! 

Tapos, basta ko na lang narinig na sinabi nung watcher, “Ten more minutes!” E, hindi pa ako nangangalahati. And, believe it or not, wala yata akong sinagutang Math problems dahil parang wala akong capability noong araw na iyon na mag-compute. English lamang at mga general info questions ang sinagutan ko. So, dahil magta-time na (10 minutes na lang daw), nilagyan ko na lang ng shades ang lahat ng boxes for my answers hanggang dulo ng answer sheet. 

Then the bell rang. Sumigaw ang watcher, “Pencils up!” 

Kasa-submit ko lang ng answer sheet ko nang tanungin ako ng katabi ko. 

“Nasagutan mo bang lahat?” aniya. 

“Oo, sinagutan ko hanggang item 120,” sabi ko sa kaniya. 

“Haaa!” namangha niyang nasabi. “E, 1 to 80 lang ang exam a!” 

“Haaa!” sabi ko rin, sabay takbo pabalik sa isa pang watcher kung kangino ko ipinasa ang papel ko. 

“Ma’am, puede pong mahiram ang answer sheet ko. May buburahin lang po ako sandali.” 

Ibinigay naman sa akin. At totoo nga, 1 to 80 lang ang test! Tapos, isinauli ko na sa watcher ang answer sheet ko. 

“Bakit, ano’ng binura mo?” tanong nung watcher. 

“Nalagyan ko po ng shades hanggang 120 e 1 to 80 lang po pala ang test.” 

Tawa nang tawa yung watcher habang tinitingnan ang answer sheet ko. (Although 1 to 80 ang questions, yung provided separate answer sheet ay 1 to 120 items.) 

Of course, dahil hindi naman lahat ng question ay pinag-isipan, hindi ako umaasang naipasa ko iyon. Alam kong most likely ay bagsak ako sa exam. 

After a month, coming from Nueva Ecija and going to Olongapo, dumaan ako ng San Fernando to get the result of my exam. Although I was thinking I might have failed in the exam, I prayed that I was able to pass it. The passing grade was 80%. 

And, thank God, I got 84.34%! 

MAY SAYAD

(NOTE:  The following did not actually happen. Joke only.)

Sa Main Gate ng dating U.S. Facility sa Subic, na ngayo’y SBMA, as the day’s grind begins, maraming tao ang sumasagsag sa pagpasok sa trabaho. Sa bungad ng Main Gate bridge, naglipana ang mga tindera ng samut-samot na merchandise na lalo pang nagpapasikip sa pedestrian traffic. 

Si Sassy ay isa sa mga employees ng SBMA na every working day ay sumasagsag sa pagpasok sa trabaho. Minsan, dahil sa pagmamadali niya, nalimutan niyang bitbitin ang baon niyang pagkain for lunch. So, napilitan siyang huminto upang mamili ng pang-lunch niya. 

Ibubuka pa lamang ni Sassy ang bibig niya upang sabihin kung ano’ng bibilhin niya nang biglang iniabot ng isang lalaki ang paper bill niya at bumili ng sigarilyo. Una itong napagbilhan ng tindera na ikinagalit ni Sassy. 

Nanggagalaiti sa galit na sinigawan ni Sassy ang tindera ng ganito: “Bakit siya ang inuna mo e, nauna ako sa kanya?!!" 

Nagitla ang medyo-intimidated na tindera na sumagot ng ganito, “E… e, kasi po iniabot na niya sa akin ang pera niya e…” 

“Bakit, siya lang ba ang may pera? May pera rin ako, a! Mas malaki pa nga ang pera ko kaysa sa kanya!” 

“Hindi po… e, kasi po…” Nag-isip ng maidadahilan ang tindera hanggang nakaisip ito ng, “E kasi po, nagmamadali siya. Late na kasi siya e.” 

“At bakit, siya lang ba ang nagmamadali? Siya lang ba ang male-late? Mas malaki na nga ang late ko kaysa sa kanya a!” 

Mabilis na umisip ng strategy ang tindera para matapos na ang diskusyon. At nagliwanag ang mukha niya sa naisip niya. 

“Ay naku, huwag n’yo hong papansinin ang mamang iyon. Kasi ho, may sayad iyon e!” 

“At bakit?! Siya lang ba ang may sayad?!! Mas malaki pa nga ang sayad ko kaysa sa kanya 'no!”

"YOU BROKE MY HEART"

The song “Sinaktan Mo Ang Puso Ko” (you broke my heart) by Michael V had a strange effect on me. During the time I was experiencing things that to me were very unusual, whenever I heard that song, I felt as though it was meant for me and directed towards me. I felt as though I was being accused of hurting someone else’s feeling. 

In the workplace, when I heard a male co-employee sing that song quite a bit loud, I felt uncomfortable. When I heard that song on the radio, I wanted to cover my ears. I seemed to have persecution complex. Or was I really getting paranoid then? 

Also, during that time, I had a very close friend from Laguna whose youngest daughter was my godchild. As my days were stressful and there were problems in all areas of my life, I always ran to my friend for moral support. He was my refuge and when I found things to be so unbearable, I would see him. 

In one of my visits to his place in Laguna, my two-year-old godchild (perhaps younger), who was so very fond of me gestured to me to carry her as she stretched her little arms. We were about to go to the public market then to buy some foodstuffs. 

While I carried her in my arms and as we walked our way to the market, my godchild pointed to the distant mountain before us and as though giving me a riddle, asked me, “Ano ang tawag mo sa bundok na…” (what do you call the mountain that…) but I could not recall her complete statement. If I was not mistaken, that mountain she pointed to was Mount Banahaw. 

I wondered why such a toddler could talk to or communicate with me that way as though she was already a grown-up girl. 

What amazed me even more was when the baby came closer to my face, then her little mouth, barely an inch away from my ears, whispered, “Gaudencio… Gaudencio…” (my real first name). 

Flabbergasted, and a bit scared, I looked at her and asked her, “Sino’ng nagturo sa iyo niyan?” (who taught you that?) Gazing at me fixedly, she then seriously asked me, “Hindi ba Gaudencio ang pangalan mo?” (isn’t your name Gaudencio?) She then sang as though she meant it for me, “Sinaktan mo ang puso ko…” (you broke my heart…) 

A few minutes later, she fell asleep with her head resting on my left shoulder. 

I LEFT MY FACE IN SAN FRANCISCO

(NOTE:  This is a repost.)

Goddy beside Mang Ben (partly hidden) at Wimpy's Olongapo

Just this morning, I met Mang Ben, yung mabait naming Criminal Investigator at kasama ko sa trabaho noon sa U.S. Facility.

Mang Ben:  Goddy, dumating si Bernie noong May.  Nag-get together kami sa Wimpy's sa Maysaysay.  Bakit hindi ka pumunta?

Goddy:  Sa Wimpy's?  Sa Magsaysay?  Nandun ako a!  Magkatabi tayo sa upuan.

Mang Ben:  A... oo nga pala.

Goddy:  Nagpe-Facebook ka ba?  

Mang Ben:  Oo naman!  Doon nga ako pinadalhan ng birthday greeting ng mga anak at apo ko noong nasa Amerika ako.  

Goddy:  Tingnan mo fb account niya.  Nag-post siya ng mga pictures.

Mang Ben:  Kaya lang, hindi ako nakakapag-Facebook ngayon.  Naiwanan ko'ng Facebook ko sa Amerika.