Passing and handshakes

By Lynyrd Aleksei Corrales

WAKING up early in the morning, it felt extraordinary knowing that later of the day would be an end of a chapter of my life—studying—and would be a start of a new one.

Being the eldest of my siblings, it would mean a lot to my parents seeing their first and only son taking a step up to the stairway of life. Of course, it meant a lot for me too. I mean, no more early morning alarms, no more beating deadlines, no more worrying about preparing my uniform for tomorrow and no more interesting and entertaining classes to attend to.

But wait, there’s more; no more daily allowances, no more increasing tuition to pay for, no more brain to squeeze, no more minor subjects that act more like one of the majors, no more thesis and to top it all off, no more lovely classmates, teachers and beautiful ladies everywhere in the campus to see.

I remember it like it was yesterday. We were so excited that day. My mom couldn’t stop pacing from my room, across the living room and to the kitchen. My dad pretty much documented everything with his camera even when I was just sipping coffee. My sisters seemed apathetic but I know they’re proud of me. And I can’t even sit still to tie my shoelaces.

Anyway, arriving at the place where I spent four agonizingly heavy yet satisfyingly worthy long years, everything was painted blue and white. Everyone who fought hard with the system of learning in this school was there with loved ones leaping, literally, leaping out of happiness. I swiped my ID entering the campus and then well, we still had to wait for an hour or two to begin the rituals but it was worth it. Waiting makes things worthy.

Passing the hood to their beloved graduates—parents, relatives, guardians and friends were able to partake history which is going to be legendary depending on what our batch would contribute to society.

Walking down the pathway with my fellow graduates as the nostalgic music fill the air, it felt like every step I took slowed time by half its speed which made it agonizing yet satisfying. Entering the gym, I could hear the names of my fellow graduates being called one by one.

There, I sat and waited for my name to be called. In that moment, when our dean in the College of Agriculture uttered my name, I had a flashback of every memory I had in the school.

Walking up in the stage, seeing our dean, honorable guests and the university’s president smile at me, I didn’t have anything to do but smile back. With a couple of handshakes, reaching out to that rolled-up paper, facing my fellow graduates, I bowed down and exited throwing a punch up the ceiling.

I never thought I would make it but I did and it was legendary.

 (Lynyrd Aleksei Corrales is one of the children of Gold Star Daily associate editor Cong B. Corrales. He is a Xavier University graduate, and is now serving in the Commission on Elections.)