The Beginning of Becoming a "Call Boy"

It was thirty minutes past three in the afternoon. My mother kept on telling me to hurry up, as was duly seconded by my panic-mode father.

The 26th of January was one of those days that I've been looking forward to this month. This was the day that I was to report to Leyte Academic Center for the orientation and start of training for my very first job.

I took a bath a little bit late from my scheduled. So, instead of my usual more or less half-an-hour-bathroom session was shortened to an uncomfortable ten minutes. My parents were rushing me. They were so worried I'd miss the timely trip to Tacloban. On the other hand, I was pressured like a duck being chased by a snake.

The clock striked four.

I rode pedicab to the van terminal for those bound for Tacloban. My parents were correct that I'd miss the last van trip of the day. I had to go to the National Road to wait for the Tacloban bound jeepney which was supposed to pass-by anytime that moment. Luck seemed to be not at my side at that moment. The jeepney was full. It was like that my surroundings turned dark. Cumulus-nimbus clouds flooded the skies. My head ached. The pressure on my veins were building up. I started to breathe heavily. Suddenly, water droplets fell from above most blurring my spectacles. It was not a movie scene. It was really raining.

I had to wait for another thirty minutes to be able to ride the last jeepney trip bound to Tacloban. Five minutes passed. A fly went to fly near a junk food wrapper on my left foot.

Ten minutes passed. The fly disappeared.

Fifteen minutes. Two flies came back to land on the same wrapper.

Twenty-five minutes. The rain stopped, thank God!

Finally, after thirty minutes, I was on board the day's last trip.

***

An hour and ten minutes later, I arrived to Tacloban. It was near eight minutes past six. I need to get to Pawing before eight. I had to drop by Kristina Heights to refresh myself, and have personal necessities addressed.

Seven o'clock, the start of critical time. I had to find a St.Paul's-Campetic multicab to be able to get to Pawing.

Good I was able to ride at once. I arrived at Leyte Academic Center twenty-eight minutes before the time drawn. I had to join the queue of men and women wearing the smart-casual business attires. I was embarrassed when a personnel from the HR told me that I should have worn the same. I was on jeans, and I was not supposed to. I did not know what smart-casual attire was.

Rationalizing, I told myself that it was not just me who was wearing jeans. As the queue grew longer, more and more people appeared to have been in their jeans. Some wore t-shirts.

***

The orientation proper came next. Free food, after the orientation, were served. Then, after lunch (midnight), the group of eighty people which reported to the place were divided into four teams.

Training for basic communication skills formally started. It was the usual introduce-yourself activity for the session.

After the shift, five in the morning, I felt like I was drunk.

This was the start of my "call-boy" career.