Sunshine From My Window

Yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised by a text message from my son’s teacher telling me that my son placed second in their declamation contest. It actually made my day.

We never knew about that declamation contest; moreso, that he was chosen as one of the contestants after passing the qualifying round. Up to now, the details are still a bit sketchy. It’s being revealed to me little by little….

The day before yesterday, I was surprised when my facebook chat box popped out with a message from my son as I was about to go home from the office. My initial reaction was one of exasperation. First, he wasn’t allowed to use the pc or lappy on school days except for school work and he observes this rule religiously. He used to have a celfone which he lost in one of his commutes with his nanny. He needed something and he knew that I was always online. He said he needed a flannel long-sleeves checked or plaid shirt for his farmer costume… I asked when he needs it and he said tomorrow. What!!!??? and he’s only telling me now. I patiently asked with a tinge of irritation why he did not tell us during the weekend to which he could only gasp, “Oh”. I followed it up with the reason they needed a flannel shirt. He coolly threw back a question, “Oh, didn’t I tell you that I was chosen to be one of the contestants in the declamation contest. “ Inside I was thinking it was another of their class activities. So I had to change my reaction to one of involvement even if it was not my fault that I didn’t know. I told him to search for a plaid shirt in his dad’s cabinet in case I won’t be able to find a flannel shirt. He came back and said there are some but they look like shirts used for the office. I told him that if there is no alternative, he’d use that. He said ok.

I prepared to leave the office as soon as I hang up the phone. Good thing that traffic was light. When I reached the mall, I tried searching for the flannel checked shirts and the salespeople told me they don’t have checks in that material. I looked at my alternatives and was flipping through racks of shirts which he can probably use for a debut party we would be attending later this month but changed my mind after realizing that check shirts would not probably look good in a debut party in a hotel. My next option was to look for shirts on sale. I had to call my son twice in the middle of searching to tell him I couldn’t find a flannel shirt and that I would buy a plaid shirt that looks like one used by a farmer. He said yes.

When I reached home, I called him to try on the shirt incase I still have to return it. It fits………. Wonderful!

The following day, I prepared the rest of the costume and handed the bag to him as he was hurrying to go to school…. I didn’t think so much of it anymore and went through the normal course of activities. Then, I got the text message………

After work, I met up with my middle daughter in the mall; went for some unplanned splurging; and went home. As we were waiting for our ride, I remembered my son’s feat and told my daughter. There was a glow on her face as I revealed the good news. But unlike us, she knows more details about the contest. This daughter is the one that my son refers to as his ‘enemy’ because they are always at each other’s back. With my eldest staying at a condo, they are left together in the house and my daughter would play the guardian role to him when hubby and I are not home. He looks at her with awe and some fear. My daughter told me that her brother came up to her some weeks ago asking for help in memorizing his piece for a declamation contest. So she heard him recite his piece….. I asked how he was… She said he is good in delivery but have not fully memorized the piece at that time so would stammer on some lines….. She also never heard the polished piece since he rehearsed with her…. She knows how his brother was chosen. It appears that his adviser, Sir Phil, who has been his adviser for the past three years, forced him into joining. Two classmates already qualified and he was told to join…..

This morning, my son went inside my room, to brush his teeth. He 's been doing this for sometime even if he has his own bathroom. He says he likes my bathroom. I took the opportunity to ask some more details about the contest. I wanted to know if it was a school-wide activity. He said that two levels competed, freshies and the sophies…… even more cool. He is in his sophomore year. I was trying to make him recite the winning piece to me but he was in a hurry and went back to his bathroom.

I or maybe all of us never have much faith in my son’s ability in school. I would just like him to not have failing marks every grading period but this is not always so. He had summer classes in the past for subjects he needed to brush up on. Last year, it was a relief for all that he didn’t have to attend summer classes. He doesn’t want attending summer classes. More importantly, I think he did a last ditch effort to pass all his subjects as he had failing marks with just one grading period to go before the school ended. When it was time to get his report card, there was a mix of anxiety and fear seething inside me. My eldest daughter got his card. Everyone was in disbelief that he passed all his subjects and even had high marks on some subjects.

This morning, a ray of sun peered gently through my window settling on a portion of the wall. It was a lovely refreshing sight after the howler that came last night. The teacher’s text message was my ray of sun yesterday …….

To spice up this story, hubby shared an amusing conversation he had with my son yesterday on their way to his school just before the declamation contest. Since we thought nobody heard him recite his piece yet, hubby was asking my son to recite his piece and my son refused telling hubby that he was conserving his voice. Undeterred, hubby wanted to know if he memorized his piece. My son who is not used to being given too much attention as far as the academic side is concerned, told hubby that he knew as soon as he read his piece…. Whoa….. Not contented with his probing, hubby asked my son about using proper diction with hubby explaining a little to him about pronounciation, pacing, and timing. After my son understood the concept, he told hubby, “Duh, I’ve been speaking in English for 13 years” without missing a beat…… Hubby knew he had to shut his mouth……. I guess he was chuckling after he dropped off my son to his school on his way to work…. I can tell from the look of his face as he was relating his conversation with my son…. Even with very little sleep, I felt good this morning…….. Who wouldn’t when I know that my son’s time has finally come ……….. the sun will continue to rise for him…….