Of Air-Conditioned Mall, Private School, Stampede and Bullets
This is a true story of a “then-confused-frustrated-depressed con near-to-lunacy-cause-of-being-jobless” applicant once upon his job “haunting” days (like my pal phillip put it, well uhmm some of his gobbledygooks).
The applicant went to the usual process, like of everyone else’s… it’s like sauntering through hell. Waking up on the wrong side of bed (another phillip’s axioms again), trying with all his might to get up away from the bed. He stopped himself from thinking about its promise of a good sleep and rest, and instead he focused on his very splendid mission…to get a job.
After the battling with his mind whether to go back to bed or not, he decided to stick to his original plan, to go out and hunt for a career.
He was 22 that time…young…sweet….and has this excellent drive to strive for success, but then the world seems not to notice.
So the applicant went on, armed with sets of resume, few new grammars (to impress the interviewer, and also to make “bawi” when the interviewer can’t understand what he just said), a spicy pancit canton in his stomach and of course his solid faith (that now begins to melt).
The applicant wasn’t able to buy a manila bulletin yesterday (Sunday) where there are lots of job posting, it’s due to money shortage, so he has to buckle up when it comes to spending. He thought he could always stroll around the metro where there are also lots of job postings, this time it literally means job post because you can easily spot them on electric posts, lamp posts, etc. It was extra tricky when an applicant goes out to the “battle field” without consulting the news papers stated above, because the said bulletin serves as the bible of the applicants (and professional applicants as well). Factually, it gives light, direction, guidance for the applicants, and all the job hunter needs is to build up his faith (what the…just like the bible itself eh!)
The quest went on, looking out for any signs of job openings. He keeps on pleading God to shower him some of his mercy and give him a nice company that’s able to recognize his qualifications. After hours of walking through the rays of sun, suffering from starvation and thirst, and from the tedious scouting, at last his prayers were answered. And ironically he saw that glittering job advertisement in grace park church. Wow prayer works talaga! He jotted down the address and luckily it was also near the said church, before he flew to the targeted employer, he offered a small prayer again.
The company isn’t really a usual “company”, it was a school (it was the ________________), the ad said the they needed an office clerk. The guard was friendly and accepted him with all smile, and enthusiastically pointed out where the job hunter has to go.
The applicant found the office, he handed his vitae to the personnel. And the said staff asked an unusual question. “What exactly is your religion?”
The job aspirant answered, “Ma’m I’m just a Christian, I really don’t categorize myself into a particular religion. I am a free thinker”
He went out the school, he was enraged, he wanted to scream. The reason, because his application was declined, not that he wasn’t used to being rejected, denunciation was already been absorbed by his ego. But because of the basis of the school on why he was kicked even before the interview.
“Kasi tinatanggap lang dito yung mga Katoliko.” The words are still reverberating through the walls of his empty brain, conquering even the deep recesses of it.
The applicant wanted to crumple the mouth of the said staff, he wanted to let the arsonist in him out and set that whole damned school on fire…But he wisely controlled himself.
He went to the mall, just to stroll and somehow cool down his head, but he was still mad. Not because he was denied, but because he cannot understand how a Catholic school, with their “so they say” Christian outlook, vocation and vision could just write him off, just because he stands for what he believes…couldn’t they just understand and respect that?
He really wanted to tell “Christ did not come into this world to save the righteous, but to redeem the sinners. It’s not that he’s a hardcore sinner but it’s as if they labeled him as a rotten apple in the midst of fresh ones. He thought he was classified less of a Christian because he wasn’t a Catholic.
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Writer Comment:
I have nothing against Catholics but this words are for those (including those other religious people with excessive activities just to show how fanatical they were) who are acting as if they’re the only ones who’ll be saved in the end and as if they’ve already paid their down payment to have a place in Heaven, and those who sees other people in a very repulsive way.
“Respe-respetuhan lang, the word respect seems to be not included in your vocabulary anymore. You didn’t know how respect other peoples’ idea of faith. You are overly judging people without daring to look at them closer. And now you’re wondering why the world is like this….with all the wars going on (primarily because you are seeing other nation’s belief without any sense of respect) we are not far from a picture of hell.
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As the job seeker strolls into the mall (grand central to be specific), the rain was violently pouring outside. There was a loud bang somewhere near McDonalds, then the next thing he knew, there was a waterfall-like gushing of water near the said fast-food. The tensed people were shouting, screaming as if they are being pursued. With all the people running towards him, his instinct told him not to panic and stay put on the side. When people parted, he saw a troop of policemen firing at someone else, and he ran….he exited at the entrance door….he ran violently towards the violent rain.
