Flavor of Success

“Flavor of success”

            With earphone plugged in my ears, a tear falls down my eye. I am crying because of frustration. We have this draw lots for our feature article topic which is set to be at our final output in our Feature Writing Subject. With full of faith, I have picked Inspirational Story as the type of my feature article. I grumbled again. I don’t know what to write because first of all I haven’t written any inspirational story so far or maybe I have a lot of ideas in my mind but I just don’t know how to put it into words. I started to think of the best topic to write, but nothing comes up in mind.

It was already eleven o’clock in the evening and I am walking my way to our house. I wiped my tears away. I entered our house, and saw my sleeping mother, I changed my clothes and opened the computer to consult my life adviser. I called him through Skype and as he answered the call, I started to ask questions. The first question was, What is your inspiration? And he replied “My Family.” Oh, how will I write about my family? There is nothing inspirational about my family because we are just a normal one. I asked him again, How about when you were young? And then he replied, “My Family” Seriously? I am now super frustrated. I SWEAR. Then I told him to just tell me a story and he started to narrate his story. Literally, his story and my inner thoughts started to talk back to him because I am really upset.

“When I was a kid, our house has been just a Nipa Hut and located at the top of a mountain far from civilization.” Here he goes again. “Before going to school, I need to finish my chores like fetching water from a well, feeding roosters and ducks, sweeping wastes in the backyard, and rifting woods. I am walking for nearly two hours barefooted and without eating any breakfast, but to attend my class. Before, I am filled with joy when my mother gave me a cent to spend for  the whole day.” A lot of people have been there, is there any new or odd happened? Okay, now I am getting bored. “When I graduated from high school, I used two shoelace tied together to replace the belt and tighten my borrowed pants. My polo that day was very special to me because it was my polo when I started my high school life and it was still my polo when I finished high school.” Nice. Do you have any story ideas? You have already told that to me when I was young.

 “Did I tell you that I have eight siblings and my father was just a coconut tree climber?” I nodded. “Our life before was so hard. There was a lot of time came that I felt tired of living. I am ready to surrender and die at the very young age. But my father told me that what I am experiencing that time was just a test. A test that looked like a mountain, there are a lot of challenges to surpass. And when you reach the top, surely there is no such thing to define how happy you are.” Yes. You are right. I felt really embarrassed with myself. I haven’t experienced that in my entire years of living.

“After the graduation, I sought my fate to Manila. I didn’t care about taking risk. My first job was a janitor in a garment factory and promoted as an Ironman. Literal ironman, because I used to iron socks. Afterwards, my high school classmate that brought me here, recommended me to a construction site where he was working. I grabbed the opportunity because the salary there was a bit higher than my salary at the factory.” I never knew that. “I also tried to be mechanistic, a housekeeper in a canteen,  a bagger at a supermarket, a steward in a restaurant and a kitchen helper” I bowed my head. I am not worthy of listening to him. “When I worked at the Luk Yuen Noodle House I was promoted as a junior dim sum chef  and when the restaurant fell into bankruptcy, I was hopeless. I sent my family back to the province and looked for a new life there. But I was wrong, I left my children and wife there and go back to Manila to find another job opportunity. I tried to be a Pedicab Driver to support my family, but the salary was too small. I doubled my effort, a Pedicab Driver during the night and a railway trolley driver during the day. I am not contented with my work then, so I decided to look for better jobs. And luckily, my friend told me that Heritage Hotel was having a job interview and food tasting. I immediately prepared my requirements and with faith in the heart, I entered the prestigious hotel-restaurant in Manila. After everything, I left the place and sighed. Finally, I got a job.” He had been a lot of hardships before, but he manages to stand still.

“I was promoted as Commi1 or Cook Level 1 at Heritage hotel. I was running for becoming a regular employee, but the general manager rejected me because I am  lack of educational credentials. I felt degraded for the first time of my life. But for my family, I continued looking for jobs. I worked at NAIA as a cook and whenever I got home, I am searching for hiring in newspapers. An agency caught my attention, they need a cook ready to work abroad. I contacted the agency and after a lot of the process I soared Doha, Qatar. Another, self-degrading situation happened again when my workmate was promoted higher than my position even he was young and had no experience. I only knew that he is a degree holder then I resigned. My former head chef, recommended me to a restaurant in Dubai. I grabbed it and worked there. But because I am not that fluent in speaking English Language, promotion is so unreachable. Silently, I applied to a five-star hotel also in Dubai. The salary is much higher than my salary there. When the hotel said that I have passed the interview and the food tasting process, I immediately pass a resignation letter to my manager. I am the only Dim sum chef in that restaurant so they don’t want to lose me. Then they promoted me. After my contract there, I pursued my way to the five-star hotel and with no turning back they accepted me and I started with full of benefits.” I know now where I got the cleverness.

“Now, I am a Chef de Parte in a Five-Star hotel and I am doing all of this for my family. I want them to have a better life that I didn’t experience when I was young. I don’t want them to feel what I felt before.  I want them to be happy. I want them to experience what I didn’t experience. I want my children to finish college for them not to feel degraded. I want you to be a degree holder.” I realized how he suffered all these things just for us.

“Okay princess, I need to go. Bye. I hope you have your inspiration now. I love you.” He ended the video chat. Yes, I have my inspiration now and that is you. My father. I want to fulfill all your dreams for me. I want you to be proud of me. I realized how I am lucky to have you as my father. I am so glad we have you. We are blessed because of you. I want to return all your favors back to you. I want you to witness how will I strive hard to study. I want you to be with me coming up on stage receiving my degree diploma. With those burns, blisters, bruises, and pain you felt before, I know it will fade away when that day comes. I want you to at least feel how you worked hard for it. You were just a high school graduate, but currently a chef in a five-star hotel. You don’t know how I am so proud of you.

I turned off the computer and lay on my bed. I plugged my earphone in my ears and tears fall down my eyes. I am not crying because of frustration, but because of the happiness. Every person has the greatest gift from God. And the gift for me, was my father. I forgot the reason why I am doing all of this, and that is because I want to repay my father for his goodness to me. Sometimes, we forget about how important our family is. We easily get frustrated because of problems in our life, but we didn’t know what kind of trials our fathers have been through just to protect you, just to let you grow, just to show how they loves you. I met this man, a father, a son, a husband, a brother, and a friend, whom I really love. With his story I remembered what Truman Capote said, that failure is the condiment that gives flavor to success.