I was browsing through many different websites trying to put myself in the right frame of mind so as to write something. I was trying to force myself to write something that made good sense considering that this might just be my last entry for the week. As the usual practice, there will be no internet connection on finals week which will begin tomorrow. And so, I jumped from one blog to another, to differend news items when one officer entered the laboratory I was occupying. He was dressed in his jacket and I knew him as the officer who once gave me one favor that changed my life.
I still consider going back to PMA as my biggest feat so far. I mean, raising fifty seven thousand from scratch for my eye operation, practically begging people to let me in and of course the one of a kind experience of self realization that has defined the person that I am now. But not many people actually knew who gave me that boost to really put me in. The one person who went out of his way to really see to it that I go back to PMA.
After finishing the week long Physical and Medical examination at V. Luna Medical Center in January 2004, I was faced with a very serious problem. I was told by the eye doctor at the hospital that I was disqualified because of my failing eyesight. I asked the usual question: "What must I do?" I was told that I should undergo a treatment known as Laser-assisted In Situ Keratomileusis or simply LASIK. It was an eye operation that would put my eyes under a laser beam to correct my vision. I did not know what that meant at first but just by listening to the name of the treatment, I knew it was going to be hard. I started asking around finally finding myself in St. Luke's Medical Center. I was told that the treatement would cost me fifty seven thousand.
By mid-February, I still did not have money for the treatment. I did not know what to do and time was running out. I was told that the list of incoming cadets will be deliberated upon and will be finalized by end of that month. There was simply no possibility that I can go through the operation by that time. I was hopeless and I cried myself to sleep. I thought that I just might not go back to PMA. But miracles happen and in this instance it was in the form of people going out of their way and just helping you. That was how it was for me. The officer I was talking about was once the head of the Office of Cadet Admissions. I sent him a text message and begged him. I do not have the slightest clue of what I was trying to achieve, I just thought that it was him that I should ask. He said as a reply to my text message that he can not promise anything but he will try. He then instructed me to report to him the following day. The next day, I told him my predicament, how I made it to that point and what are the things that I was doing. He gave me one look and asked me one question: "Are you really sure that you can raise the money for that treatment?" Eventhough I was still uncertain where to find the money I said yes. The next day I learned from the enlisted personnel in the PMA Liason in V. Luna that he went to the Chairman of the Medical Board and demanded that I be included in the list. He assured them that I was to go through the treatment. When the final list came out the week after, my name was there despite of still not going through the treatment. I do not know what caused that good officer to just take my word when I innocently said yes to his question, but it was an answer to my prayer. Eventually I did raise the money, went through the treatment and went back to PMA. It happened because one kind hearted officer, although did not know me trusted me and went out of his way to help me.
As that officer was going out, he noticed me. He went near me and tried to see my namecloth (my last name is sewn there) on my uniform. He looked at my face, then to my side where he noticed the chevron I was wearing. He then remarked, "Uy, secondclass ka na." I stood up and proudly said, "Yes sir!!!". He then asked me questions regarding my academics which I proudly announced that I have only one final exam, the others are all exempted. When he came out, I was so proud of myself. Maybe he just realized that he was not wrong when he did what he did about three years ago.
I guess he was my angel at that time. He was God's answer to my prayer revealing to me and I hope to other people as well that God works. It was a manifestation of how God orchestrates things, including people, to do things in our favor. In the process, it teaches us valuable lessons that will just change our lives forever.
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