BACK TO WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
# Chapter 1 — Back to Where It All Began
“Excuse me!”
“Come on, hurry up, my child. We're already late.”
“Yes, Papa!”
I struggled to get off the jeepney as quickly as I could.
Yes, this was my first time riding a jeepney during rush hour. And honestly, it also felt like my first time being in Manila.
I grew up in the province of Mindanao, so everything here felt overwhelming—the traffic, the crowds, the noise, and the countless people rushing from one place to another.
I was here for my **OJT, or On-the-Job Training**.
Our instructor had allowed us students to choose where we wanted to complete our OJT. And I chose Manila.
Why?
Because coming here had always been part of my long-term plan.
For years, I had dreamed of coming to Manila, even if it was only for a short time.
And now, that dream had finally come true.
But there was another reason why I chose Manila.
A reason I hadn't told anyone.
I wanted to investigate the truth about why our family had fallen apart.
I had heard so many stories over the years.
Different versions.
Different explanations.
But I didn't want to believe only one side.
I wanted to hear both sides of the story.
I wanted to know what really happened.
Why did our family break apart?
Why did my mother leave us?
Why did everything that once seemed perfect suddenly disappear?
And most importantly...
**Why did my family become what it is today?**
To understand all of that, let me take you back to the beginning.
---
### — FLASHBACK —
Once upon a time, our family was moderately wealthy.
We weren't extremely rich, but we had more than enough to live a comfortable life like an ordinary Filipino family.
We lived in a peaceful, clean, and beautiful village.
Our house looked almost luxurious to me when I was young.
It was a large wooden house with a wide, long balcony where we spent most of our time.
There were three fishponds around our property, and the biggest one was located right beside the long balcony.
That balcony was practically our favorite place in the entire house.
We studied there.
We talked there.
We played there.
We ate our snacks there.
Sometimes, we simply sat together and enjoyed each other's company.
Our home was surrounded by beautiful flowers and different kinds of plants. We had clean water, cars, and even a small store inside our house.
Every weekend, we would go to the mall.
My father's workers even lived underneath our house, in the *silong*—the space beneath the raised wooden house.
Back then, I thought our life would always be like that.
Perfect.
Complete.
Happy.
My father and mother always bought us new clothes and new toys.
Our house had complete appliances—big radios, a television, a large refrigerator, and even a generator.
We owned two cars.
We even had someone who helped us around the house.
Our family was always together.
Almost every weekend, we had gatherings or parties.
We invited our cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends who lived nearby.
There was always food.
There was always laughter.
There was always someone fishing by the pond.
And there were always happy people around us.
Looking back now, I realize how beautiful those days were.
But when I was a child, I thought they were normal.
I thought that was simply how life was supposed to be.
I never imagined that everything could disappear.
Until one day...
**My mother left us.**
She left without us knowing where she was going.
I don't have a very clear memory of what happened during that time.
I was still young.
But I remember what came after.
We started going hungry.
The house that once seemed so full suddenly felt empty.
The store inside our house, which used to have plenty of things, slowly ran out of everything.
There were no more stacks of food.
No more overflowing supplies.
No more abundance.
Sometimes, all we had to eat was *champorado* once a day.
That was it.
I didn't understand why.
I didn't understand where Mama had gone.
I didn't understand why our lives had suddenly changed.
All I knew was that something was wrong.
Something had happened to our family.
And from that moment on, everything slowly began to fall apart.
---
“Anak! Hurry up!”
Papa's voice suddenly brought me back to reality.
“Sorry! Let's continue the flashback story later.”
“Yes, Papa. I'm coming!”
I quickly walked after him, trying to catch up.
“Grabe…”
I quietly sighed as I hurried along.
*Just getting on and off a jeepney is already exhausting.*
The traffic was unbelievable.
Everything was so crowded.
So noisy.
So different from what I was used to back home.
I looked around Manila as I followed Papa.
This was only the beginning of my journey.
I had come here for my OJT.
But deep inside, I knew that I was here for something much bigger.
I had come looking for answers.
Answers about my family.
Answers about my mother.
And answers about the past that no one seemed willing to talk about.
I didn't know what I would discover.
I didn't know if I was ready for the truth.
But I had already come this far.
And this time...
I wasn't going to turn back.
---
After a long walk, we finally arrived.
Late.
I looked up at the building in front of me.
**This is it.**
The company where I was going to complete my OJT was finally right in front of me.
I felt nervous, but at the same time, I was happy.
I had survived my first challenge—commuting through Manila during rush hour with my father.
I was a little overwhelmed.
But *laban*.
* I can do this. *
I took a deep breath.
Papa and I finally entered the building.
And as soon as we walked inside, I noticed something.
People already knew my father.
We had barely taken a few steps when someone greeted him.
“Teng! Anak mo na 'yan? Kay gandang bata!”
“Is that your daughter, Teng? What a beautiful girl!”
Papa immediately smiled.
“Of course! She got her looks from me. I'm handsome, after all.”
He said it jokingly, but there was a hint of pride in his voice.
His smile stretched from ear to ear, and his eyes almost closed because of how happy he was.
I couldn't help but laugh.
More people started approaching us.
“Is she really your daughter?”
“She's so beautiful!”
“Wow, Teng, you have a beautiful daughter!”
Papa seemed to be enjoying every second of it.
When we arrived at the different departments, he introduced me to almost everyone he knew.
After that, we headed to the Human Resources department.
A woman looked at me.
“Yzel Dela Cruz?”
“Yes, ma'am.”
“So, you're taking Information Technology?”
“Yes, ma'am.”
“Alright. We'll assign you to the MIS Department—the Management Information Systems department. That's where the IT personnel are.”
She smiled at me.
“And don't worry. No *kuskos-balungos* for you. You're Mang Teng's daughter, after all. We trust you just as much as we trust your father.”
I smiled and gave her a small bow.
“Thank you so much, ma'am.”
“Come on. I'll introduce you to everyone.”
I followed her toward the MIS Department.
When we arrived, she introduced me to the team.
“Hello, everyone. This is Yzel, our new OJT trainee. She's all the way from Mindanao, from Mindanao University. She'll be joining your department, so please take good care of her.”
The MIS personnel greeted me warmly.
“Yes, ma'am.”
“They're all nice people. Go on. You can do this!” - HR personel
She gave me a genuine smile before leaving.
One of the women immediately approached me.
“Hello! Come in. Where would you like to sit? Do you want to sit near me? Here, you can use this chair.”
Her name was Mira.
She was an programmer in MIS Department
I smiled.
*I love people like this. They're so kind.*
I was still a little shy and uncomfortable in the new environment, but I kept telling myself:
*Laban lang.*
Just keep going.
A little while later, the head of the MIS Department arrived.
I was surprised.
She was young.
I had always imagined that department heads were older, serious-looking people.
But she was young, pretty, simple, and elegant.
She approached me with a smile.
“Hello! I heard you're from Mindanao. Are you Mang Teng's daughter?”
“Yes, ma'am. That's me. I just arrived in Manila,” I answered shyly.
“How are you feeling?”
“ I'm okay ma'am, I'm doing fine, thank God. I'm just still getting used to commuting and the traffic here.”
She smiled.
“Good. You know what you're going to do today?”
I waited for her instructions.
“Rest.”
I blinked.
“Rest?”
“Yes. Take a break today. You can start tomorrow.”
She smiled.
I couldn't help but smile back.
I gave her a small bow.
“Copy, ma'am. Thank you so much.”
A little later, Papa came into the MIS Department to check on me. He spoke with the MIS head for a while before finally getting ready to leave.
“Alright, Mang Teng. Take care on your way home.”
“your daughter is beautiful. I still can't believe you have a daughter this beautiful.”
She was clearly teasing him.
“Grabe naman kayo! Of course she's beautiful. I'm handsome, so naturally, she inherited it from me!” then laugh
and everyone burst into laughter too.
Papa looked incredibly proud of himself.
I just smile too
---
When it was finally time to go home, Papa and I took the MRT, the Metro Rail Transit.
It was another completely new experience for me.
We reached the station and approached the turnstile.
I tapped my card.
Then I tried to push the metal bar.
It wouldn't move.
I pushed harder.
Nothing.
I tried again.
Still nothing.
People were beginning to wait behind us.
I could feel their eyes on me.
I'm nervous
I was so embarrassed that I almost wanted to cry.
The metal bar felt incredibly stiff.
“Just push it,” Papa said.
“I can't, Pa,” I whispered, already teary-eyed.
Papa looked at me.
“Did you tap your card on the machine?”
“Yes.”
“Then push it.”
I pushed again.
Nothing.
Papa finally stepped in and helped me push the bar.
“Oh…”
Finally, it moved.
I quickly passed through.
There were several people waiting behind us, and I could feel so many eyes following me.
I wanted the ground to swallow me.
*So embarrassing*
Afterward, we took a jeepney home.
I thought the day was finally going to be peaceful.
I was wrong.
---
### — Jeepney —
The jeepney was already fairly crowded.
Papa and I sat infront of each other.
I was tired from the whole day, so I simply looked around and tried to observe the people inside
Then I noticed the man beside my father.
His arm was positioned in front of Papa, almost blocking him.
At first, I didn't think much of it.
Then I noticed his hand moving towards his bag.
He seemed to be trying to reach for something.
The man also kept making subtle hand signals toward his companion, who was sitting near the jeepney's door at the far end.
I looked toward the other man.
He was talking to someone in the phone, but their conversation didn't seem normal.
They kept looking around.
Then their eyes went toward people's bags.
My eyes widened.
*Wait...*
I looked down at my own bag.
It was old.
Worn out.
Honestly, it was already falling apart.
I almost laughed to myself.
*Good thing I brought this ugly, broken bag.*
*There's nothing worth stealing in here.*
I suddenly became more aware of everything around me.
The two men still hadn't gotten off the jeepney.
They continued exchanging signals.
I looked at Papa.
and Our eyes met.
He looked alert.
He didn't say anything, but I could tell from his eyes that he wanted me to stay calm and pay attention.
The man beside him was getting hard pushing him
My heart began beating faster
*What are they planning to do?*
I looked toward the other man near the door.
Then back at Papa.
In that moment, one frightening thought entered my mind.
*Are these two about to hold us up?*
I sat quietly, trying not to panic.
My first day commuting in Manila had already been overwhelming.
I had survived the rush-hour commute.
I had survived embarrassing myself at the MRT.
And now...
I might be sitting inside a jeepney with two people who were planning something dangerous.
I tightened my grip
Papa's eyes remained fixed on me.
Whatever happened next, I knew I had to stay calm.
But deep inside, I was already praying.
*Please, Lord... let us get home safely.*
