The Fight of My Life

BEA DE LEON

"Can HOMOSEXUALITY be a successful defense in a criminal action for RAPE? Why or why not?"  Kian read the topic of today's debate. 

Everyone started to give their pointers, some are very good ones, some are obsolete and some are horrific. 

Mga fourth year na ba talaga tong mga to? Bea mustered to herself, feeling annoyed by her classmates' answers. 

"The suspect's admission that he is gay may have a persuasive value in this case, but his statement is inadmissible to the court as evidence,"  Bea said in the most boring tone she can muster. They are in the middle of a heated debate in here criminal law class. Candidly speaking she is bored, yet everyone else seems to be having a hard time dissecting the rape case they were tasked for the finals. 

She is in her 4th year studying law. She will be graduating this year. Finally, natapos din and mahabang pagtitis, pero alam nyang simula pa lang ng totoong laban. She needs to pass the bar to earn the right to be called a "lawyer".

Best, ansakit na ng ulo ko, myghad. Maki said as she tries to massage her temple. Bea knows she's referring to the answers of their classmates, especially the homophobic ones. 

Natawa nalang sila pareho. Maki is one of the smartest in their class. Since their first year, she was always the excellent one, everyone's friend and darling of the crowd. While Bea, is a quiet student, seems always uninterested in everyone else around, just focused on tasks at hand. Despite the difference, they are best of friends. They got each other's back, since high school days. 

Flashback

Hindi sila sabay nagtapos ng college dahil nagtrabaho agad si Maki sa mga call center as manila, while Bea lost her spark for her dream of becoming a lawyer because of so many responsibilities after nya magtapos ng college. Napasabak agad sya sa trabaho para sa mga kapatid nya. Maki, finished her college degree four years after Bea finished her AB Communication degree. 

When Maki finally graduated AB English major in Literature, she encouraged Bea to take law together with her. It's their ultimate dream, nadelay lang sila ng maraming taon, pero they can still  make it. 

Bea, on the other hand, was lost during those times. She is in the process of moving on from a failed relationship with her ex. She is an out lesbian and thankfully nobody from her circles judged her for that. Ayaw nya nadin maging abogado, kasi magiging abogado nadin yung ex nya. Yes, she was in a 4-year relationship with her co-worker who is also taking up law. They were together hanggang sa mkagraduate ito. Things between them started to fall apart until a very painful ending has to come. Bea since then lost her spark for everything.

Nagpapaanod nalang sya sa kung anong gawin at ibigay ng buhay skanya. Over the last four years, naging priority nya ang pamilya nya at ang partner nya. 

Sa ngayon maayos ng nakapag tapos ang dalawa nyang kapatid, may trabaho na sa ibang bansa ang isa, at ang isa naman ay supervisor na sa isang malaking food chain. 

Bea is empty inside. Yes' she has built a career as a marketing writer, earning good, napatapos nya nadin ang mga kapatid nya, pero she is lonely. She only chose to stay with her career because it brings her good money. 

She knows deep inside that she wants more from life. And that's when she realized, she still wants to be a lawyer, kahit feeling nya sobrang late na. 

Mak's were already 28, kaya pa ba natin habulin maging abugado? - Bea asked.

OO NAMAN noh! Your race, your pace. Kaya natin to! Diba pangarap natin to?- Maki gave her reassurance. 

And that they, they swore to each other to never lose hope, and pursue their dream of becoming the best lawyers they can be. 

Fast forward to 4 years in law school, here they are now, in their final year. 

**AUTHORS NOTE** 

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