400 Days After Fina

Day 402

400 Days After Fina by JellOfAllTrades
Chapter 3

I wake up early without the help of my phone's alarm. When your business relies on you to be always present, you start a habit of waking up early. Eventually, your body becomes attuned to your daily schedule that you'll learn to wake up before your phone starts ringing. I turned my phone alarm off several months ago, not just because my body has become attuned to my morning routine, but because I either don't get to sleep the night before or I regularly get bad dreams that make me wake up early.

Some would think I'm a committed person for always being present for my company. Some would think I'm a hard worker, because no matter how exhausted I feel and look, I always show up to my meetings, and I always tried my best to get there earlier than most. Some would think that I'm very hands-on with the workings of my company because I took my time getting to know everyone I'm working with. Some people look up to me and idolize me for my work ethic, often, I get asked, "why do you work so hard?" And I would only smile because I'm not working hard, I'm just working so that I can get my mind off her.

Of course, I get a little bit of what I want. For most of the day, I would be so occupied that I can't even think about my own needs. But when the day ends and it's time for me to go home to my little condo unit, all I would be thinking about is her. What she would feel about my work, what she would say about the people I'm working with, and her constant reminder for me to slow down and take care of myself. I always end up telling her I can't stop.

Today, I get up with purpose. I promised Aunt Arlene I'll come with her to the school this morning. And I'm still thinking about whether I'll personally pick the teachers that will be handling the orphans when I finished my breakfast and got into the van with her and Mamita. Both are talking about school administration stuff while I stare out of the window.

When the driver parked the van in front of the school, my first thought about the facade was how much it resembled an old church. The walls are all plain grayish-brown cement with black inscribed lines that made it look like the walls are made of huge cement blocks. To complement the plain walls, the gates and window grills are also painted black. The building looks like it's been there for a long time, and if I didn't know better, I would have asked the locals for the school's non-existent history.

Colegio Folloso De Tayabas a large simple sign said on the building. Embossed beside the sign is the school's logo.

"It looks so simple and old," I mutter. "You guys could build a church right beside it and no one would bat an eye."

Mamita chuckled at what I said. "It's also easier to maintain. Modern houses and buildings have this annoying white or plainly colored exterior that you need to repaint every two or so years. By making it just plain cement, you eliminate the cost of repainting."

I look at Mamita and see not an old lady but a businesswoman who knows how to put her money to good use.

"We aimed for an old-looking design kasi the older the institution is, the more likely people will respect and be confident about it. Pero sa labas lang naman mukhang luma yung building."

Aunt Arlene lead us inside the front gate and stopped before the carefully manicured lawn of the central courtyard. Diagonal pathways dissected the courtyard leading to multiple sections of the buildings surrounding it. It all looks so clean and well designed.

"Naka-disenyo yung daan for the fastest way to cross one side to another," Aunt Arlene explained. "Gusto sana nila Janus igaya yung ideya sa mga hallways ng building kaso masyadong magastos saka magiging irregular yung sizes ng classrooms."

"Janus contributed to the design?" I asked, surprised that the Cavite branch of the Folloso family had a say on the architecture. "Akala ko nag-hire kayo ng outsiders for the school?"