LITERARY: The Useless Campaign of A Candidate by: Honey Grace Tolentino

 

The Useless Campaign of A Candidate

By: Honey Grace Tolentino

 

Everyone was busy walking the streets of San Pedro. No one dared to care about what was happening to other people. Workers were busy doing their jobs, students were walking side by side, some were standing near the stop light and waiting for the green light to turn red. I stood beside an elderly woman. She was clearly struggling with the bags she was carrying.

I was waiting for the girls standing on her right side to speak and offer help, but it seems like it won’t happen. That’s why I faced the elderly and asked, “Ma’am, would you like me to help you with carrying those bags?” The elder looked at me and smiled. Her perfectly warm smile made my day.

Honestly, I left the house feeling awful. My mother scolded me for the things I wasn’t even doing. My mind went back to the present when the elder woman spoked. “Are you willing to?” she asked. I was a bit confused, but thankfully I recovered immediately. I don’t want her to doubt my sincerity in helping her. “Of course,” I responded.

Her smile grew bigger with my answer. The stop light turned green and that’s when I took two of the bags laying on the floor between us. The traffic enforcer was guiding the people to safety, just like how he always do. When we reached the other side of the road, the elder woman told me to just leave it on the side, but I refused.  “It's alright. You’re waiting for a jeep right?” I asked. She nodded her head, her smile was still plastered on her lips.

“Oh, that’s the jeep I will be riding, hijo,” the elderly said. I looked at where she was pointing and noticed a red and blue jeep coming our way. Not far behind that was a vehicle with a huge tarpaulin of someone’s image. “Oh dear, it’s that time of the year, isn’t it?” The woman asked. I looked back at her and simply nodded my head.

I placed the bags inside the jeepney and bid my farewell to the old lady. She thanked me so many times that it somehow made me shy. I looked at my wrist watch to look at the time. When I saw it, my feet immediately ran as fast as I could. That’s right! I forgot that I woke up late!

I know it was my fault for playing online games ‘till midnight and I agree to myself that that’s the only thing my mother should scold me about. “Good morning!” the guard, Manong Lapin, greeted. He does that every single time. Without a miss. “Good morning, Manong Lapin!” I replied to his greeting.

I huffed a lot when I reached our classroom. My classmates looked at me for a while and then they went back to what they were doing. “Amazing, Liam,” my friend said, clapping his hand sarcastically. “What now?” Rupert laughed before going back to his seat, waiting for me. “For your information Mister Liam Fuego, you are two minutes late already.” I snapped my head to his direction because of what he said.

“I’m what?” I asked, disbelieving what he just informed me. “Yeah, I won’t repeat it for you sire.” Rupert playfully saluted at me. “Are you serious? Two minutes?” I hurriedly looked at my watch and saw that he was right. “Where’s Mrs. Balanayan then?” There’s no way on Earth that Mrs. Balanayan will be late for class. Rupert shrugged his shoulders.

“I heard that there was an election candidate visiting our school. The teachers and administrators went on a havoc,” he said, laughing. I wished that I could laugh as much as he does. “Maybe it was that candidate?” Another friend of mine suddenly said. “Zup.” Rupert fist bombed Letio and so did I.

 

***

An hour or so went by. I’m staring at the white, old looking ceiling of our classroom when the door opened. “Class, go form a proper line in front of your classroom,” our adviser ordered. We all did what she told us to do. Even though I’m wondering why, I think my hunch would be fifty-nine percent correct.

And, I was answered clearly when we went to our school grounds and I saw a lot of people going all around.Tarpaulins were hanged at the stage and there, we can all see a man, dressed in a formal attire was standing at the center of the stage.

We didn’t wait for too long before the program began. With a big smile on his face, he clutched the microphone he was holding and greeted us enthusiastically. “Good morning everyone! I am Mateo Roblonador, the current city mayor of our beautiful and wonderful City of San Pedro,” he started.

“Our team decided to roam all over our precious city to see what was currently happening in here. Of course, we already planned on helping each and every one of our people who became the beacon of our joy and inspirations.” I tried so hard not to yawn unfortunately, I failed. What he was saying bores me. I wished that he would just get straight to the point.

I know what he wanted. He wants to appeal to the elderly, to the people who are having a hard time working for their families. He targeted the emotions of older people. That’s what he did last time. At least, according to my father. “I wanted to further improve our city. To establish a team that will govern us with faith, sincerity, and honesty,” he continued.

“We have been waiting for this chance to finally use our plans that we formulated since last year.” If you formulated that since then, you should’ve done that already. “Our people need hope and the power to continue working, striving, to build a future that will surely help our future generations.” A loud round of applause was heard throughout the school grounds.

He kept on blabbering about things that surely won't have any immediate results. This has happened before. Saying things like he has planned for the future generation ahead of time, but still flopping. I’m tired of it. But I will wait. For a proper leader that will lead our city and have positive results.

As I had guessed, since it was him, his teammates walked around and handed us bags full of school supplies and snacks that wouldn’t make that much difference except for me not using my pocket money to buy my recess snack later and kept it to earn.

Why was it that every candidate running for a certain position always says that we’re the most important? That’s not even what they actually feel. They ran for candidacy since they believed that their ways were the right path. In the end, it was all useless if the same mistake was repeated.