Advance Manual : 226-K Story Telling
Project # 2 : Let's Get Personal
Title : The Prom
Delivered at : Toast of Comsofil
Evaluated by : ACG/CL Ramon Austria
Target Norm : Advance Communicator Bronze
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“High School Life, my fun high school days, I remember it kay ganda”. Good evening fellow toastmasters and guests.
Do you believe that High School Years or Secondary Years is the best days of your life? Yes! I do, and let me tell you why.
I remember it vividly. It was March 5, 1985, I had this predicament. Com’on fellow toastmasters, I’m not that old! Twenty three years ago, I had this huge problem: I don’t have a JS Prom partner.
“Is that a problem”? You may ask.
Let’s journey to my childhood.
I came from an exclusive all-boys catholic school – Notre Dame of Kidapawan. Just across the street, in-front of our campus, resides the exclusive all-girl catholic school. Now if you think gender segregation is exclusive only in Saudi Arabia, think again. I already experience that way back in the 80s. We were not allowed to venture to the girl’s campus, and likewise the girls are prohibited to loiter in our campus. And the only time were we can meet our counter parts, is during the Junior Senior Promenade night.
This once in year occasion is the most highly anticipated event on both campuses. And I don’t know who develop the culture of: infamy waits for those who come without a JS Prom partner. Surely, he or she is the one to be blame for my predicament.
Can you see? I really have a big problem.
A day before the JS Prom Night, I had set my eyes on one lady – the reigning Ms Notre Dame… and with matching flowers, I politely asked her to be my partner in the prom. But she rejected me on the simple grounds that I was not “cute” enough to merit as her consort.
She said, "You are not tall, you're skinny and you belong to the bottom 10 of the graduating class."
Hah! Not only that she turned me down, she even insulted me. What a shame. That was hard and I took it seriously. I went home in tears.
Upon reaching home I saw my mom and I confronted her with flaming red eyes full of tears: “Nay, bakit si tatay ang napili mo, hindi ka na naawa sa akin, kamukha nya ako”. Loose translation: “Mom why did you marry a gorilla, look at this monkey”? My mom was shock of course. But she just smiled, gave me a bowl of soup and asked me to take a nap in my room.
That night, I didn’t get out of my sanctuary. I was afraid of my father for insulting him and putting a bad light on our family name. And when he knocks on my door, I was trembling in fear.
My good father gave me a hug and smiled. He looks at me in the eye and simply said: "My son, the measure of a real man is defined not by his riches nor his achievements and certainly not his looks". "A real man is that person who has a large heart to understand what is right and what is wrong, and stand for it".
Hah big words, but that did not answer my problem. I don’t have a JS Prom partner.
On the big night, I already set my heart that I will carry the infamy for the rest of my life.
I left the house with heavy heart and gee… my father was on the gate with a jerky smile and said “Enjoy and have fun”. Huh! Have fun without a partner, what is he thinking? I still blame him for this misery, though.
I arrived at the ballroom and was amazed to see everyone was at their best. The boys became men, and the girls has transformed into beautiful butterflies. The most beautiful of them all – the Aphrodite, the apple of all eyes – was the Ms Notre Dame.
I was standing on the door watching her from a distance. I was so bewitched by her beauty I didn’t realize she was walking towards me.
She looks at me and with an angry face; she grabbed by my shoulder and said “you are my partner!”
What ever happened that time, I was sure it was a night of magic and possibilities. Ms Notre Dame was my first dance, my first kiss, and yes, my first love. I was her first dance, first kiss, and first love too. Isn’t beautiful?
Twenty years has passed, I am still in the limbo how it happened? But I have some clues. My father was a soldier and the girl’s father was a soldier too.
Twenty years has passed, I had traveled far and wide. Yet, I still carry the adage that my father thought me. It’s not riches or good looks but it’s the heart that matters.
Twenty years has passed, my mom is now old and my father has moved to a higher plane. Now, I understand why mother chooses my father!
Twenty years has passed, I never thought the magic will linger. One of these days, my Aphrodite will grace this very room, the Toast of Comsofil.
Back to you evening master!
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