Fearless Nationalist I am!

Call me a freak, I won’t mind because I probably am. I can be a nonconformist to a certain degree as long as I don’t violate rights of others.

What gave me that freedom happened when I was in high school.

Our school like any, held the National Anthem (𝙇𝙪𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝙃𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜) and the Patriotic Oath (𝙋𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝙈𝙖𝙠𝙖𝙗𝙖𝙮𝙖𝙣) every Monday morning in the open area/playground fronting the main building. A student, usually a senior was assigned to lead the latter after the anthem was played over the PA. One fateful Monday was mine.

The usual manner by which the Oath was led and recited was a line at a time:

Lead: 𝘗𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘔𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘯

Students: 𝘗𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘔𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘯

L: 𝘐𝘯𝘪𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘬𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘴

S: 𝘐𝘯𝘪𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘬𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘴

L: 𝘐𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘯 𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘢𝘩𝘪

S: 𝘐𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘯 𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘢𝘩𝘪

…and so on.

My version was different. While I kept the first line the same, the rest I delivered like only a fearless loony would do:

Me: 𝘐𝘯𝘪𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘬𝘰!

S: 𝘐𝘯𝘪𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘬𝘰!

Me: …𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘴!

S: …𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘴!

Me: 𝘐𝘵𝘰!

S:𝘐𝘵𝘰!

Me: …𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘯!

S: …𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘯!

Me: …𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘢𝘩𝘪!

S: …𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘢𝘩𝘪!

The entire school was laughing, although remained faithful to the Oath by repeating every word and phrase I uttered with the flagpole behind me. I kept a serious face all throughout.

At the end of the Oath ’performance,’ while acknowledging the accolade given by the students and teachers, there was one person whose reaction I was a bit wary of -the principal. I still remember her name, Mrs. Maura B. Peña. I scanned the area amidst a field of white uniforms thinning as the crowd headed towards their respective first period classes which was then already delayed. And there she was, nonchalantly kicking pebbles with her leather shoes. Her stoic face tells me that none from my bloodline will be summoned to her office. Her reaction or the absence of it, secured my future as a bald comedian.

"If you don’t take a chance, you won’t stand a chance."

Cheers! #MyCafeNotes