RISING PHOENIX ACT SELECT

CHAPTER 14: FILIAL GENERATION

The rest of the day was pure agony for Marco. All he could think about was the hell that was going to be raised when he got in the car with his mom, who insisted on picking him up that day. Nothing felt like it mattered anymore - he would walk around the hallways, staring down at the floor and not talking to anyone. His usual behavior of reciting as much as possible completely evaporated. Yet everyone just carried on. Pisay life just kept going for everyone else but him. Further souring his mood was the fact that Ma’am Lareigh, Marco’s Math teacher, had told him to meet with her at the Math Unit after her class after recently flunking a Math quiz. After Math period came and went, he begrudgingly made his way there, dreading what would be said to him.

When he opened the door, he saw Ma’am Lareigh waiting for him on the table to the right, failed quiz in hand. He slowly made his way over to the empty chair across her and looked back down, making sure to hide his inner turmoil.
“Marco…” Ma’am said, “Alam mo na tinawag kita dito kasi bagsak ka sa quiz.” Marco nodded slowly, bracing himself for whatever she had to say next.
“Dapat sana ipapakita ko ang bawat mali mo. Pero mukhang hindi mahalaga ‘yun ngayon. Sa tingin ko, may iba kang problema.”
Marco lifted his head slightly and looked at her, surprised at what she said.
“Alam kong alam mo ang lahat ng aralin...pero napansin ko na parang nagbago ka. Mas nanahimik ka, mas mahiyain. Kung may problema ka, pwede mo namang sabihin sa akin, ok? Ano bang nangyayari sa iyo?” she asked.

Marco stayed silent for a few seconds, going back to staring at the floor. He wasn’t prepared for her to ask that question. After a while, he decided to speak up.
“I feel like I don’t belong here anymore…” he told her.
“Everytime I try to do the right thing, I end up hurting everyone around me…now look at me. I’m an outcast. I can’t walk past the hallways anymore without someone staring at me - the guy who fell through the 3F Audi and crashed that go-kart, even though it’s not true…” he explained further.
“And now I’m here…with a potential Level 3 on my hands, and…my mom hates me. All I am now is a burden…to everyone around me.”
Ma’am Lareigh stayed silent as she listened to Marco’s concerns. She made sure to listen to what he had to say, using it to put together the right words for him.

“Hindi ka pabigat, Marco…” she told him.
“Kahit andyan ka lang, pinapasigla mo na ang klase ko. Pag nagtatanong ka, mas lumilinaw ang pagtuturo ko sa mga kamag-aral mo. Mas maganda ang klase ko kapag kasama ka,” she said encouragingly.
“Mukhang mahirap, pero alam ko na kaya mo ‘to. Hindi ‘to katapusan ng mundo. Napakatalino mo, at alam kong pipiliin mo kung ano ang tama. It’s in your nature,” she said.
“Eto yung quiz mo…” she told him as she handed him his paper back.
“May mga concepts dito na lalabas sa susunod na quiz, kaya balikan mo ‘to, ha? Next week ang Quiz 3. Tandaan mo lang…”


“...kailangan mo lang subukan ulit.”
With that, Ma’am Lareigh sent Marco on his way.


After managing to avoid Brianna, Glenn, and Prairie during lunch by eating somewhere out of the way, Marco endured his afternoon STEM classes and finally reached the end of the day. He immediately went to the drop-off, and after a few minutes, his mom’s car showed up. He couldn’t run from it anymore. He walked up to the backseat door, opened it, and sat down. Right after, his mom drove straight to Gate 3 and out of the campus.

“Son…” she told him, “…the Discipline Office called me. I know what you did.” Those words sent chills down Marco’s spine. He knew he was in a world of trouble.
“Mama, I’m sorry - ”
“How could you DO THIS TO US?!” Marco’s mom yelled out, startling him.
“A Level 3 offense? What were you thinking?! What are you going to do now?” she asked furiously, to which Marco could only stay silent.
“How are you going to get into a good university? How will you get a good job? How are you going to find a wife - “
“I don’t know, okay?!” Marco blurted out in frustration.

“I put a roof over your head…I give you food, an education…the least you can do is be a good SON!” she shouted while gripping the steering wheel harder than normal.
“I try, Mama!” Marco replied in kind.
“I try so hard, but it’s never enough for you!”
“Then BE ENOUGH! How hard is it to do what I tell you to, to stay out of trouble? What now?!” Marco’s mom asked once again. Marco couldn’t form the words in his mind - he could feel his mind collapsing right then and there.
“I…I - “ he stuttered.
“And what if you get a Level 4, huh?! My God, can’t you just think for one SECOND??” she asked before grumbling to herself.

“If I get kicked out, there are other high schools. Pisay isn’t the end all be all - “ Marco replied before his mom interrupted him again.
“No. You want to drop out? Might as well drop dead! This was your father’s dream…your family’s dream! How will you be a doctor now?!”
“For the last time Mama, I want to be a physicist!” Marco yelled out to her.
“For what? So you can die poor? Everyone in your family is a doctor…that’s where the money is!” she explained as she furiously waved her right hand around.

“…what about cousin Tato?” he asked.
“We don’t talk about him…he’s a failure. I will not let you end up like him,” she told him, which finally triggered the waterworks. Marco could feel the tears welling up in his eyes, for the thought of his mom deeming him a failure was too much for him to handle.
“...I want to be a physicist…” he said through teary eyes.
“...let me follow my dreams!”
“Your priorities are ALL WRONG!” she screamed once more.
“I’m trying to set up a bright future for you, son! Can’t you just cooperate with me?! You know, I just don’t understand what goes on in that head of yours!”
“Well, I don’t understand what goes on in yours!” Marco retorted. His mom let out a sigh of indignation.
“I can’t understand you, son. I really can’t…” she said, finally calming down somewhat.

After she said that, the car went silent except from the quiet sobbing of Marco in the backseat. His mom had run out of both physical and mental energy to yell at him further. 15 more minutes passed before they exchanged another word. That was when Marco decided to ask his mom a question.

“Mama…do you still love me…?” Marco asked her, voice still shaky from all the crying. His mom was taken aback by this.
“What? Of course I do…” she said concerningly.
“...why would you think otherwise?”
To this, Marco remained silent.

They both stayed silent once more for the rest of the trip. When Marco saw his house approaching from the distance, he couldn’t wait to just get out and go to sleep. Soon, their car pulled up to the driveway and Marco’s mom stopped the engine. They both got out at the same time, but Marco made his way to the door faster. He quickly made his way to his room and flopped onto the bed, burying his face deep in his pillow.

“I’m sorry…” he muttered to himself, over and over and over.