“Everyone has their own life, in every life there is a story, a story to share and a story to keep for yourself, it’s up to you whether to slice it for everyone or for yourself, you can give it all or just a slice of it, where and how is on you”." And this is His Slice of Life".

School year has already started, he’s still there in a mountain full of mango trees working with uncle and cousins in fertilizing the trees and harvesting the fruits. Work during the day, drinking at night until they pass out, wasting their tiny wages just to buy a cheap drink that can help them forget the problems they have even if it is only for an hour. For Mick, it’s about his study, he’s second year in college-supposed to be. Five days has passed, no idea if he can enroll and continue college. Hoping that someone would lend them money for his tuition fee.

 Mick’s heart is breaking every time he thinks about school,” do I have a chance or I need to quit, what about my future?” He  was so lonely, but when he see his parents, he feels like someone pinch his heart, it hurt so much that he wanted to scream, Mick almost cry seeing his parents faces. His father was still composed despite the situation but you can feel his aura with sadness, his mother looks like a withering flower, her eyes was red like a rose, dark shade around her eyes, face like a crumpled paper and lips as long as a dolphins.” If I’m hurting, it hurts them more, maybe they feel like a failure because they can’t send me to school”. Seeing them made him realize that his problem is only one thing, compared to his parents, they have a lot. Then, He ask himself, “What can I do to help my parents? Maybe I can look for a job, a service crew in a fast food I think or a cleaner or a production worker. If I work I can help my parents and siblings with their financial needs even if it’s a small amount”. His sisters were only in high school, their parents can handle their tuition fee because it’s not that expensive compared to university. Their problem is Mick and his older brother Rick, they were both in college and started first year in the city, Rick went to an elite school, a university that is well known for their high standard and is one of the best in the country, also an expensive one. While Mick went to an institute his cousin referred, it’s not well known but starting to build a name.

 Mick’s life as first year was amazing, meeting persons from every part of the country and hearing languages he never knew existed, and going to places without knowing how to go home. He stayed in a dorm with his brother and cousin, a small room just enough to fit four double deck beds a long table and cabinet. Yes, it is a room for eight persons, the word privacy was not in their vocabulary. It is the cheapest so they have no choice but to endure it. But it didn’t bother Mick, for him it was fun, sometimes they collect money from their dorm mates so they could prepare meals, or buy drinks to get wasted while listening to non-sense talk and singing while playing guitar, sometimes they go out to play computer games and drink in a cheap beer house while flirting with girls. The thing is, there’s a lot of temptation, things that keeps Mick out of focus in his study, and you can say he’s lucky that he didn’t fail a subject.

Then, Mick tells his parents not to think about sending him to school, He said “I decided to look for a job!” His parents was so happy hearing that, it comes to their mind that they were so lucky to have a kid like Mick, that would understand their situation and will try to help them out. But they said “No son! It’s not too late, don’t lose hope, hopefully tomorrow we can get some money for your tuition fee, just wait and pray! Ok”. He was stunned and speechless, he never thought that his parents hasn’t given up yet. He don’t want to expect anything because it will hurt him more if he don’t get what he expected, but hearing them say that can’t help himself not to smile. After dinner he went to bed early and prayed for good things to happen, thinking on what will happen make him fell asleep as soon as he can’t remember. Then, the sun rose up, Mick waters the plant in their small garden of vegetables, have breakfast, wash the dishes, watch television and listen to the radio, it’s almost dark outside but still no news. It was almost dinner, his parents hasn’t returned yet, his siblings prepare the meal while waiting for them, then after a few minutes, He hear a sound of motorcycle, looked at the window and say,” it’s them”.

“Welcome back! Rest for a bit while we prepare dinner”, says Mick. “Wait Mick” his father called, he come and sit in front of them, her mother said, “we went to Mrs Amy to loan some cash for your tuition, she don’t want to loan us because we haven’t paid the our previous loans, and it keeps on increasing because of interest”, Mick didn’t say a word, he just bow down his head, eyes were teary like a glass full of water but not spilling because of buoyant force, but with just a mild touch and it will burst. “But she gave as a chance “her mother said, we need to pay at least the interest at the end of the month, your big brother already give way for you to go to school, he will stop for the time being and will look to transfer at the nearest state university next semester, he said he will just help us providing for you, so be grateful to your brother. Mick can’t suppress his tears anymore, it flows in both cheeks, he can’t explain how happy he was, thanking his family while weeping like a child, telling them “Thank you so much! I will try to study harder and promise to support you when I graduate”. “But Son, we can’t afford to pay for a dorm, are you willing even if you have to commute every day?”” Yes”, Mick answers with no hesitation, “as long as I can go to school I will endure anything”. “Good! As long as you understand there is nothing more I can say, let’s just eat I’m really starving” his father said. After dinner Mick prepares his things, then went to bed for he need to leave at four o’clock in the morning to go to school hoping that he is not too late to enrol.

When he get to the university, he found out that most of the major classes are already full, he has no choice but to get all minor subject that will fit into his schedule, he cannot get classes after seven thirty in the evening because the transportation going to his town is limited.  Then he saw his cousin Anne, she helped him to look for subject that Mick could take, she said “you’re very late there is nothing we can do, let’s try to put you in any class we find”. After taking note of the available classes, they went to his instructor to verify the subject, then to the registrar, the line is still long even it’s the second week of the school year, some are adding or changing classes and some are late enrolees like him, he thinks that he is not alone, “ I’m not the only one who’s struggling to go to school, there are people like me, who wants to finish their studies to help their families, were not the only family who is having financial crisis, my parents are not the only ones who’s hurting when they can’t send their child to school”.

When it’s their turn on the registrar, the clerk said “ you cannot take this Sociology subject, this is for BS Accounting section only”, but Anne insisted “please let him in, if he can’t get this subject it’s much better for him not to enrol, because his subject load will not be enough to compensate the sacrifice he will make”. They think that it’s better to stop going to school if the load is less than the allowed load, because Mick will have to wake up every three o’clock in the morning so he could leave home at four, if he’s lucky he can get back around nine thirty in the evening if there is no traffic, but if not he will be back at ten thirty, not much time to study either time to sleep, also the expenses for transportation will be much acceptable if he has more subject load. The clerk understand their point so she allowed him to take the subject. “You’re so lucky, she accepted our reason, or maybe you just showed her your cute smile and dimples?’’ she teases. “OK I need to go to my class, take care and get some girls!” she said while walking away grinning. “Thanks for everything, see you around!” Mick answered with a big smile, so happy that he is now enrolled and can start meeting his old friends and make new ones. It’s almost five in the afternoon, he hasn’t eaten yet, he only drink water for lunch, saving every penny he has in case his money for down payment is not enough. “What’s my schedule for now, let’s see.. hmm.. oh.. all my subject for today was finished, I guess I will eat then go home, I still have more hours to travel before I get back home’’.  He went out of the campus and eat fish ball in a food stand, ate the cheapest snack he could find to save money for his transportation for the next coming days.

When he get back, his parent are waiting, “so, how did it go?” they ask, “rest for a bit ill prepare your dinner” his mother said. He showed them the registration form and the receipt of payment, they checked the amount to be paid per term so they could save and prepare for the bill. “Now, our problem is your daily expenses, maybe we can only give you just enough cash for your transportation and one slight meal per day, were so sorry son’’, his father said .”Don’t worry about it, it’s enough for me, you already sacrifice too much just for me, don’t worry, I’ll manage ’’, Mick replies. His parents just replied with a smile. Then, he take his dinner, two cups of rice and two pieces of small dried fish as his viand, a dish for poor people like them. After dinner he prepare his things for school, iron his uniform shine his shoes and go to sleep.

Three o’clock in the morning, his alarm activates, still sleepy but he force himself to rise, slowly jumped out of the double deck bed, as not to disturb Rick below. He went directly to the bathroom and take a shower, he heard some noise while taking a bath, when he went out, he find his mother and aunt preparing for his meal, his mother is frying some hotdogs and her aunt is making some fried rice. “Oh, good morning, it’s too early and you’re already awake, you should take care of yourself more’’. “It’s OK, we don’t want you to starve at school, you have a long journey, it is better if your stomach is full”, his Aunt Letty replies. Mick was touched, “I’m so lucky to be a member of this family, they were so thoughtful, I wish I could do the same”, he says to himself. “Tomorrow I will prepare my own meal so you don’t need to wake up early, I’m more concern about your health, you’re not young anymore, you need to be careful, don’t worry about me OK’’, he say with a smile. Then he dress up and eat breakfast, when he is about to leave his mother woke his father up to say goodbye, they go with him up to the aisle and watch him as he walk to the main street, there’s a lot of dogs in the street and not enough light, his dog Bruny followed him, Bruny get the other dogs attention, now Mick and Bruny was being chased by the dogs while barking aggressively, Mick stays calm but afraid, he hold his bag so tight that he can smash them with it if ever they try to attacked him, suddenly the dogs stopped chasing him when he reach the main street, he stayed on the shed in front of the church while waiting for the public transportation, “ Thank God for keeping me safe, this will be one of the challenges I have to face every day’’, Mick says while looking at the church, then he prays in silent.