This is the last semester. I'm so close to graduating. Mama's dream of seeing me finish my studies is finally within reach...
"Mom, I'm leaving now." I approached her while she was busy with the laundry.
"Be careful, love," she said softly.
"Mom, don't forget to take your medicine, okay?"
Mom's cough worsened as she struggled to speak, "Uhhhoo… uuuhoo… you're late… uhoo… it's still your first day at that… uhoo… uhoo… company…"
My heart clenched, knowing how much she was fighting just to get through the day.
Today was my first day of training as a student intern.
I took a deep breath, steadying myself. I had to be strong not just for me, but for both of us.
Inside the building where Zarah and I would be training, I scanned the room and finally spotted her among the crowd.
"Hi, Queen!" she greets.
"Hello, Zarah!" I reply.
"Aren't you nervous?" I ask her as we both walk into the building.
"Who wouldn't be nervous?"
Maybe the management here is strict, and just a small mistake could lead to a bad comment right away.
Zarah and I sat in front of an office, along with our two classmates and others from different universities.
Later, someone opened the door.
"Zarah Williams?"
"Ho, yes… yes, ma'am."
"Charles Bright?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Please come inside."
"Okay Charles, let's go," Zarah said nervously.
I felt the same way at that moment.
Just a few moments later, a man came out.
"Queen Miguel?"
"Sir," I said as she led me inside.
We entered the same office where Zarah had gone before us.
The office was large, filled with many tables. I noticed Zarah and Charles had separate desks.
Finally, it was just me and the man who had called my name, inside another smaller office within the big room.
It was very cold there. I also saw a separate room set up as the President's Office.
There were only two tables in the room.
"You may sit down. By the way, my name is Martin Garcia, and I'll be training you," he said, his words coming out quickly, one after another.
"The woman at the other table is the secretary to the president of the company, so she's always in charge of making me look good," he added with a small smile.
I didn't move or say anything at first, just gave a faint smile, though I knew I should've been more confident like before.
He looked at me and said, "You are beautiful."
That day, I was wearing very light makeup usually just lipstick and face powder.
We sat side by side at a long table with a desktop and a laptop.
Our first day as student interns at the company began, and the nervousness slowly melted away once we got to work.
Sir Martin was kind to me, but the president's secretary barely even noticed I was there.
The first day slipped into the second, then the weeks raced by, and before I even realized it, a whole month had passed since I started working at the company.
But at home, things weren't as easy. Mom was losing weighther face looked hollow, her eyes darker, and her once-strong frame now fragile.
There was something haunting in her appearance, a shadow I couldn't ignore.
Still, despite the relentless cough that wracked her body, she pushed herself to keep doing laundry, day after exhausting day, as if her love for me could somehow beat the sickness.
I felt helpless watching her fight through the pain, wondering how much longer she could hold on.