Chapter Three - COURAGE (Life Awakening)

                                    

                                          
She is determined to change her line of career.
                          
She tried to contact Dorris many times but she couldn't get through. Her secretary always says try to call back, she's on the other line; she's in a meeting; she's talking with someone else; she's on break; or out for lunch. 
                          
She called like ten times today, Dorris secretary might even recognize her voice. She went back to her dorm and threw Dorris' business card in the bed. She's getting ready to take a shower. When she grabbed the towel from the bed; it hits Dorris's business card; it fell from the bed and flipped on the other side. She bends over and picked it up. Marie's eyes twinkled wide when she reads the number written on the other side.
                          
"My DL #-527-0001... She kissed it and rushed herself to the shared shower room." 
                          
In an hour she's ready to call Dorris again but this time she's going to call her direct line number. She tried dialing the number using their phone at the dorm. It was just ringing, ringing, and ringing until it went to voicemail. It was around 4:30 PM maybe she's out from the office that was Marie thought. She's thinking of leaving Dorris a message through voice mail. While it was ringing on the other end, she's also busy rehearsing her message. She almost dropped the phone when the other line answered it.
                          
It was Dorris, who pick-up the line 'thank God' it's not her secretary. Dorris told her to come by at around 9:00 a.m. tomorrow. Good thing Dorris still remembers her. Well, it wasn't that long enough to forget her. She was told to bring all-important school credentials.
                          
The next day. She arrived at Ayala Makati Center at 8:30 a.m. Marie so amazed how huge and tall the building is. That time was the year 1995, it was one of the tallest buildings in the Philippines house with 42-floor. 
                          
She was barged in by the security guard at the ground level.
                          
"Your I.D miss?" One of the guards asked her and look at her from head to toe. Is it because of what she's wearing? She noticed that people coming in, are in business attire; others wearing a suit. Luckily she didn't see anyone wearing like hers. She felt like self-deprecating; a white shirt with blue maong pants; her favorite old red and white Adidas tennis shoes. Her favorite because she got only one pair of shoes. It has a hole on the other side of the shoes. She's been wearing it since fourth-year-high school. Again self-pity strikes in her.
                          
"Marie showed her driver's license I.D. to the guard."
                          
"Are you here for delivery? The guard asked Marie."
                          
"W- what delivery? She asked the guard back."
                          
"I don't know, I'm asking you, just wait on this side." The guard was not pleasant to her maybe because she's not wearing nice clothes. She gets off the way from the queue; the line to check-in from the guard is already long. 
                          
There were three guards on-duty; two were in charge of collecting and checking I.D.s; one is in-charge of checking bags if you are bringing a purse with you. More executive people looking coming-in from the parking floor that directly connects to the lobby area of the building. She's been standing for a few minutes on the side that guard told her to do so. She checked the wall clock from the lobby and it's exactly 8:45 a.m. Her appointment with Ms. Dorris is 9:00 a.m and she hates to be late. 
                          
	"Sandali po sir, bakit n'yo po ako pinapatabi dito at hindi pa pinapapasok? ('Filipino language'). The guard ignored Marie; that made her not really okay.
                          
	"Excuse me, sir, why am I being detained here? You have no right to detain me if I didn't break any rules."
                          
She asked the guard deep and strong in a pleasant way; this time she speaks English. The guard was a little bit shocked that she speaks English; everyone looks at her from head-to-toe.