Back then

Three months after I graduated college I got my first job. I was a college instructor in a private school in Marawi City. The  place is populated by Muslim Maranaos. A place where tradition is entirely different from ours. I don't have that much idea as to the extent of their tradition and I heard so many horrible things about the place. But still, I landed my first job there and learned to love the place. My stay in Marawi is one of the highlights  of my life, for it gave me experiences I thought I could never had.
 
I'm going to introduce to you the woman who lavished me with love and luxuries in life. The woman who had been a mom and a friend to me. She was my boss and the president/owner of the school I was working. Her name is Hadja Sittie Aisha "Helen" Acoon. She's a Christian married to a Maranao and embraced Islam after years of their marriage.  Before I met her I was expecting to face a president in her executive attire. I've got the shocked of my life the first time I saw her, she was wearing her loose duster and eating using her bare right hand. (Yes, Maranaos preferred to eat without spoon and fork) After regaining myself from that shock that's when I saw her smiling at me. She's a very simple woman in her 50's and I can't believe she's the president of the school. My shock was tripled the moment she opened her mouth and talked to me in English with all fluency and no traces of Maranao accent. From that moment on, I know I'm talking to one of the smartest people I've ever known. I was impressed. Moral lesson, never judged a person by just looking at them. Looks can be deceiving you know.

Months passed, I found myself talking and listening to her every after class. We talked anything like work related topics, politics, showbiz, about her dreams for the school, her advocacy, her failed marriage, about her children's excessive spending of money and her being alone. Yes I love to talk but I'm a good listener too. Sssssh this is supposed to be a secret. I think that was the start and the turning point of our closeness.

She told me her rags-to-riches story. She's from Koronadal, South Cotabato,  belonged to a family of 12 siblings and her parents don't have a stable job. She strived to study hard and used her brain to achieve her dreams. She finished college as working student and graduated Cum Laude. As a working student she created a MANTRA that says " Today, I'd follow order. Tomorrow, I'll give the order". With her excellent scholastic record she worked as a university instructor while finishing her Master's Degree. With her dream to achieve her mantra, she took Doctorate degree and graduated it with flying colors.  What an inspiring journey to achievement!  Btw, in the midst of it, she was already married to her Maranao husband and had 3 kids.  Amidst those, she had her ups and downs. She was emotionally shattered when she  was separated with her then husband for she can't accept Maranao's tradition of multiple marriage.

Her then failed marriage, made her even stronger. It did not hinder her journey to realize her dreams. With courage and determination she built her own school with only 10 thousand pesos in her pocket. With all the connections that she had in the world of  academe coupled with her knowledge, she was able to build a school and made it a household name in Marawi City 5 years after she built it. I joined her staff when the school was slowly on it's way to achieve thousands of enrolees.

She then pulled me out from her teaching staff and made me her school registrar slash executive secretary. That would mean wherever she goes may it be with school related meetings or personal commitments  I'm always with her. I don't know what I've done but she really trusted me everything that includes her finances, the in and out of running the school and her personal life. She has an extremely scary temper, she'll bark and shout at you when she's at the height of her anger infront of everyone but she has a very soft and kind heart.

She gave me everything an employee could not expect to receive from her employer. I had her motherly love, she gave me financial assistance whenever I'm in need. She let me experience the life of the rich. Shopping without minding how much was the price of the item, dining at those fancy Japanese, Italian, Korean and Filipino restaurants in Manila and anywhere else we go, staying in a high rise condominiums in Manila, sleeping in those five star hotels, rubbing elbows with the Commision on Higher Education and Dept of Education big wigs. I lost count how many times I traveled to Manila in a month, airplanes became my lavatory and airports were my place for meals. I was one busy traveler back then, I didn't mind it though cause I love traveling.

I considered my boss as my mom, I called her Mommy Helen. Yes I know she pampered me so much with all these material things. But the love, care and an unspoken pact of trust were the most significant things of all. Her being so nurturing really made me attached to her more. She, having not much bonding with her children and me, not close to my own mother formed this undeniable surrogate mother-daughter chemistry. We really hit it off. I can calmed her in the midst of her anger, one thing her children were afraid to do.

People would see her as one brave woman. No one have seen her shed tears in times that she was so down, not even her children. But I did. I'm the living witness of how emotionally challenged she was. She cried when she told me the story of her life. I was so amazed how she became so successful but I'm so sad how she can't be happy with her family life. She had millions and she can buy anything, everything she wanted but not the very thing she wanted the most - a happy and peaceful family.

In her whims to rebuild her family, they were able to fix their marriage. Though they had rough times but they sure believed that love is sweeter the second time around. I was the happiest person when I saw her so happy and contented, with her husband beside her and her children making up the lost times.

Then one day I decided to leave my job. For I know  Mommy Helen  will be okay then. Telling her that I'll be leaving was  the hardest thing to do. It broke my heart but I felt that it's time for me to leave.
I knew we were both hurt but because she loved me, she let me go.

For years I was used to convenience and extravagance because of her. I was pampered that much. Seldom rode  those buses when going to any places because there's always that car  and a driver. Lates gadgets were so easy to own just as easy as buying  candies. Money was  never a worry.

Yes that was once my life. I  thought it would really make me the happiest on earth but I was wrong.  Something was amiss, something's missing, something's not in it's proper place. It was my whole Marawi  experience making me realize that money can't buy happiness but it can  make you a different person. It will make you the subject of envy  which is not healthy at all.  Im not hyprocrite if I'll say I did not  miss my life before. Yes I do , I really do miss it. But it doesn't  mean I'll mourn to death to aim the things that I dont have. Some things are just meant not to last.

Mommy Helen, thank you so much for all those exciting and challenging experiences  we had. You will always be in my heart.

Rest in peace, Mommy Helen. I miss you so much.