"It's already morning... Waking up in the morning is truly delightful when you're greeted by the fresh air and the sunlight..."

I slowly rose from my bed and rubbed my eyes, then turned to look out the window. I surveyed the surroundings with a smile. Along with it, I could hear the chirping of birds. The tree branches swayed joyfully, as did the plants and flowers that illuminated my eyes.

By the way, my name is Alexis Briant. I am a Science teacher at a prestigious university here in our town. I am the only child of a former leader of a group of skilled warriors whose name I can no longer recall. I am his sole offspring, but I grew up without his presence. Even my mother was a member of their organization. Perhaps, my parents never had time for me as they were always engaged in battles back then. In fact, I have never seen them even once until now...

Because of that, I was raised by my beloved grandmother, whom I regarded as my true mother. My grandfather had already passed away, leaving just the two of us in our humble home. I was only a year old when my parents left me in the care of my grandparents. It was then that my eyes began to open, and I started to comprehend the world around me. I never experienced the love and nurturing of my own parents. I would often feel a pang of envy when I saw other children joyfully embraced by their mothers and fathers. But... the love I yearned for from my parents, I found in my grandmother. That deep sense of love and care has remained with me until this day.

My grandmother treated me as her own child, not just a grandchild. She showered me with the same love and care that mothers give to their children. It was then that I realized I didn't need to search for the genuine affection and nurturing of my parents. My grandmother herself provided for all my educational expenses. She would accompany me to school and pick me up after classes. I can't say enough about my grandmother... I truly love her with all my heart.

Because of her, I have become a successful individual. I fulfilled my promise to her by completing my studies. Now, I am a college and high school teacher, specializing in Science and Technology. I teach at Seleni University, renowned as the best in its field. Since I started working, I realized it was time for me to repay my debt of gratitude to my grandmother. She raised me in a normal life and instilled in me many valuable virtues. She never abandoned or neglected me. However, my grandmother's desires for me were contrary to those of my parents. She didn't want me to engage in battles or join any warrior organizations... anything related to war, conflict, and chaos. She wanted us to live a normal and peaceful life.

"Your parents have been accustomed to war for a long time, and that's what they do there, Alexis. But promise me that you will never follow in their footsteps, alright?" my grandmother said happily as she adjusted my necktie before I left for my teaching. "After all, that’s the profession they chose, and I don’t regret it. But I want you to live a normal and simple life. I don’t want any chaos."

I saw her sweet smile as she fixed my uniform collar. I simply smiled back, gazing at her with gratitude.

"Oh, do you have your lunch with you? You might get hungry later. Here, take some money from our piggy bank. Have you eaten already, dear? Here's your lunchbox too."

I hadn't responded yet. After fixing my uniform collar, she headed straight to her room to get money for my lunch. However, I stopped her because I already had money with me.

"Nay... (Filipino term for ‘mom’)" I said softly, showing her the money I had in my possession, amounting to one thousand pesos. "I already took some earlier after I got dressed..."

My grandmother smiled again. "Are you sure about that, my son? You might still need more. I still have some in my piggy bank. Wait a moment, I'll get it."

"Not anymore, Nay," I interrupted again. "I have enough for my expenses from school until I come home. Besides, this amount is already substantial for just one day. Please don't worry too much."

"You know that the cost of living has increased, my son. And you're just walking to school to teach. What if my dearest grandchild gets hungry on the way?" She then gently tousled my curly blond hair.

"Nay, I'm fine. Don't worry. In fact, I have more than enough with this one thousand pesos for my daily allowance."

"Are you sure, Alex?"

I smiled. "Yes, Nay."

"Well then," my grandmother said. "Go on, you don't want to be late. I'm so happy that my grandchild has become an excellent teacher!" She touched my cheeks like a child. "And not only that, aren't you also pursuing a Doctorate Degree?"

"I'm studying for it, Nay. Usually on weekends."

"Oh, really?" my grandmother said happily. "Well, my grandchild will be under a lot of stress then! It might ruin your handsome looks!" she teased.

I laughed. "It's alright, as long as I have intelligence. Hahaha!!!" I joined in the playful banter.

"Alright, my child, go ahead. You still have to walk to school today. You might be late if you dawdle," she said, handing me my belongings for school. "Take care, my dear. Oh, by the way, do you have your inhaler with you? Don't forget about your asthma, it's difficult when you have an attack at unexpected times."

I nodded. "I won't forget, Nay. I've grown up with my asthma, so I'm used to it. Yes, I always keep my inhaler in my bag."

At the door of our small house, I kissed her on her wrinkled forehead, and we embraced.

"I'll continue on, Nay... Goodbye," I said with a smile, then walked away from the house. But before I went too far, I turned around to look back at her. She was still there, smiling as she watched me. Then I resumed walking.

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I happily admired my surroundings. By the way, I'm also a nature lover. I enjoy appreciating nature and I always find joy in walking under the sun. I saw a hummingbird fly past me, my favorite bird.

Thirty minutes later, I arrived at Seleni University. I swiped my electronic ID to enter the gate and headed towards the school garden. Many students were hanging out there, while others sat by the large fountain. When they saw me, they greeted me with a "Good morning," and I responded with a smile.

I made my way to the Science Faculty Room to retrieve my teaching materials. Inside the building, I encountered my students at their lockers.

"Good morning, Sir Briant!" greeted Leena. "Sir, are we having a lecture today?"

"Good morning to all of you," I replied. "Yes, we'll have one later, and I might also give a quiz."

Another student, Peter, chimed in. "Another quiz, Sir?"

"Hey, Pete!" I faced him. "I've already checked your last week's quiz. I'm sorry to tell you... You failed again!"

My student felt embarrassed. I fell silent. I realized that I shouldn't have said that in front of many students on campus. I wanted to take back my words, so I just smiled at him and ruffled his hair.

"Ah... Uh... You can make up for it next time, okay? After all, it's only the second week since the start of the school year. Good luck!"

Peter lowered his head. "It's because of you, Sir. It's only the first week, and you've already taught us so much and gave us a long quiz."

"It's actually quite easy! It's about the nature of Science and its branches!" I replied.

Peter still blushed as I bid him goodbye. "I'm leaving. We have a lecture later. See you later!"

It was 7:30 a.m., and the entire campus was starting to quiet down as the clock neared eight, signaling the start of classes. I arrived at our faculty room, greeted by my fellow teachers, whom I reciprocated with warm greetings. Afterward, I made my way to my own desk to take a well-deserved rest from my nearly half an hour walk. There, I noticed a small photo of my grandmother and me, and a smile instantly crept across my face.

"Alex, what section are you assigned to this school year?" a college instructor asked as he approached me.

I replied, "Section Three - Eagle. Why do you ask?"

"Was that the same section you had before or a different one?"

"Previously, I handled Section Six, but I was transferred to Section Three. Why do you ask?"

"I see. I'm in Section Eight - Carabao. Those students can be quite unruly! Just last week, two groups of boys had a confrontation right in front of me!"

I chuckled, "As usual, high school life... It's unavoidable."

"A real headache! By the way, what year level are you teaching?"

"Fourth year, the seniors."

"In my case, I have first-year students."

"I also handle college courses. I teach Environmental Science and Earth Science."

"College doesn't have advisory classes, right?"

"That's correct. I just mentioned to you the subjects I teach."

"What year levels do you handle?"

"It varies... I have first, second, third, fourth, fifth..."

"Do you also teach elementary?"

I shook my head. "No."

"Well, I do... Grade Two!"

I engaged in conversation with the instructor, passing the time while I took a break. Soon enough, the bell chimed, signaling the start of classes. All the students scattered throughout the campus made their way to their respective classrooms.

I stood up from my seat, and the teacher beside me patted my shoulder before bidding me farewell. "Gotta go. See you later!"

As he left the room, I followed suit, carrying my teaching materials. My first period was with Section Five - Hawk, where I would be teaching Science. Next was Section Two - Vulture, and later in the day, I would have my last class with Section Three - Philippine Eagle.

The hallways and lobby were now empty of students. I ascended to the third floor and headed to the classroom assigned to Section Five. I swiped my ID at the door to mark my attendance and time-in. The senior students rose from their seats and greeted me, "Good morning, Mr. Briant!"

"Good morning! You may now take your seats," I replied, and the seemingly well-behaved seniors settled back down.

I picked up a chalk from the tray and wrote the "topic of the day" on the blackboard. The students retrieved their Science books from their desks. "Open page 37," I began. "We will define what Physics means."

The sound of papers being flipped filled the room. I started with my introduction, saving the attendance for later. "What is Physics? The importance of Physics? And so on..."

I spent an hour engaging with the seemingly attentive gazes of my students. Then, it was time for attendance. It had become my habit to take attendance before leaving the classroom, as I had encountered students who would pretend to attend class, then excuse themselves midway and never return. To avoid being deceived, I adjusted my style. But I must admit, I used to do the same thing when I was in high school!

Afterwards, I proceeded to teach Section Two (9:00am-11:00am). Following the two-hour class, we had a one-hour break. I found myself in the canteen, accompanied by my students, Peter and his group of male friends (some of whom were from different sections). They expressed their desire to have lunch together, and I had no objections to their request.

Most of them had rice and hotdogs in their packed meals. As for me, I had no clue about the contents of my lunch for the day. I held my lunchbox in my hands, trying to guess its contents. You see, it was my grandmother who always prepared my daily packed meals, and she would secretly place her cooked dishes inside my lunchbox without my knowledge. She would only reveal the surprise after I finished getting dressed. Whenever I asked her what she had prepared, her response would always be, "You'll find out during the break!"

Ever since she started saying that to me, I developed a habit of not opening my lunchbox until it was time to eat. Grandma loved to surprise me. Sometimes, I would be delighted to discover my favorite Pork Sinigang (Philippine pork sour soup dish) inside! I would eagerly devour the entire contents of my lunchbox, just like a child. Other times, it would be Kaldereta (Philippine meat stew dish) or Chicken Adobo (Philippine chicken stew dish)!

My dear grandmother... I thought to myself, feeling a warm smile spread across my face.

"Sir?" Peter called out to me, bringing me back from my daydream. I had forgotten that I was in the midst of a waking dream. "Shall we eat now?" he asked, their meals already laid out and ready.

What could be in my lunchbox? I wondered internally. I couldn't smell anything. Usually, I could anticipate what my grandmother had cooked for me based on the delicious aroma emanating from my lunchbox. But this time, there was nothing.

"Let's eat!" shouted my neighboring students. Meanwhile, a long line of students was forming, waiting to buy their meals at the canteen. Well then, I decided to finally open my lunchbox and uncover today's recipe from my grandmother.

I cautiously opened my lunchbox, just as one of the students, Cezar, asked, "Sir, what's your food?"

Peter stared at my lunchbox, perplexed. "What's that, sir? Why do I only see white?"

I burst into laughter. "Ahahaha! It's my grandma, really... Her vision has become blurry, and she forgot to put the main dish inside. All I have here is rice!"

They laughed with me. But in that moment, a sudden realization struck me. "But my grandma has never done that... She didn't forget the food, but..."

Everyone fell silent. I spoke again, my tone now tinged with sadness. "...we actually have no food at home..."

I suddenly became worried about what I had said. Poor grandma, she didn't have anything to eat at home today. She didn't tell me!