A Dream for Our Nation

Written by Jhan Reb Blessing Cruz
Layout by Summer De Guzman
Posted on August 2, 2021 | 8:05 PM

Bryant woke up earlier than usual during his summer vacation. He still feels a tad sleepy, but he didn't bother going back to bed because he’s excited to start another day of his summer vacation. He knows that he can do whatever he wants without getting pressured to do his school work. He is a hard-working student because everybody tells him that he needs to be, but he doesn’t understand what for. So when it’s his summer vacation, he lets loose and dreads to go back.

His cheerful day was changed into a despondent day when his mom enthusiastically came up to his room and announced that it’s just a week away before the opening of classes.

His heart completely shattered. All the fear of losing his free time and the need to focus on school came to him. After all, he isn’t happy doing his schoolwork and just feels obligated to do them. Tears started rolling down his cheeks, he started biting his lips, and he started panicking.

His mother got confused about her son’s behavior. She thought that he was going to be excited to hear that news, but apparently, he isn't, so she just hugged him. She decided to leave him, and Bryant just cried himself to sleep. But before he completely fell asleep, he silently wished that children do not need to go to school anymore. 

He suddenly found himself in the same room, but dirtier, and older. He looked out the window and saw that everything’s chaos. Poverty is very evident— people sleep on the street, people rob the stores to get supplies, and any other crime to survive is rampant.

He immediately ran to his mom who he knows is sitting beside their patio. He was surprised as he saw how old his mom already is than how he saw her earlier. He frantically asked her what was going on.

His mom sighed, and answered, “Bryant, you are in the future.” His forehead wrinkled. “This is what happens when you, and other children, stop schooling. It became chaotic like this because no one in your generation knows what’s right and wrong anymore. People just do things to survive.”

Bryant became more confused and so his mom explained to him, “Education will save our nation from this chaos. That’s how we learn values and everything we have to learn to get a job in order to prevent poverty. I get that you have so many fears about going back to school, but the world being chaotic like this is much more fearful.”

He knew that his Mom was right. He can’t let the world turn like this just because of children’s fear of going to school. He knew that his fears were worth defying for this not to happen.

“Child, you may not have a superpower, but I know that you can still save the world by learning things at school. You will feel powerful when you know that you have so much knowledge— that’s the reason why we tell you to study hard. It's not too late, Bryant. You are just dreaming, and you can still go back to the reality where your classes start very soon,” his mom said.

He was shocked at first, but then he put two and two together on why everything is different now. But he was very relieved that it was just a dream, and he can still prevent this from happening.

“Thanks, mom,” he smiled.

He closed his eyes, clenched his fist, and tried to wake up. When he finally did, he saw everything back to normal again—tidy, and peaceful. He immediately ran to his mom who he knows is sitting beside the patio.

His mom saw him with a positive look on his face, and asked, “What is going on? I thought—“ He immediately cut her off and said, “I can’t wait to go back to school!”

His mom was astounded by the words that left her son’s mouth, but she didn’t bother asking why because it’s what she wants to hear him say anyways.

“I’m gonna tell the other students who are afraid to go to school like me why we all need to study hard— to prevent chaos in the future. If they know it as I do, they may be less afraid because they know there’s a good reason behind it, ” he explains.

“That’s what I've been trying to tell you since forever. I’m glad that you finally understand it,” his mom kissed him on the cheek.

After that, Bryant got thrilled during the opening of classes because he knows that it’s where he will learn how to save the world from chaos. When he sees any child afraid of going back to school, he tells them about his dream, and since those children knew the good effect of schooling, they became determined to go to school.