Not a Waiter

“Dili man ko waiter diri Dong!”

With sarcastic manner, these words were spitted out on my face in front of many students. Damn! I was just asking to clean the scraps and get away with plates and utensils on the table so I could occupy the kiosk, continue studying while enjoying my ribbon fries. He walked away and continued sweeping those fallen dried leaves on the ground. Good thing he’s cleaning the environment. Bad thing he didn’t noticed those on the table.

I keep on wondering how he could say things like that to a student who is just asking for his help. I nearly concluded that he has no GMRC which suited best for his job as a janitor. But I don’t judge people that quickly; instead I analyzed the situation first. Tendency is maybe I was the wrong guy who asked a wrong person. So I calmed my self and contemplated for awhile.

“Kung gusto ka pagtawag ug waiter didto sa canteen” He added.

Officially he’s not a waiter who gets those plates and cleans tables. He’s just a janitor, in charge of cleaning the school grounds. That is just he’s only begotten job; no more and no less. However he has no right to say thse words sarcastically, especially that he was talking to one of the students who feed him. What’s the use of paying those miscellaneous fees?

In my thoughts, I could mess up with those plates, spoons and scraps, throw them on the ground so he could clean them forcefully. It’s a bad idea and not a model for a college student in a top-notch university. I refrained from doing that.

Eventually I annoyed myself too much. No! He annoyed me too much. I couldn’t concentrate to continue studying for my quiz. But I don’t have the right to complain because fine dining is not part of janitorial. How I wished that it was for that momet so I could complain to the management and kick the butt of that man. He should be penalized for his unethical manner. However I don’t want someone to lose a job because of that. So next time, I’ll ask waiters to clean table; not the janitors.

In the end I just endured being with those mess in front of me for an hour. I never complained, I never confronted anyone and never bothered him even though he troubled me too much. “Inana gyud diay ang mga janitor?” I questioned myself. One day he’ll be cursed for his ill-manners. And guess what happened next?

Few weeks after, we got the results from PAASCU. We don’t have a problem on our academics but we are considered top-notch university of befoulment. I believe not just the students should be blamed for this. Why are there janitors inside the campus? We see enough of them cleaning the rooms after classes but what about during the class hours, where are they? We considered them as heroes of the daily life. We looked up to them as beholder of one great trait that everyone must have. But they defiled us. They defiled the university.