Rao

   The semester has started two weeks ago. Since then, our class had been put into an inescapable pit of to-do things in need of attention and at times recurring errands. Everyone was so busy until startled by the appearance of a guest, a foreign student who will be joining the class.

   Muhammad Arif Rao, or Rao as he wants to be called, is a 28-year old working civil engineering graduate who came from all the way from Pakistan. He takes a few more units on the same profession in the Philippines to comply with the required number in his country before he could get the licensure exam there. He says that his school, Preston University, has an engineering council who told him that he may acquire his lacking units in a list of schools in our country, and one of which was ours. It was odd that he told us about our university being a famous one in their place in Pakistan.

   By far, Rao hasn’t found his niche in the classroom yet. He is yet struggling with the kind of atmosphere the fourth-year class already has and the kind of treatment our teacher does to the locals inside the four corners of our room. But his maturity is helping him adjust, and each in our class is trying to help him with that.

   One time in the afternoon of June 24, Rao asked us after the end of the class about where a certain building in the campus is as he wants to change his schedule in conflict. I, Mot, Kat and Jeucel were bad in giving directions so we assisted and joined him in his affair.  Along the way we asked him questions, and he replied courteously. He speaks English well so conversing with him wasn’t really a big problem. Some talks and walks later, we ended up unsuccessful because our college dean has already left the building as we need his signature to finish the process. We were asked by the secretary to come back on Monday and just left the campus. Just as we are about to go separate ways, he invited us for a cup of coffee in his hotel room where he is presently staying. We okayed.

   Soon, we found out that he lives alone in his hotel room. There is a circulating smell of cigar against the scent of his air-conditioning. Things are unboxed everywhere for which he was apologetic about. It was a surprise visit, intended to see what is inside his room when he’s on his own. We guests had a casual chat with him over coffee and biscuits, with which I got all these information from.
   I am looking forward to be having ties with him. From what I've known, he's a Pakistani with an innate being of a Filipino.