Burning Passion and Desire

A battle in opposition to the invisible. Loud sirens wailing. Reverberating cries of the sorrow-stricken souls. Half a moment and then another soldier has fallen.

While the rest of the world was eager to shut their doors, there are people who denied themselves and chose to brave a thousand perils that envelope this entire disease outbreak. These individuals of valor arrayed against the current villain of mankind. The unpaved road is fraught with danger, yet the spirit and passion to serve remain alive. The desire for the land has set their hearts aflame although it means burning a boat.

As for Karl Fred Q. Malunjao, the forefront of the Municipality of Carmen’s contact tracing team, his first entrance into the job was mainly for a source of income. Not until he reached a pivotal moment that forever changed his motivation in both his career and life.

The first semester was slightly manageable; enough to say that he was able to tame his fears under control. Fully equipped, he and his teammates trek the utmost areas of Carmen, Cebu in search of possible carriers of the virus. Come what may, their job will carry on. Some days, they encounter less cooperative patients. They have to deal with different personalities now and then which is why they applied the art of prolonging their patience. For Karl, it is important to achieve a state of balance. If the other party loses its temper, the other must remain on the ground.

As soon as the second wave hit and statistics began inflating, it made his blood run cold. His line of duty is indubitably risky, not just to him but including the vulnerable he left at home. No, his greatest challenge was not the geographical feature of his vicinity. No, not even the persecution and threats thrown by the people around him. One time they had to man up against a giant in politics who constantly refused to cooperate with them, but not even this did he consider as his greatest tragedy.

A battle in opposition to the invisible. Loud sirens wailing. Reverberating cries of the sorrow-stricken souls. Half a moment and then another soldier has fallen.

He had to deal with an agonizing irony. Try as hard as he might to rescue others, he lost his own father to the pandemic. By far, this was the heaviest weight on his shoulders that he was unwilling to carry.

It appeared common to him as he witnesses this scenario almost every day. However, there is just no foreshadowing that one day, he will experience it firsthand. Perhaps, there was a sense of guilt, a whisper of regret. But he gave himself the amount of time and space he needed. He grieved as he must. Instead of beating himself up, he woke up and decided to muster his courage and continue his service despite the loss he had to endure.

He has arrived at a realization that indeed, the virus does not exempt anyone. Even the lives of those who are dear to the hearts of the frontliners can be claimed. What once was motivated for a living now raises an advocacy. Karl, as a contact tracer, exhorts everyone to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

Time and chance happen to us all. Despite the constant fears and anxieties, Karl flaunted his gallantry knowing that he has a family who is waiting for him to come home. When faced with life's adversaries, he looks up and the heavens remind him that God is omnipotent.

One day, he hopes to wake up in a world where the invisible has already been defeated and the cheerful children can finally return to the playground. One day, the music will play again. For now, he and the many heroes around the world are making it happen.