Evangeline

Xavier High School, Kanata 2014

Mr. Wycliffe: Thank you for meeting with me today, Miss Wong. I’m Benedict Wycliffe, Associate Dean of International Admissions at Britechester University.

Evangeline: Thank you, sir. I appreciate the opportunity.

Mr. Wycliffe: I oversee Commonwealth scholarship candidates and applicants from the Turtle Island region, particularly those with an interest in public service and global affairs.

Mr. Wycliffe: Miss Evangeline, or do you prefer Eva? Eva: I prefer Eva.

Mr. Wycliffe: I must say, your dossier is among the most compelling I’ve reviewed this week. Top marks at Xavier High School, leadership in Model UN, fluency in three languages and you’re working part-time at Roasted Café on top of that?

Eva: Yes. I usually take the closing shifts. It helps cover the basics, and keeps me grounded.

Mr. Wycliffe: A grounded future diplomat. That’s a rare combination. And is diplomacy where you see yourself headed? Eva: Absolutely. My goal is to join the Foreign Service. Britechester’s international relations program, its coursework, mentorship, and access to diplomatic internship, offers something I haven’t found anywhere else. Mr. Wycliffe: But beyond the grades and accolades… we like to understand the person behind the profile.

BENEDICT: So, Eva—tell me about yourself...

6 Months Earlier

Angeline: Eva breakfast is ready... Ah-Ma: She's probably talking to a boy.

Angeline: Eva? …Eva!

Angeline: EVANGELINE!

Eva: MOM! Ever heard of knocking?

Angeline: I’ll knock when I feel like it. I’ve been calling you for ages!

Eva: Sorry, I was checking something.

Angeline: If I called you once, I called you a hundred times! Come downstairs, breakfast is ready.

Angeline: What were you doing on the computer, anyways? EVA: Just something for school. AH-MA: Maybe she’s talking to a boy.

AH-MA: Do you have a novio, ha? Eva: Lola, I can barely keep up with homework. If I had a boyfriend, he’d be neglected and underfed.

Angeline: Sounds like your plants.

Eva: Touché. Eva: Actually… I was working on my Britechester application. Angeline: The university?

Eva: Yeah. I’m applying this week. The entrance process starts with a written application, and if they like it, you get shortlisted for an interview. Their international relations program is… exactly where I want to be.

Angeline: That’s across the ocean, Eva. Eva:I know. I’m not moving yet. I’m just applying. But if I get in… yeah. It would mean relocating.

Eva: You were so small when your mama left Maharlika. Now you’re going to fly even farther?

Eva: I’ll always come back. This is home.

Angeline: If you go, I’m not mailing you sinigang mix every month. You’re learning to make it yourself.

Angeline: You’re off again? What is this house, a hotel? Eva: Don’t be dramatic, Mom. I’ve done the chores.

Angeline: You come and go like you’re just passing through. One day when I’m gone, you’ll realise what it’s like to live in a home where no one waits up for you.

Eva: I refilled the rice bin, swept the floor, and hung your uniforms. Even watered the dying basil. I’m just meeting Cass to work on our applications. Angeline: You’re always rushing. Always trying to be somewhere else. Eva: Because I want more. You taught me to want more.