A Chance In Life

Year 2024

The living room was dimly lit, the soft hum of an old electric fan filling the silence. A young man sat slouched on the worn-out couch, his gaze fixed on the cracked tiles beneath his feet. His dark eyes, once filled with youthful determination, now held only exhaustion and regret.

Noah Quinn.

At twenty-five years old, he looked far older than his age, his face gaunt, his skin dull, and his body weighed down by fatigue. His clothes, though neat, were faded from years of wear. The scent of instant coffee lingered in the air, mixing with the stale remnants of dinner.

Noah exhaled shakily, rubbing his temples. His mind was a mess, a storm of what-ifs and if-onlys.

How did it all end up like this?

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Back then, Noah had believed that being the youngest child meant having it easy. He had an ate(1) and kuya(2) who would always look out for him, and most importantly, he had his parents, his papa(3), Daniel Quinn, and his mama(4), Lilia Quinn.

They weren't rich, but they were happy.

His father worked as an accountant in a local bank, earning enough to keep them comfortable. His mother stayed at home, managing household chores and occasionally selling kakanin(5) to their neighbors for extra income.

They lived in a modest house in Quezon City, with a small sari-sari store(6) at the front, where kids would buy snacks with their spare centavos(7). Noah's world back then was small but warm, filled with laughter, simple joys, and the smell of home-cooked meals.

Life was good. Stable.

Until everything changed.

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It started in Noah's fifth-grade year, during a particularly hot summer.

His father, who had always been a strong and hardworking man, suddenly collapsed at work. A heat stroke, the doctors said. Though he survived, the damage to his health was irreversible. He was forced to retire early.

With his retirement money, the family expanded their sari-sari store in hopes of making ends meet. His mother took charge of running it, while his older siblings started working part-time jobs.

At first, Noah thought things would be okay.

But life didn't work that way.

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By the time Noah reached high school, the financial strain on their family had become suffocating. His father, once the family's pillar, had grown weaker by the year. His mother was constantly exhausted, trying to keep their small store afloat.

His ate had to drop out of college to work full-time, while his kuya juggled school and jobs to help with expenses.

Noah, still a student, felt helpless.

He watched as his mother forced a smile despite her fatigue. He saw his father sigh heavily when he thought no one was looking. He noticed his siblings struggling, sacrificing their own dreams for the family's survival.

And in the midst of it all, Noah hated himself for not being able to do more.

So he started taking on small jobs, tutoring younger kids, running errands for neighbors, even helping out at a nearby car wash on weekends. He tried to lessen the burden, but it was never enough.

The innocence of childhood faded too quickly.

---

Despite their struggles, Noah still had dreams.

He wanted to become an engineer, imagining himself working in a well-paying job that would lift his family out of poverty.

But dreams required money, something they never had enough of.

So when he graduated from high school, he was faced with a cruel reality.

College was a luxury he couldn't afford.

His ate and kuya had already given up their own dreams for the family. His father's condition was worsening, and his mother was barely holding things together.

How could he be selfish and pursue his own goals?

So he made a choice.

He gave up on his dream.

Instead of enrolling in college, Noah took whatever job he could find, construction work, call center shifts, security jobs. Anything that put money on the table.

At first, he told himself it was just temporary. That one day, he'd have enough savings to go back to school.

But years passed.

And before he knew it, his dreams had become nothing more than a distant memory.

---

Then came the day that shattered everything.

December 24, 2024.

On what was supposed to be a day of celebration, his father collapsed again. This time, it wasn't a heat stroke.

It was a heart attack.

They rushed him to the hospital, but by the time they arrived, it was too late.

His father, the man who had held their family together, was gone.

Noah remembered the wails of his mother. The blank, stunned expressions of his siblings. The suffocating grief that threatened to consume them all.

And amidst it all, Noah felt one thing above all else, guilt.

He had seen the signs. His father had been struggling for years, working too hard, drinking too much coffee, skipping meals.

If only he had done something.

If only he had tried harder.

Maybe his father would still be alive.

---

Now, a month after his father's death, Noah sat alone in the quiet living room.

His family was still grieving, but life had to move on. Bills had to be paid. The store had to stay open. His siblings had their own struggles to deal with.

As for Noah?

He felt empty.

At twenty-five, he had nothing to his name. No degree. No stable career. No future to look forward to.

All he had were regrets.

He leaned forward, running a hand down his tired face.

If only I could go back…

If only he had another chance.

If only he could fix everything.

Then, as if the universe had heard his plea

A screen suddenly appeared before him.

A soft, mechanical voice echoed in his mind.

> [SYSTEM MESSAGE: A CHANCE IN LIFE]

Congratulations. You have been granted a second chance.

Reverting time… Year 2015.

Before Noah could react, a blinding light engulfed him.

And then

Darkness.

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End of Chapter 1

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Footnotes:

(1) Ate – A respectful term for an older sister in Filipino culture.

(2) Kuya – A respectful term for an older brother in Filipino culture.

(3) Papa – Filipino term for "father."

(4) Mama – Filipino term for "mother."

(5) Kakanin – Traditional Filipino rice cakes.

(6) Sari-sari store – A small neighborhood convenience store in the Philippines.

(7) Centavo – A unit of Philippine currency (1 peso = 100 centavos).