My Dad Is Strong, Now I Will Be, Too

By Ceasar Borja Jr.
Special to the News
January 25, 2007

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/story/491675p-414171c.html

THE NIGHT BEFORE my father passed away, I took out our old family photos. I was going to go to Washington to be Sen. Hillary Clinton's guest at the State of the Union speech, and I wanted to remember my father.

My favorite one is from a vacation at Disney World when I was about 3. My dad was giving me a piggyback ride, with my legs draped over his shoulders and his hands holding me up.

I was so small. I like it because it's my dad keeping me balanced and literally carrying me on his shoulders. But now I'm carrying him on my shoulders.

My father, Cesar Borja, was a New York City police officer. In making people feel safe and protected, he felt like it was the best job in the world. He always told me he didn't want to go up in rank. He liked being on the streets where the people are. He felt like he could make the most difference there.

I was never afraid of my dad doing anything because he never failed. He was a hero when he worked at the World Trade Center, and when he passed away Tuesday night, he died a hero.

My dad called everyone "Baby" - he called me baby, and I'm 21. Now, I say it, too. He also called me "Kuya," which is my nickname. He named me after himself, but he spelled my name a little differently because he wanted to make me unique. I know I'm technically not a "Junior" because he spells it differently, but if my father says I'm a Junior, I am.

My father was a pretty macho guy. He didn't talk about a lot of things in depth, but he would take me out to the garage and we would work on cars together. He'd say, "Kuya, come on. Let's go do this." He loved us so much.

He didn't say much, but I know what he would say if he had survived. It would be just one sentence: "Told you I'd come home." And if my dad could talk to George Bush, he'd say just one thing: "Think we deserve this?"

Just being alone in the [hospital] room with my father and studying him, I understand him more.

He looked so tough. Bullies used to pick on me because I'm so small. My dad said, "Kuya, am I the biggest police officer? No. I'm one of the smallest. But I'm never absent, and I always do my best." He's my hero. He taught me everything.

What I'm most proud of receiving from dad is his strength. People say I'm strong to be speaking about him right after he passed away, but if you think I'm strong now, you should have seen my father on a normal day. I'm proud to even get a fraction of his strength.

Now, I'm fighting for my father and for all the heroes of the World Trade Center. He always said, "Do your best or do nothing." I'm doing my best so that everyone who is suffering can get the care and the help that they need, so no other son ever has to go through what I'm going through.

Ceasar Borja Jr. lives in Bayside, Queens. He is a student at Hunter College and plans to major in journalism.