The 61st
Five years and one month ago, nabuo ang Barkadahan. In honor of the year, dinagdag namin ang 2002 sa pangalan namin para maalala namin kung kailan kami nagsimula, at para na rin madifferentiate kami sa ibang barkada tulad ng makikita sa Studio 23.
Pumunta kami nun sa Glorietta, at nagpicture-picture gamit ang now-antique camera ko kung saan magugulat ka na lamang pag nakita mo na yung developed film at mukha palang Shrek si Yey sa isang photo.
As I was saying, we went to Glorietta to, you know, hang out and watch the throngs of people who have nothing better to do than hang out and watch us. We had a great time, so much that we started calling each other “kabarkada”.
The next Monday at school, yun pa rin tawag namin sa isa’t isa. Na-feel naman namin masyado yung name na yun, and the Barkadahan was born. We adopted the 12th of January anniversary. For the first year and a half, we greeted each other religiously every 12th of the month. Then nagsipasukan na kami sa tertiary education institutions (a.k.a. college), and paminsan-minsan na lang. Except January 12, kasi nagiging family friend na lang at hindi na kabarkada ang hindi bumati. Ganun din sa mga birthdays namin: January 20, February 10, April 25, May 31, September 13, November 22, November 26, December 20. Ay may September 12 pa pala. But di na kasi kami sure kung kabarkada pa siya. Na-demote kasi siya at one point to family friend nung hindi siya nagaattend ng mag lakad namin kasi may date daw siya with a congressman. At least that’s what I understood. Sa totoo barangay captain lang ata yun eh. (Haha we love you Esber!)
Pero nine talaga kami. Before that significant day in 2002 we were unofficially two groups, one in each section. Sa Patience, nandun si Kaye, Geli, Meg, Ressoh, at ako. Nasa Gracious naman sila Yelli, Mitch, Reina, at Esther the Family Friend. Pero friends kaming lahat. Every Science and Math nagiging classmates kami sa section A. Once lang nangyari yung ganung classification sa school namin. Siguro kasi hassle pa daw maglipat ng classroom sa tabi. Hindi ko alam. Pero nung third year ganun din, ang difference lang eh sa lahat na ng subjects. Pero lumalayo na tayo sa topic.
May mga crushes din kami nung high school syempre. Kadalasan two or three or five yung may crush sa isang guy. Kami ni Geli nagkacrush kay RG. As in sobra, najealous pa ko nung nakita niya sa isang gas station si RG. Pero after a few months nakita ko rin siya sa National Bookstore, kaya hindi na ko nainggit. Hindi na namin siya gusto ngayon, kasi dati pa ito nangyari. Then kami naman ni Meg, kay RA, pero konti lang. Gwapo lang kasi siya. Kami ni Ressoh, kay J. He was younger than either of us, kaso hanep magdrums. As in hanep. Sobra na nakaka-distract na pag nagpplay siya. Kaya tuloy hanggang ngayon gusto ko matuto magdrums. Ang bait pa. Ngayon wala na din ata, ewan ko kay Ressoh, at ewan ko din sa akin. Baka makita ko ulit siya tumtugtog. Sila Reina, Geli, at Meg naman (sino pa ba?) nagkacrush kay L. Eto naman magaling magbasketball. Ako ang nagging crush ko sa basketball noon si M eh. Nakalimutan ko na. Nandun din si J (iba kay drummer boy). Si J wala naman masyadong talent na amazing, pero cute siya.
At syempre, meron din naman kaming kanya-kanyang guys. Naks kala mo naman nagsusuguran mga lalaki sa amin.. Ten times lang naman nangyari yun. Joke. Pero yun nga, we each had and/or have our share of admirer/s and admireds (Ito surely plural). As of now, yung iba samin may love life (saya niyo naman sa Vday), yung iba masaya din naman sa life of a singleton.
Iba-iba kami ngayon ng schools. Three of us go to Manila Doctors College, one goes to CSB, another to Mapua, still another to Remedios T. Romuladez Memorial School in Makati Med, one to Ateneo, one went to Southville and is now working in the UK, and one to a school in Quezon City that I don’t know. Dati kasi siya sa Madocs din, but lumipat. CCP ata yung initials ng school. But the only CCP I know is the Cultural Center of the Philippines, and I’m pretty sure they only educate people in the performing arts and not in the assistance of medical aid.
We miss Reina. A lot. Siya yung nasa UK ngayon, a working girl who earns her own money na. Aside from that, she also has British men falling all over themselves for her. London Bridge is falling down once again. Reina’s coming home this April, though. We have planned a dinner in honor of her homecoming as soon as she returns. And then we’ll probably go to Boracay. We, or them, di pa ko sure. Since aalis din kami, chances are I won’t be there when they fly to the island of white sands and bikini-clad babes and tanned, muscled guys. Ano ngayon. I’m going to see ice naman. And penguins. Sa Boracay ba may penguins? Walaaaaa!
Ice and penguins aside, let me just take this opportunity to say to my wonderful friends how blessed I am to have them be in my life. Yes, I’m serious na. Actually naluluha na ko. If old-fashioned pen and paper ito may teardrops na sa letter. But I’m holding the tears back kasi baka masira laptop ko, sayang naman. Maganda pa naman. But to say the least, you have made my Anchors Away life (wag naman rollercoaster, para unique. And mas masaya sa Anchors Away kesa sa Space Shuttle diba) one heck of a ride. You screamed with me when I was at the top, and joined me in my moments of quietness when I was at a low point. I truly thank God I have you. Sixty-one months of “official barkada friendship” has turned into a lifetime’s worth of laughter and joy, and I would never trade it for anything else. Except siguro one billion dollars. And even if I do choose the one billion dollars, I’d be so rich you’d still want to be my friends. So either way, we’re pretty much guaranteed a friendship that would surpass our lifetime. Sorry if that doesn’t sound appealing to you, but that’s the fact. We’re stuck with each other, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, till death do us part. Without the rings and the white dress and the aisle. And the bridesmaid and the cute flower girl and ring bearer, and the grand wedding reception. But with food. There will always, ALWAYS be food.
To 61 months and 6100 more.
Love you Barkadahan!:)