Twice A Victim

I just turned 29 today...lagpas na sa kalendaryo…yun eh kung ang tinitingnan mo ay ang buwan ng Pebrero na hindi naman leap year...

Last night, I had my first visitor...si John...my best buddy-brother...he went to our place shortly before midnight...sabi nya gusto nya salubungin namin birthday ko...ang mokong...he sure has his own unique way of making me feel special...he stayed until 3:00 AM...maraming kwentuhan...tungkol sa buhay nya, sa buhay ko...noon at ngayon...lahat na yata ng memories namin, naungkat: funny, sad, outrageous, jologs, pa-cute, pa-senti...pati mga espesyal na tao na naging bahagi ng aming mga buhay...at minsan pa, isang 1.5 Coke na naman ang aming napatumba...

...sa sobrang puyat, inaantok tuloy ako nung magsimba kami ni Mama sa Quiapo...(yawn!)

Later during the evening, I was supposed to attend the SPP Children’s Choir rehearsal at 7:30pm...Phoebe texted me na kung pwede 7:40 na daw ako pumunta dahil hindi pa sila kumpleto...Bago pa man ako makarating ng simbahan, sinalubong na ako ni Phoebe...she blindfolded me and led me to a place and asked me to sit down...pagkatanggal ng blindfold, I found myself sitting in front of the altar and before me are the members of the Children’s Choir in formation...then they sang Thanked God I Found You…sa sobrang overwhelmed, I really cried profusely that somebody had to give me a tissue...tapos when I turned around, there were a handful of members of the Couples for Christ who were supposed to use the church at that time for their CFC seminar...they were all clapping their hands and greeting me...umiyak na naman ako...then the kids led me to another room where I saw Derps, our parish priest, Mike, Ryan, and the food that the kids prepared for me...spaghetti, hotdog cocktails, refrigerator cake, and juice..."what you reap is what you sow", sabi ni Derps..."love freely given deserves love in return"...

After I sent the children home, go na kami kina Carol kasi may double celebration: surprise graduation party for Carol and birthday din ni Tita Sylvia…pagdating ko, everybody was there na except for Tita Sylvia and Carol...nag-text pa si Tita Sylvia na masakit na daw paa ni Carol kakalakad...hala, pagdating sa bahay nina Carol, nagpatay na kami ng ilaw para pagdating ni Carol masu-surprise sya...chikahan habang nasa dilim…naging moment ko kasi tinanong nila kung anong nangyari sa asalto ng Children's Choir...syempre, ako naman, si kwento...dialogue pa ni Dida, "kahiya naman, wala tayong surprise para kay ate Jhie"...tapos panandaliang katahimikan...bumukas ang pinto…nag-switch on ang ilaw...sumigaw ako ng "SURPRISE! Congratulations Carol!" pero silang lahat, sumigaw ng "SURPRISE" at kumanta ng "Happy Birthday"...si Carol kumakanta ng "Happy Birthday" habang nakatingin sa akin...may dalang cake si Tita Sylvia...sa banding kanan ko, may banner...pero baliktad...ano ito!!!...before I knew it ako pala ang kinakantahan...nabaligtad na rin ang banner, at nang mabasa ko ang nakasulat: "Happy Birthday, Jhie!" (sa bandang ibaba, nandun din yung pangalan ni Tita Sylvia)...ako pala ang victim! Ang nakakatuwa pa, ako ang super nag-text sa lahat na may surprise party si Tita Sylvia for Carol...nalaman ko na lang later na it was part of the plan: mapaniwala ako na may party for Carol…

Ito pala ang dahilan kaya:
- ang dialogue ni Tita Sylvia sa text ay: "Please let me know if you are coming so I can push it through"
- matagal mag-text back si Tita Sylvia...kasi pala, nipo-forward pa sa organizing committee at saka may screening pa sa dapat na i-reply sa text message ko
- nagtataka ako kung bakit after ko mag-text kay Tita Sylvia na after 8pm pa ako makakarating, saka lang na-establish yung idea na may pinuntahan si Carol at 8:30 pm sya dadating...saan kaya sya mangagaling?
- may sense of excitement yung mga reply ni Marvin sa mga text messages ko
- walang pakialam si Mike at si Ryan kesehodang di namin maabutan yung execution ng "surprise party" for Carol
- ready na ang tables and chairs sa labas samantalang wala akong nakita ni isang food pagpasok ko sa loob ng bahay nila Carol
- walang tension habang hinihintay si Carol...proof? halos lahat ay nagti-text at naka-ilaw ang cellphone...lahat sila cool na cool
- 5 minutes pa daw bago dumating sina Tita Sylvia at Carol pero wala pang 5 minutes, nandun na sila
- hindi nila ako sinaway sa kakadaldal ko habang hinihintay si Carol
- hindi nagulat si Carol nung buksan ang ilaw
- may dalang cake si Tita Sylvia samantalang kasama nya si Carol

Ang galing! I’m totally speechless and overwhelmed...daming food na ni-prepare: spaghetti, hotdog cocktails, liempo, fried chicken, fried lumpia, sago’t gulaman at cake...

I couldn’t imagine what my kids from the Children's Choir and my friends from the Youth Choir went through just to show how much they appreciate me...many thanks, guys...May God bless you all...

Meanwhile, far across the globe, a very significant person also celebrated life – eternally, that is. At 8:37pm, (3:37 AM of April 3, Manila Time), our beloved Pope John II joined his Creator.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord...and let Your perpetual Light shine upon Him.

May his soul rest in peace. Amen.

John Paul II…we love you...