Someone Else's Angel

Twenty years ago I lost a friend.

I remember how we used to spend afternoon weekdays doing our homework together, with lengthy discussions on the recent episodes of Carebears, Smurfs, Daimos, and Transformers. Weekends would mean lots of time outside: playing patintero, tumbang-preso, taguan-base, Chinese garter, and monkey-monkey with the other kids in our vicinity. Whenever we feel lazy going outside, we would play scrabble, snakes & ladders, doctor-doctor, pick-up-sticks, and yes, even jackstone.

June 30, 1987…no classes due to the feast day of our Lady of the Rose, our town’s -secondary patroness. We were playing taguan-base when he was asked to run an errand for his mom. Being a good son that he was, he obediently did as he was told. He profusely bade goodbye and promised that he’ll come back and he’ll bring pandesal for our merienda.

But he never came back.

Later on, it was my dad who told me about the bad news. My friend was hit by a speeding vehicle along Ayala Avenue, near Insular Life building. He died on the spot.

That was how I lost him.

That was the very first time that I experienced grieving over the death of a friend. I never saw him as he lay lifeless on his coffin because I wanted to remember him as someone who’s full of life and candid as ever. It took me years before I finally had the courage to watch the movie My Girl (part 1) because it reminded so much of what happened and what we used to be.

Two decades after that fateful day, I now ask myself: “What’s it like if he’s still alive today?” “How would he look like?” “Are we still the best of friends?” Probably, he could’ve enjoyed watching the Transformers movie as much as I did (he was an avid fan of the cartoon TV series, you know).

He could have been 32 years old now. But I know God had better plans for him.

Now I know why good people die young: to be someone else’s angel.

My Eccentric Family

Meet my three wonderful kids:

My Love…ang panganay kong si Leo…sya ang nagmana ng pagkahilig ko sa computer…Promil Kid…very touchy and thoughtful.

My Honey…ang sumunod kong anak na si Borgie…sya ang nagmana ng aking best physical asset…may phobia sa English…sweet ang caring pero hindi halata.

My Sweet…ang bunso kong si Patrick…sya ang nagmana ng artistic side ko (pero mukhang sumobra naman yata? hehehe)…ang pinaka-bibo sa lahat…cheerful and outspoken.

Syempre, kanino pa sila magmamana ng ganda kundi sa akin :p



Sila ang aking eccentric family…masarap silang maging anak…maloloka kang panoorin silang sama-sama…gugulong ka sa saya...at sasakit ang tiyan mo sa katatawa…

These Are The Moments

3:45AM…early birds, este, love birds: Borgie & Joel...5:00 AM...2 flat tires...option 1: gamitin si FatBoy para sa mga gamit then commute ang lahat then magpasundo kay Floryc ng Sunday afternoon...option 2: maghanap ng pampasaherong jeep na pwedeng arkilahin – NOW NA!...6:00 AM...ang jeep na biyaheng IBABAW...ang late bloomer na si Fatima (kumusta naman ang palda?)...8:30 AM...TeakWood Resort...ang malaking aso na si Betsy...9:30 AM…RED, BLUE, GREEN, YELLOW...group color band... Carl's Trust Activity Game...handkerchief..."listen and trust your leader"...obstacles...lunch...pinaputok na tilapia...pritong talong...inihaw na baboy...hotdogs...ensaladang mangga...happy siesta!...teng, teng, teng!...group cheer...best cheer: "Dida & the pussy cats!" with matching kakaibang pose ni Mikey…four-way-tug-of-war...fill-me-in relay gamit ang kutsara! San ka pa?!...karaoke session...commencement exercise: inuman to the max!...dinner preparation...same menu...Patrick's high-blood attack...mathematical equation...dida & the pasaway cats..."ayokong maglaro, masama pakiramdam ko" (naku, ayaw mo lang mag-compute!)..."eh, ako nga ang lider dito eh!"...bullseye!..."exactly what I wanted to happen!"...effective processing...ang kakulangan sa kama..."good morning, sunshine!"...ultra-amazing race...ang ABCD song ni Fatima na 99 lang ang score sa videoke...slightly magulong order ng mga stations...ang itlog..."sisirin mo, baby!"...three-leg race...Borgie & Patrick's English phobia attack...ang kodakan...Ma. Elisa Redubla (kelan pa?)...Chocolate...Buttercup...Leo, Borgie & Patrick's Choopeta dance number by the pool...awarding ceremony...Over-all Champion: B-L-U-E, Blue Tigers Team!...Leadership Award: Patrick...Sportsmanship Award: Ate Minda...Best Helpful: Dida...lampoon awards...OA sa PDA award: Borgie & Joel...Late bloomer award: Fatima…Falling Star award: Leo... ang masikip na jeep...sleep in heavenly peace...kodakan ng mga gising at tulog...isang napakasayang outing..."sana maulit muli!"