Happy Endings

photo from darryldesigns.blogspot.com

A sporadic friend unexpectedly disconnects again. Weeks later, I get an apologetic message from her saying she has secretly flown to Singapore to try her luck. Armed with only her laptop and a decade of developmental work experience, I am certain she will be able to fend for herself. Well she should be, her best friend lives there.

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3 months ago, a friend inconspicuously became a father. The text message “Sorry sa surprise” awoke me from dreamland. It was both a happy and astounding news for us friends. How he never told a soul, I presume prudence was the name of the game. Why talk when nobody asks? 3 days ago, he has already gone off to the capital with his look-alike daughter to join his new wife and start a new life – that of temporarily becoming a full-time father and husband!

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Over lunch yesterday, a friend has opened up about her ongoing annulment case. She seemed fine. She’s already friends with her ex and thankfully, their daughter has quite some EQ as well. The little girl said it’s okay for her mom to look for a new boyfriend, but only after the annulment gets done. Cool.

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Last night, a friend confided to us that hopefully by next year, when her husband’s overseas contract becomes stable, she and their 2 kids might join him in the Middle East for even just a year, or just before the kids start school. The thought excites her. She looks forward to the moment of time that her hardworking husband would also be able to experience firsthand their young children’s early growing years. Oh how sweet.

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On Monday, I will be witnessing an intimate wedding of another friend who had been ecstatic of marching down the aisle, probably even before she could learn how to walk. I am truly happy for her for she has finally found the man who has dreamt of her to become his bride. May they live happily ever after.

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I have yet to find my own ending, too. Wish it’ll be happy, as endings are beginnings of beautiful things. Ew.

Maling Akala

I was accompanying a couple of friends inside a boutique when suddenly a sales lady came up and tactlessly asked me if the blouse she was holding would fit me. Surprised, all I could mutter was “Ha?” and the sales lady babbled on with “That lady over there is asking if this would fit you as she thinks you’re about the same size with the one she’s giving this to”. Still I could not figure it out, it was already my friend who replied “Yes, it would fit her.”

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Heard over the news tonight that the Supreme Court finally acquitted Hubert Webb and the rest of the accused in the sensational Vizconde Massacre after having been imprisoned for 15 years. I didn’t know how to react. Certainly I feel for Mr. Lauro Vizconde but somehow over the years, I have also become a fan of Pinky Webb (Hubert’s newcaster sis). Quite a conflict there, huh?

It was also weird listening to Pinky de Leon (mother of Tonyboy Lejano, one of the accused) who kept saying “Hindi natutulog and Panginoon namin.” Hey, He’s my God too!

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With the Vizconde suspects’ unexpected release, I recall a funny story back in 1979. We have then just moved in to our newly built home in a suburban village in Mandaue. Can’t remember how the story really started but one day, rumors came out in the neighborhood that a group of robbers would attack our village. And worst was that pretty housewives were going to be mercilessly raped by them! Fearing for her dear life, an American man’s kept woman who lived across us actually hired her own security guard for safety reasons. What an amusing way of claiming one’s beauty! Thankfully, the robbers never came. They must have set higher standards on their would-be-victims.

Finding Me

If you can spot me in the picture above, well try again. Because no matter how you look at it, you’ll never find me in there. This photo was taken during my Kindergarten 2 graduation back in 1977.

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Backstory: Earlier during the school year, our adviser, Sr. Lina taught us how to answer discreetly the inevitable call of nature by letting us wear a whistle instead of raising our hand and announce it to the whole class when the need arises.

After our graduation rites, all K2 graduates were called back to assemble inside the classroom for the required class picture taking. It was also at this point that the so-called call of nature indiscreetly invited me. And so as we’ve been trained the whole school year, I went on to get the whistle from its usual place, wore it securely on my neck and ran inside the comfort room to relieve myself. When I got out, my classmates were already scrambling to get back to their waiting parents outside while I still have to rush back inside the classroom to put back the whistle before I myself could run back to my waiting parents too.

When the pictures were distributed, I was so excited to show it to my mother who kept on asking, “Where are you? How come you’re not in the picture?” It was only then I realized what had happened earlier. See that blank space somewhere in the middle row? That’s where I’m supposed to be at.

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Fastforward to 10 years later: It almost happened again during my 4th year in high school. We were scheduled for a class pictorial a few days before graduation and have already been told of our designated places beforehand. On that particular day and time, I wonder what got into my teacher’s head that she still had to make me run an errand for her. I could no longer remember what it was. The only thing I had in mind then was how to get at the pictorial on time. I kept telling myself I had to be in that picture! What happened in K2 shouldn’t happen ever again! So I ran back as fast as I could and found the whole class all set for the camera. I had to shout at the photographer: “Wait! Please wait for me!” He waited all right, but directed me instead to stand at the farthest end to the right behind our teacher. I was still breathing heavily when I heard the camera click.

Take a peek at the picture below and look for that blank space somewhere in the 3rd row. That’s where I’m supposed to be at, again.