1. Amvic
She was like my younger sister in Kindergarten. I would joyfully ride in their car in going home and supposedly drop me off in our house but oftentimes, we would beg her yaya, Nanay Ising, to just proceed to their place. Their home was my 2nd home because I would normally have lunch there and play with her and her siblings for the rest of the day. Her family owned two movie houses in Marbel, South Cotabato and I had the privilege to own a lifetime pass—my face!
2. Leny
My dearest friend since Grade I who flew all the way from Cebu to stand as my Maid of Honor in my fantasy wedding. I didn't feel the loneliness of being an only child for she occasionally slept in the house when we were in the elementary grades.
3. Bobie (Myrna)
My ever faithful companion in watching Nora Aunor movies. One time, she fetched me around 8AM to watch a movie of our idol. I asked her to eat breakfast with me but she was in a hurry to go, explaining to me that there would be lots of cinema goers because it was a Saturday, a "market day" in Marbel, South Cotabato. We rushed to Galaxy Theatre, pushed our way through the crowd to buy her ticket. Suddenly, she held my hand and told me "Nors, nahihilo ako". She collapsed on the floor, followed by the coins on her hand. We brought her to the adjacent establishment and like a good Samaritan, the waitress of Venus Restaurant gave her a free glass of milk. I found out that she missed breakfast in order to fetch me early! I urged her to go home but she insisted that we stay. We did stay and went home before dusk, after two screening of the 2 movies (it was always double program in the province).
4. Genevieve
One of my barkada since elementary. How I exude my joy and happiness was greatly influenced by her. Gen’s laughter was loud, powerful, and infectious. She's also the most graceful dancer in school.
5. My First Love
Every morning when I wake up, I would drag my heavy legs to get out of bed and prepare for school. I would shiver at the thought of being bullied again by my faithful aggressor, Buboy. But when BT transferred to our school in Grade 3, I found the passion to wake up early and look forward to the joy of being with him the whole day (though he probably wasn’t even aware of it). We were fatefully separated from each other when I went to Manila after 2nd year high school but we did not lose communication. We constantly wrote each other thru snail mail.
During my senior year in college, he sent me a telegram requesting me to meet him at Pier 14. I was excited to see my First Love again, thinking that he would stay long in Manila. But our encounter was very brief, prompting me to realize that we were really not meant for each other. It was time for me to give up my teenage dream that I would only get married to him hahahah . . .
6. My First Heart-Breaker
In Grade 4, NL cared for me in a very special way. I was overwhelmed by his thoughtful gestures that I was totally smitten by him. I was lovestruck. So I couldn’t understand why he suddenly pushed me away, telling me that we could not be together. I vividly remember crying behind the curtain of our Health Corner while reading his “breakup” letter in Grade 4 hahahah . . .
7. JOMMS
I admired and envied this petite, soft spoken, poised, fair skinned pretty group of girls in the intermediate grades composed of Jocelyn, Ofelia, Marichu, Mimi, and Salvacion that I gave them the acronym JOMMS. If I were a boy, I would have fallen in love with any one of them. They were a refreshing sight to behold in the midst of the rowdy group of bullies who often traumatized my day. They were cute and lady-like, so unlike me! Jocelyn was the silent type. Ofelia, cheerful and bubbly. I would gasp whenever Marichu walked into the room with her regal demeanor. Mimi was pretty cool and smart. Sallie was innocently simple, the cutest of them all with her braided pony tail hair.
8. Katsot (Leoncio)
My partner in our dance group from Grade 1 to 6. Although I knew he wanted to dance with his crush Lina, he didn't complain that he became my partner for-all-time. He was a true gentleman, very unlike Leandrino and his notorious gang EG and RR.
9. Buboy (Leandrino)
From Grade 1 to Grade 6, my rival Leandrino was faithful to his supreme vow to bully me every single day. I dunno why he had to pick me as the subject of his aggression. He insulted me with degrading statements, contradicted me about anything and everything under the planet. He even cheered his buddies when they harmed me physically. I begged my mother to enroll me in Karate so I could defend myself like Wang Yu and Meng Fei but she enrolled me in Ballet class instead. Anyway, I thank Buboy for exposing me early to the harsh realities of life—that you cannot please everybody all the time. And you should never allow people to treat you badly. You should only allow people to treat you the way you like to be treated. You should never think low of yourself just because other people criticize you. You are what you are—inside. It takes courage and strength to face the world’s trials and disappointments but you just have to do it. You cannot solve your problem by running from it. You have to face it head-on. You cannot have everything you want in life but you can still choose to be happy.
10. Bro. R. R.
Our Grade 5 Catechism Teacher—the first person who intentionally humiliated me in public. He overheard me saying something awful to one of the bullies not knowing that I was just defending myself. Unfortunately, he misunderstood it as an insult against him. He reprimanded me in front of my classmates just as our teacher was about to enter the room. She instructed me to apologize and I did, although in my heart I believed I wasn’t at fault. I could still remember his facial expression while I was talking to him. He was looking at me with contempt and disbelief. That day, I learned that no matter how hard you try, you cannot please everybody all the time. That although people will judge you for what you did, God will know what’s in your heart. There’s no need to explain your side because a real friend will always understand whether you’re right or wrong while an enemy will never believe you even though you’re right.
11. C and L
Before our graduation rites, C and L requested me to have a picture with them at a photo studio. I had no qualms going with them because these two were behaved and good students. After our picture taking, they invited me to have snacks at a nearby restaurant. I was sipping my bottle of 8-oz Coke when they blurted out that both of them like me. I was schocked by their courageous act of confession and told myself “Wow! These two are the bravest.” I was completely stunned but managed to tell them that I loved someone although up to this time, this person never revealed his true feelings for me. They told me it was obvious I loved BT but they just wanted me to know how they felt and asked if we could still be friends. I would have wanted us to stay as friends but we got separated after Grade 6. They entered Notre Dame Boys High Sch. Dept and I went to KNCHS (Koronadal National Comprehensive High Sch). Thank you, C and L for the attention you freely gave me. Thank you for letting me feel I was someone special.
12. The MODERATE Gang of KNCHS
Here's how the group came to be: the M from Myrna, the O from nO ra, the D from neliDa, the E from genEvieve, the R from maRna, the A from vAngie, the T from faiTh, the E from nEnita. Although the group disintegrated after 2 years (I migrated to Manila, Bobie went to Davao, Vangie transferred to Notre Dame), high school was so much fun, hilarious and memorable because of the MODERATE Gang. We were a bunch of girls who just loved to play games and eat comfort food!
13. Ate Neneng
When I was 3-6, Ate Neneng was one of our bed spacers in our ladies' dormitory. We celebrate our birthday together because I was born June 6, and she—June 7. We were so close then, and we became closer when, by God's miracle, she married my uncle Felix. Because of her, I was admitted to UE High School although I was a transferee from the province. Ate Neneng became my ever thoughtful guardian from Junior High up to 2nd year College. She took good care of me as if I were her own child. I go home to their apartment during week ends where I would be pampered with my favorite food prepared by my Imang Bayang (her mother-in-law). She would also invite my room mates and treat them as her own family.
14. The Six Sexy Chicks of Room Six
Life as a transferee from the province was frightening but Neneng, Ding then Ning, Ninfa, Menchu and Leah made it easier for me. I wasn't even homesick because of their love and guidance. Although I was only 15 then and all of them were already college students, they treated me with utmost respect. I wouldn't have easily adjusted to city life if not for the support of my caring room mates in Holy Spirit Dorm and Cenee our close dorm mate and her boyfriend Catchel.
15. Belen and Delia
My two closest friends in UE High Sch. While most of my classmates were making fun of me because of my Ilonggo accent, these two extraordinary girls accepted me for what I was. I enjoyed every single minute that I was with them. It was an endearing friendship of 3 unique individuals coming from Malvar Batangas, Botolan Zambales, and Marbel South Cotabato. I miss these two soooo much! I wish and pray that God will make a way for us to be together again.
16. D Big Taym Clan of Kalayaan
It was culture shock for me, coming from the bustling life in C.M. Recto to the sleepy town of Diliman, Quezon City. Not once did I feel homesick when I was still staying in CM Recto but when I transferred to Diliman, Quezon City, I felt the loneliness and emptiness I never felt before. My friends in Kalayaan Dorm (Zeny, Cristy, Elsa, Rosabel, Marichu, Art, Nilo, Ador, Erle & Arnel) saved me from melancholia and severe nostalgia.
17. After 3 years of surviving dorm food, I told Nanay it's about time that she put an end to my misery. I wanted to eat home-cooked meals for a change. I joined the de Jesus siblings of Marbel (Ate Baby, Kuya Ato, Bert & Jojo) in an apartment along Tomas Morato, just 15 minutes away from the university. Jojo's best friend Peter also stayed with us. It was a completely different life for me—something I never experienced before but truly exciting. My room mates and me had so much fun playing pingpong, watching movies together, playing cards, and chasing JD Transit to go to UP.
18. In 1977, my family and I were reunited in Las Pinas City. Travel time and school load were nerve wrecking but thanks to my Stat barkada (Ador, Cristy, Agnes, Majel, Mel, Michelle & Luz), I was able to keep my sanity and managed to defend my undergraduate thesis.
19. Nilo
My bestest friend in college who stood by me through thick and thin. Next to Nanay, he is probably the most patient man I've ever met. I eventually fell madly in love with him but later discovered that we're not destined for each other. He was gifted with all the qualities that a woman seeks for in a man but God had a different plan for both of us. Nevertheless—thank you, Nilo, for the six colorful years that you patiently spent with me.
With that, I think I have to pause here and reminisce for a while. Watch out for Part IV!
