It Was Not Meant To Be...part 5

PART I

PART II

PART III

PART IV

4th Year HS - The Joining

Seniors na kami. Ahahaha. It had a nice ring to it. As usual, Juniors vs. Seniors parin. Last year, champions ang Juniors sa Cheering Competition (kami yun) at nakabonus pa kami. Dahil kasi sa pikon ang mga Seniors... binato namin sila ng mga water balloons... wakekekek. Pero anyway... reversed na. It was the year 2000.. ang taon ng Y2K virus. Ito ang school year na pinaka mahaba at pinaka-maikli at the same time.

Required na ang pag-join sa C.A.T. Required na ang pag-march-march sa ilalim ng mainit na araw. Ali was one of the officers. I forgot what his position was...basta, he was some sort of high ranking.

I did not like it at first, but then, dahil close na rin kami kay Alelie (Lelay), mas na-enganyo kami. And all of a sudden, the whole W5A was intrigued and excited to be one of the Medics. Well, aside from the fact na ayaw namin nabababad sa ilalim ng araw... being a Medic was actually fun!

When we were made official members of The Medic Squad... I also realized that Ali's world and mine have just collided ... or so I thought.


The Langaw is Now a Butterfly
I am a quick learner... and like I said... madali magdevelop ang aking defense mechanism... plus I'm a great friend - well, trying hard to be a great friend, that is. At any rate, I have decided to just stamp my feelings and just support my friend. I did not want any heart aches deepening the already wide gap between us.
In the meantime...

Caluza: Haboc, may gagawin ka ba mamaya?
Blogger: Sir? Uhm... meron po, sir... baket po? May training po ba ulit para sa Medics?
Caluza: Wala. (walk-out)
Lelay: Crush ka ni Caluza.
Blogger: Nyah??! Talaga?
Lelay: Wag kang ma-impress. Gagu yun eh.
Blogger: (salute) Ma'am, yes ma'am!

Tapos...
Cordova: Haboc, crush ko si dela Cruz (Jam) ...lakad mo naman ako.
Blogger: Sir, kausapin niyo nalang ho si Jam.
Cordova: O cge...ikaw nalang magbigay ng sulat na ito sa kanya. Wag ka na mag-march bukas.
Blogger: Packsyet na mga officers to...

Heto pa...
Lelay: Pinapabigay ng isang officer.
Blogger: Er...ano toh?
Lelay: Eh ano pa, eh di love letter!
Blogger: Nge!!! Akala ko ba bawal manligaw ng subordinate?
Lelay: Pag officers na, pwede na.
Blogger: Nyeta naman oh...

At ang pinaka-matindi sa lahat, mismong ang aming commanding officer!
CO: Haboc, pwede ba kitang maging partner sa isang ball for ROTC?
Blogger: (muntik nang maibagsak yung hawak-hawak na wooden gun...packsyet, magtanong ba naman ng OMG na tanong at manggulat sa formation mismo) Ho?
CO: Magpapaalam ako mismo sa parents mo kung gusto mo.
Blogger: Er....

Hayun na nga. Dahil nga siguro sa ang aming barkada (Jam, Leah, Agnes, Daryll, at Jerry) ay ang tanging mga medic na galing sa Science Section ...kaya siguro lagi kaming pinagtri-tripan. Kung hindi laging sinisita o pinaparusahan... lagi namang inaasar na liligawan ng kung sinu-sino. Hay Lord.
Feeling ko, ito yung nagtrigger ng "pag-amin". Bwahahahaha. Kung iisipin ko ngayun... nakakatawa talaga... pero nung nangyayari yun... gusto kong literal na patayin si Ali.


The Good-Bye
Isang araw, may binigay na sulat sa akin ang mokong kong bespren.
Ali: Basahin mo...
Blogger: Uhm...anu tu?
Ali: (walk-out)
Blogger: Packsyet.

At that time... I knew something was wrong. He had been acting weird for the past few days. Parang lahat ng manliligaw ko... may side comment siya lagi. It was flattering ... to learn that his brotherly instincts were being alerted...

Ha? Si Caluza? Dugyot kaya yun... di ka bagay dun.

Cordova? Uhm, I think hindi talaga si Jam ang target nun... isa pa... pleazzze.. you deserve someone with a higher IQ.

Yung isa mong manliligaw? Eh mute yun eh. Tingin palang sayo, di na makapagsalita. Ano yun? Loser. Tsk

Yung CO? Er... wala akong masabi. My silence says it all.

Siguro nga isa akong dakilang madhid. Ali and Lelay both gave warnings. But I did not listen... actually, I did NOT WANT to listen. I did not want to dwell on the fact that my bestfriend liked someone else.. I liked him... and I'll be damned if I will not entertain others just for the sheer amusement of it. Hindi ako martyr. I move on fast... kaya niya siguro binigay yung letter.

Sabi sa letter:
I know we've been having a lot of disagreements lately. And I know you probably think that I'm the biggest ass for always trying to hold you back from fully entertaining THEM. I'm sorry but I cannot really stomach seeing them... being with you. So from now on... I'd be distancing myself. You're free to do whatever you want.

Well, he did not really say it that way exactly... Ali's not that harsh, it was just how I interpreted it. I talked to him after reading the letter.
Blogger: What exactly do you mean by this letter
Ali: It's pretty straightforward.
Blogger: Di ko maintindihan.
Ali: (buntong-hininga ... ang mukha ay isang parang nahihirapang ipa-intindi ang isang simpleng bagay sa bata) I don't want to be your friend anymore.
Blogger: WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?
Ali: (walk-out)

Ahahahahah. Again, it did not really happen that way exactly. It was a lot more emotional... grrrrrr.
I was crying my eyes out. Hindi ko gets! I thought: That asshole will not be friends with me anymore just because I'm dating some of his co-officers?!! Aba!!! Napaka-hypocrite naman ng gagung yun!!! Eh halos kulang nalang halikan niya yung lupang tinapakan ng packsyet na "heaven" niya. OHHHH!!!! The nerve!!!!

Oh yes... after the tears... came the anger. I thought he was unfair. After swallowing my feelings for him just so we could keep our gawdamned friendship...this is how he'd bloody pay me?!?
Nasa park ako nun eh... Burnham park to be exact. I was already late for my class. But I did not care. I made a decision... if this is what he wanted, then I'll be more than bloody happy to comply.


Friends No More...
The day after that "friendship break-up", I still could not believe what he did. But I did stop talking to him already.
For two whole days, I pretended.. quite successfully and convincingly that he did not matter no more.
Friend: Blab blab blab... blab blab? Blab! Bla-lalalla bbb!
Blogger: Ah really?
Friend: Uy, si Ali o...
Ali: (dumaan)
Blogger: Huh? May sinabi ka? I believe we were talking about our classmates that you saw making out dun sa may aparador ng mga walis at lampaso?
Friend: Ah oo nga... blab...blab blab... blab-blab...blab?

Friend2: Hey, pakibigay naman to kay Ali. Please tell him that he needs to submit that to me.
Blogger: Tsk... sorry... I'm busy.
Friend2: Huh? You're not doing anything.
Blogger: Hayna! Precisely! I'm busy doing nothing. Bigay mo nalang yan kay Ara.

Lelay: Sasabay ka ba sa pag-uwi?
Blogger: Kasama ba si the-one-who-cannot-be-named?
Lelay: Oo naman.
Blogger: Wag na.
Lelay: Hayzzz. Di pa ba kayo ok?
Blogger: Di nah.

Leah: Parang di na yata kayo nag-uusap ng bespren mo?
Blogger: Huh? Sino?
Leah: Si Ali.
Blogger: Hmmm? Uh, ako bang kinakausap mo?
Leah: Sino pa ba?
Blogger: Well... never heard of the name. You must be mistaking me for someone else that you know.

It was torture. Pero yun yung gusto niya eh...ako ay isang ever accomodating na kaibigan lamang... Tapos isang araw...
Lelay: Binabawi na niya...
Blogger: (kunyari dense) Ang alin?
Lelay: Hindi niya kaya.
Blogger: Ang alin?
Lelay: Ano ka ba! Eh di gusto na niyang maging friends kayo ulit.
Blogger: (balik sa pagbasa ng pocketbook) Sorry. Ayoko na.
Lelay: Ba't naman?
Blogger: Ano ako? Kanin? Pag mainit pwedeng iluwa tapos pag ok na, isusubo ulit?
Lelay: Pagpasensiyahan mo na. Compused lang siya.
Blogger: Compused my ass.
Lelay: Kinausap ko na siya. He's miserable.
Blogger: Well manigas siya. Pakisabi he can suffer till kingdom comes. I don't give a damn anymore.

Ahahahah... joke lang... it did not happen that way. Sa isip ko lang yun. Actually, yan yung tumatakbo sa isip ko habang kinakausap ako ni Lelay... at kasama si Ali nun.

Ang totoong pangyayari:
Lelay: Gusto ka niyang kausapin.
Blogger: Bakit daw?
Lelay: Para magsorry... at para bawiin yung katangahang ginawa niya.

Actually... si Lelay yung nagsalita for Ali... at siyempre, dahil sa di ko matiis. I had to ask:
Blogger: Why did you do it?

It was a question that was not answered.... atleast not until he sent me another letter...


FINAL CHAPTER