Old Friends

I called up some friends from the old days. (I wanted to say that "I called some old friends" but then again, these friends might think that I think they are old.) The only thing I can say is that if you want to get the most of your money, call a friend whom you have not seen in a long, long time. Better to call by cell phone, so that you can jump up and down while trying to carry on a half-decent, giddy, almost sober, definitely ecstatic conversation.

I contacted Rach over the phone and we had a short chat. From her voice she was still feeling the after-effects of the Christmas Noche Buena celebration. She's quite happy with her life right now. She was also very proud of her two daughters in college. They seem to be doing well. The eldest would soon be graduating with honors. And the second daughter, my goddaughter, would be going on OJT in the summer. Both of them are studying in UPLB.

Surprising someone with a phone call on Christmas morning, before they are really awake, is not something I have experienced before. I guess before they were surprised, I was surprised myself that I was going to do it. A day after, and I can still feel the novelty of the experience.

After Rach, I got in touch with Maricel. From what I can hear, she was shocked that I called. At the very least, she was shouting over the phone. I could swear if I was any nearer, I didn't need to use the phone. But if we were standing on the sidewalk on a chance meeting, I know I'd get a mouthful of cuss words, and some painful kicks on the shin, so that would not be surprising.

She's doing well, I guess, and she doesn't want to discuss her research work. She's finishing her PhD, which is not a trivial task. Twenty years ago, if there was someone who I'd thought would pursue a PhD, I would not even consider her for a short list. But this girl is full of surprises. When she took her Board Exams for Chemistry, she got into the Top Ten list. And nobody would even think she can do that.

She has a good memory for remembering most of my shenanigans. Better than I do, from what I gather from our short telephone conversation. Considering that most people would long remember things with which they have strong feelings about, I think she just might really hate me. She remembers a lot of things about me and the things we did 20 years ago. There were several points in the conversation which I need to research on. Did I do those things? Or worse, did I not do some things? She mentioned that I gave her a character sketch and I likened her to a tiger. Come to think of it, it would be something I would have done. And she, at that time, would have been very close to a description of a tiger. No she is not a prowler, lurker, nor a predator. But she is very feline, and like a tiger, at the time, she was quite aloof with "male admirers." A tiger is a solitary creature, mates, and then wanders off from the mate while the tiger cubs grow. Much like her -- at the time. Not really mate, as in mate, but more with how she treated the "boys" around her who wanted to know her better. She was also a pretty college girl amid a whole group of pretty girls, and somehow, she just slipped under the radar, barely being recognized for what she was. She blended into the background. And I think this was what she wished then. She was intelligent, but I doubt very much if anyone knew how intelligent she was.

Frankly speaking, I don't remember what I wrote about her in that character sketch, twenty-odd years ago. Now that she mentions that tiger description, I would agree that I would have described her so. That being said, then I don't think she's lying about that paper. She says it still exists at her parents' home. Maybe one day, she can send me a scan of that paper.

I wonder, if I ever sent her a poem. If I did, I would have a record of that somewhere, because I still have the original drafts for the poems I wrote. Most of them at least. But a character sketch! For crying out loud, was I that stupid? Whatever could have happened that I would write a character sketch? Me, of all people, write a character sketch! That would be suicide on my part! And about Maricel, too! Crazy! What was I thinking? Now I'm surprised I'm still alive. I encountered a tiger, and I survived, twenty-odd years ago. Man! I must be one lucky S.O.B!

It was great talking to her though. Sounded like a time warp or a back to the future thing. We were talking like we last met yesterday. Current family and status being a non-entity in the discussion, it was fairly glossed over. Except that I mentioned that even if I had not met her husband, I can't help but say that I like the guy. I really do admire his husband even if I had not met him, simply because he married Maricel. I like his taste. She also mentioned, again, that I have beautiful kids, and that it's a good thing they did not take from me (or did not look like me, for that matter). Of which, I can only answer that that is everyone else's comment. Of her and her kid, I can only say that the mother is a long, long way prettier.

I wanted to call some other people, it being Christmas morning and such. More as a gift to them. Or in lieu of a Christmas card. Just so happens that I ran out of (prepaid) load for my cell phone. Next time then. New Year perhaps.

--andoy
26 December 2004