Reconnections

Oh my...How times certainly changed for better and for worse. As if it was like yesterday when I have to wait for my carpool to fetch me and my siblings to school, grade school that is, and try to not go past 7:15am or else I'll get a sermon from my teacher.

As if it was yesterday when, in a fit of anger, I took away Chris Ibbar's purple bag and put it to some place within the school (kasi bully siya) or when I was the "center of attention"between 2 girls back in Prep.

Life was never the same again for me the moment I came back to the Philippines after staying stateside for more than a year (June 24, 2002). At the time, I was in the process of transferring to a new school, a new life and a new nickname (don't ask).

Even up til now, I still have this sense of homesickness, having being unable to see my old friends from grade school. Old friends, enemies, bullies, and praning people...Yes, I miss them all.

I'm not quite sure how did those people react upon hearing the news of me no longer going back to SMMC. And I don't buy that nasty rumor about them celebrating my departure, that's not a very nice thing for them to do that considering it was hard on my part about leaving.

Throughout the months I was away,. I kept in touch with at least two people I regard as the only people I could trust: Michael and Carlos. Before none of us have any email addresses, I would write and send my own letters and do IDD phone calls. Just hearing their voices kept me sane.

When I got home, the first thing I did was visiting Gerard's house from the next block. As far as I know, school had already began so it's kinda weird that he didn't have classes yet in CMIC. Eventually, through him, I was able to hear Angelique's voice again when Gerard called her up on the phone.

I eventually made visits to Mangga, Carlos, Janine, and Michael. Most significant is when I saw Joyce April a.k.a. "Cheche" again. Sad to know that her life is pretty much a wack.

I saw Maricris again near Polo since her family run a stall in the nearby marketplace. Mark Paul went to my house once back in 2002 but never reappeared since then. I first saw Chenee again when she and her family went to Maysilo once...we reconnected through Multiply and YM. Same goes to Jamelle, L.A., and Kenji when we all "saw" each other through YM.

I've yet to see John Paul but my sister saw him and his older brother last December. I remember Joan (from Grade 2) but she didn't recognize me because I wear glasses now. I saw Lucky a.k.a. Leo's profile on Facebook recently and had him added up as one of my contacts.

Two separate jeepney incidents became mini-reunions when I saw Angelique and Señelita again (first was back in 2004 and the latter was earlier this year). Señelita saw me on Facebook recently and so were Jamelle and Mangga. I added Michael last year on Multiply. I think I saw Marvin's name appear on Facebook as well.

At most, I've already seen Zach, Carlos and Michael. I last saw Zach when we were waiting on the same train last March in Central Terminal.

Me and the guys have long been planning on doing an all-Montessorian reunion but it never get to push through nor hints of doing one never materialize. I'm usually the one that tries to organize such a reunion so I'm really hoping on getting the right timing for a lot of us to finally have a get-together.

It's really hard for a person to reconnect with the people he has known practically his whole life but haven't seen them for the longest time. He cannot do it alone but with the help of his friends, he will make it happen.