Remembering the Dead: People from the Past.

T'was late in the afternoon for the last day of October when I received a surprise call from a high school buddy. He was inviting me to go out with some of our high school barkada. Despite of conflict in my work schedule, I still planned to go out eventhough I have work early morning.

I meet 'em up past eight in the evening. Despite our reunion last year, I'm still surprised to see how they'd looked and how we all changed. They've even picked on how I stand tall and how my body changed so much, calling me Thor (It has been 6 years dummies. haha). They too have changed a lot. Biceps, pecs and others.

So, I followed them and had some chats while walking. One of us now is a computer programmer earning triple of my monthly income. He's daddy looking na but still playful. The shy type during our high school days who barely makes two sentence conversation is surprisingly now working as a call center agent. Our mathematician is now an engineer in a big machinery company. And the other one is also a nurse, who practices at a place I can't remember. haha

So we arrived at Padi's Point and I was surprised to know that these kups are planning to drink pala. Being a non-alcohol drinker, I felt deceived. haha. Why didn't they told me earlier na iinom sila. I thought, they were just joking about "magpapaumaga" thing. Then I have been informed that my shift the next day is moved so I'm clear for the night. I guess I have no reason left to back out then.

We entered. It felt awkward for me to enter such place again. The dark. The smoke. The stench of alcohol. I just told myself that this wouldn't kill me so I'll just catch up with them and enjoy the night. They ordered two buckets of red horse (two bottles per head). So I told myself, "two bottles. kaya to". The band sounded great at first. Especially the female vocalists. Then I finished my first bottle remembering that my first food intake was about four hours ago. I stood up and went to the comfort room. I was looking down the path and felt my head lighter. hahaha. I checked myself at the mirror and I looked flushed. My face is red but still looking fine. ehem. LOL. So I went back and chug my second bottle. During that moment.. I think the band started to sound horrible. :))

Another bucket. Then two bottles became three. Then it became four. The effect of alcohol disappeared after my second bottle which I find very amusing. I scout the dance floor for any fierce ladies who could bust some hot moves. And I failed. Self-claimed chick boy engineer is flirting with the group of ladies beside our table. He dances with them and err. They called the two of us, me and call center boy, biceps boys, to dance too. Two of the ladies danced with me while my eyes never looked down my eye level, still scouting. What do I expect. A hot model with a height of at least 5'8 who could dance like fire? Nah. These ladies are so small they only reach my shoulders. Di man lang ako naginit, so I sat down with CC boy, joking "mukhang day off ng mga maid ngayon.."

I was speechless with their fright night presentation by the way, with the male and female models. It was my first time to see people in bikinis, seriously. I usually see them on the internet. haha. And.. wala talaga akong masabi. hahahaha

We left the vicinity past three in the morning. Daddy Programmer and Mr. Engineer settled our bill. Big time. And surprisingly, I'm feeling ok. I could walk straight. Not nauseated nor dizzy. I treated them with coffee. Just for fair share. Pangpatanggal ng antok at amats. And also to give time for our ears to adjust.

Mr. Engineer can't stop talking about what happened to him inside. On how many girls danced with him. I told him.. "inadd ako ng girlfriend mo sa facebook.. ma-chat nga yun.. hehe" He rebutted, "Type ka nung dalawang babaeng sinayawan ka kanina.."

"in such kind of place.. kapag sinayawan ka ng babae, it doesn't necessarily mean na gusto ka niya. the same with guys. di porket sinayawan ko siya in return, gusto ko siya. That's how it goes. You dance as if you're available, but you're not."

Hmm.. I bet his ego was a bit hurt. Because seriously, he dances with any ladies kasi. And he feels very handsome with himself.

At the end of the night, my virginity with alcohol died. How appropriate for the celebration of the dead. My mantra of forgetting people in high school renewed itself. That some people like these guys are worth to keep. They remembered me while I'm trying to forget. And I apologize for that. We all grew. We changed a lot. And the level of our maturity is astonishing. The magic of Time. I hope I could still encounter them in the future.

Remembering the dead. Remembering people from the past.