hangtime

Let me tell you a little story about how people are not like books with covers we can judge:

Eight years ago, it was in an early June morning when I found out that the homogeneous section I grew up with,  was reshuffled, reshuffled so badly, that I barely knew five people in the room.

Though the rest of our other batch mates were already 7 year-acquaintances, it was a different story.

The classroom was near the third floor landing and it was the first you see at the left wing. At the right wing and three classes farther, were the rest of my old classmates.

I always looked too old to seat in front, so at the far far end of the room– near the big glass window overlooking the stairs, I had to seat next to the least known “acquaintance ” I can think of.

He stood 5′6, the same as I do.

He wasn’t rude, but not necessarily nice.

That was all that I needed to know.

But as the weeks passed on, I had, yes, I had to learn he was a star player of their team and everyone’s crush. (I honestly didn’t notice, no offense.)

They said he was supposed to be popular.

So, I learned all that, before I even knew his name.

Classes went on day after day and I had to bear with remarks from teachers about how he didn’t do his assignments, not passed his notebooks, and slept in NEAT review classes.

Oh yes, he is popular.

I hated how he doesn’t copy lectures, bring his books, and hide under his workbook during Reading class while eating bubble gum.

I vividly hated how dirty his yellow Adidas bag was.

Especially, I hated that he doesn’t give the slightest care about the whole, wide, breathing world.

The only thing I didn’t hate was how he doesn’t know me.

–like how I actually didn’t know him.

He wasn’t in a childhood crisis after all.

He loves his family and his passion for sports.

He is a really good friend to everyone.

I wasn’t really able to thank him for teaching me how to speak Bicol.

for an attempt to lend me his sister’s M2M CDs.

for almost saving my face with the cellphone thingy. (In which case, he was first at fault.)

for some assignments which he also actually does.  Sometimes.

for not getting really mad after a hard punch at the back that made him sick for a week.

for writing in those floral autographs.

for carrying my sleeping bag during retreat.

for lending me his cellphone battery.

for the MOTIVATION when I played re-bounder for our team.

for the silent hello’s at the halls in high school.

for the vote. I assume.

for the heart-felt- four-year-late-apology. Really.

and the stories.

for the friendship.

Pasawayun kaya. haha.

For the last time, it was JC for Jesus Christ. Didn’t you hear that from Bro. Ed’s lectures?

Or you must have been out again

always Hangtime.

(Hoy, sinulat ko lang to kasi super konti lang naman ng mga kabutihang ginawa mo sakin e. Joke lang. hehe.)