December 20, 2016, nasa Savemore kami naghahanap ng pang-Noche Buena at some for the New Year's eve na rin. Our first stop was the Vegetable Section - got some cabbages: petchay at repolyo, tofu, kamatis, beans, patatas, at maraming carrots (for her medication, among others na pinamili namin). Her face and her radiance were far different from how they used to before. Dati, whenever she delicately picked ang mga nilalagay namin sa cart, we so knew it was all for her recovery, all to support her medication. Dati, ramdam na bothered kami pareho sa kalagayan ng health nya kahit pilit naman na tinatago namin sa isa't-isa. Pero recently, natural na ang mga ngiti nya: apparent na hindi "pilit" lang - she seemed free. Her name is Keren Luana Rodrigues "with an S, not with a Z" - she would say. She is twenty-six and is two years married to her "hunky and handsome husband" (she would also say that), pero wala pa naman kaming baby. After we graduated, we found jobs and in four years' time, we got engaged and finally married - happily.
"Hon, red wine ha? mamaya."
"Naman. SOP." Ngiti ko naman as we continued our grocery shopping. "By the way, may dressing pa ba tayo?"
"Meron pa." mahinhin nyang sabi. As we chose among the mangoes, she said something to which I did not answer at nabigat and dibdib ko. Kung hindi ko lang napanghawakan ng mahigpit sarili ko, I could have cried. "Hon... you will love again ha?"
She has been (with us all: family nya and friends, ang church, at ako) courageously trying to conquer her breast cancer and the anxiety and financial troubles that come along tagging with it. When we were yet in high school, she was teased nang own circles nya mismo sa pagiging "Patag" o "Aparador" o "Walang Future." the whole time not knowing na deliberately tinanggalan sya ng suso - precautionary measures for the reason of their family genes, that having breast cancer runs in their blood. No one in the class knew.
"Someone new, you mean?"
"Malamang?" to which I chuckled kunu.
"Hanapin mo ulit si Michaela mo; hindi pa married yun."
"Hala, Hon, have you been stalking her?" jokingly. "Yoko, Hon. Hindi na sya maganda ngayon."
"So you have been stalking her?" tumaas boses nya. Hindi pa naman sya pwede ma stress. Kaya nabigla din ako kaya niyaka ko sya immediately.
"I was just kidding: of course I haven't and I won't- not after anyone."
Michaela was our high school classmate. She was one of my closest friends pero kaming dalawa hindi pa naging close until mid-3rd year high school. Classmates narin kami hanggang college na. Keren was an honor student – top 7 nung second year, ako naman ay isang mapagkumbabang aliping-sagigilid, normal na tao kumbaga (as how we called ourselves before). Hindi kami close; ni hindi ko nga mai-match apelyido nya sa mukha nya; akalain mo: classmate ko pala yan!? - mga ganyang lines.
Bobong-bobo ako sa sarili ko sa math. We are a family of engineers kaya hindi ko lubos maisip dati bakit ang bobo - bobo ko pero section one. Pero praises be to the Lord when our third year came: I loved geometry so much: hindi ko sinasadya pero ang galing ko boi. Kinig na kinig ako sa kay Ma'am Mirasol. Sa planes, lines, at points lang nagsimula at namulat ako na OK din pala ang Mathematics somehow; I enjoyed it to the point na bilang ako sa MTAP (interschool mathematics competition). By the way, why I bother telling you this is the reason na dito kami naging close (yiee). Tatlo kami na contestants that represented the school, third sa line-up ang Valedictorian namin, si Michaela.
We would review for the competition at palagi dalawa lang kami available kasi umuuwi si Michaela sa hometown nila every weekend. Syempre, si Keren babae: di naman pwede na sya pupunta sa bahay namin, so ako pumupunta sa bahay nila. Mabait ang mama nya: pinagtitimpla ako ng Milo at "sorry" daw kasi walang tinapay. Everytime, bibigyan din nya sana ako ng pamasahe pauwi. Family din sila ng mga engineers and her mother made their strictness towards her known to me. Doon din kami nagsimula to text each other: pa-good morning - good eve lang muna, ingat-ingat. Those were the days: high school, childish pa, pero I felt so attached to her that I wished #sanaArawAraw. Masaya ako na kasama sya.