REMINISCING

Rey Francis Aude, the famous and much-loved Grade 7 CLE teacher of Xavier School and part-time Bench model on the side, graced us with his presence yesterday at, where else but Oli's house! Rey had arrived around two weeks ago, but of course had many places to go to with his family. It was only March and I was already nagging Rey, when are you arriving? What day? What time? Where are you staying? What is the contact number there? You know how obsessive I can get about those things.... But anyway, we finally set a date to see each other. I picked him up from his sister's place, which wasn't that hard to find. I took a wrong exit, but I still found an easy way to get to Rey's place. Then I discovered that Oli's house is so easy to get to from Rey's place. It took me only an hour to get from my house to Rey's to Oli's.


Rey still looks the same! It was so good to see him. He is actually one of the reasons why I was so miserable leaving Xavier School. The year before I left, there were five of us, and we found ourselves becoming fast friends. We became closer because of the Bukas Palad and Ignite recollections that we all attended every week. We were all heavily into the recollections every step of the way. Not only did we form a bond, but we felt that we had deepened our spirituality as well.

I remember it was Maundy Thursday or Good Friday 2004. I was at Mary the Queen church attending a recollection. While waiting for the talk to start, I texted Rey, asking him if he would like to set up a prayer group for teachers. He texted back and said, why not? So, the kulit me, kept making him kulit until finally in mid-May, we formed a prayer group, composed of me, Rey, Achie, Chuchay and Rina. We tried to meet every week, I think it was every Monday, and we got the prayer room in the Grade 5 corridor for our reflections. Those were really good times. We had lots of good cries there, we shared a lot of joys and pains, and I really felt we deepened our faith with those meetings. Sometimes we would use the sessions to talk about our frustrations during the week, and we supported whoever was feeling down at the time, both inside the room, and later on during the week. This group really helped me get through some very bad times, and through the apprehensions and fears I was feeling becasue I already knew that I was going to move here. Rey told me last night, that up to now, that group continues to support each other especially during times of crisis. Whenever the four of them come together, they always say daw, "Ay....may isang kulang.....!" I miss them so much! and although they don't write me, I know we are all still good friends. I know that when I go home and visit them, we will just pick up where we left off when I left for Oz.

pic 1 - Rey and Achie; pic 2 - Rina, Chuchay, me, Achie, Gilord and Liza

September last year, I remember receiving a belated happy birthday card from the 4 of them, plus some other good friends. I remember crying so hard when I read the card. I just missed them so much. That was one of the hardest parts about leaving. I had just formed a really good group of friends and I had to leave them right then and there. I know that if I had stayed, there would have been so many more good memories and shared times together. I really don't know why we weren't allowed to experience more together. Sometimes I wish I could just transplant them over here and have what we used to have over there. Oh well.

Anyway, when we picked up Rey, Wigi was asleep in the car. When we got to Oli's house, he continued sleeping on the couch (this was 3 pm). He finally got up at around 6 pm because we had our dinner. When he was fully awake, he started hugging each person in the house and asked me to take their photos. Here they are:

He and Rey were sitting at the kitchen counter. Luis tapped Rey on the arm, "Tito Rey..." Rey said, "Yes?" Wigi whispered, "I love you!" Rey laughed and said, "I love you too!"

Hay naku. I really miss my friends!

***** mwa ***** mwa ***** mwa ****


Allow me a little space for vanity here... Do you know that the last time I got a haircut was in August 2005? That haircut pa was at Edge's barber -- the cheapest haircut on Queen Street! Today I checked out parlor here that is run by a Pinay, and lo and behold, she had a gay haridresser who used to run one of Ricky Reyes' salons in Megamall! He did a wonderful job! I feel pretty....oh so pretty...I feel pretty and witty and gay!... Now, my question is, can I learn how to fall asleep while standing so I don't have to lie down and mess up my hair? Can I not shampoo my hair until Sunday morning? I just know it won't look like this anymore after I give it a shampoo!