Not long after I decided to move on, I didn't engage into any relationship since then, I focused on my course and my career.
but since I'm a very sentimental person I still got in touch with my classmates before, I created group chats and hoped for a reunion once in a while, It's Chris that made my HS life completely different pero kapag kasama ko mga kaklase ko before pakiramdam ko kasama parin siya.
Nagkaroon nga ng reunion, it was year 2014 and I received an invitation from one of my batchmates saying there will be a Grand Reunion sa school mismo.
Naging maingay na nga sa aming group chat, it was incomplete though kasi unreachable na talaga yung ibang classmates namin including Chris. I was really hoping that an invitation reached him.
It was scheduled December 05, 2014 at 6:00 PM at the school pavilion.
A day before that, I met with Darlene and Joy, we shared finances for some food and beverages. We also groomed ourselves in a salon. That's how excited we were and up to now I can still feel that moment.
At night, Khael messaged me directly saying "Aika see you tomorrow, can I have a piece with you?"
I said "Sure", well matured na kami that time so there's nothing wrong with it.
I'm sure all of you are still hoping for a continued love story between me and Chris, well that time I already moved on, I accepted the fact that he was just my High School lover and nothing more. I didn't even expect him coming to that reunion.
Until...
It's D-Day! December 5th, I was wearing a black loose backless shirt with a ribbon at the bottom paired with a denim skirt and a 3-inch stilettos, my curly hair matched with a dangling earing and a gold necklace with a heart pendant in it.
As I walk at the entrance there was a photographer standing and told me to pose a little, there was a booth at the entrance and you have to choose "batch 2009" as props in the photoshoot.
Dinig na dinig ang napakalakas na musika kasabay ng lakas ng pagtibok ng aking puso. Kinakabahan talaga ako I don't know why.
As I proceed to our area, someone approached me saying "Miss Cruz, can you give us a short speech representing your section?" sabi ng program organizer
Haaaayss, same feeling, ako parin talaga until now hehe. Well, I had no choice but to say "Yes", impromptu speech to mga sis, pero sige dahil nasanay ako sa public speaking as an educator, G tayo jan!
So ayun na nga dumiretso na ako sa aking area, I saw my classmates very matured na sila, some of them hindi ko na makilala dahil talagang nag glow up na sila, then I saw John Ford
"Aba, binata na talaga ah! Napakagwapo naman, ngayon ka mambully tignan natin kung may panama ka" pang-aasar ko sa kanya habang tawanan kaming dalawa.
It's sad na wala si Dave dahil nasa bakasyon daw sila sa Aurora.
I sat beside Darlene and Joy parin hehe. I can hear my classmates sobrang ingay parin talaga, madami na kasing dapat ikwento ee, almost 5 years nadin na ngayon lang ulit kami nagkita kita.
There was a part of the program na gagayahin ng mga estudyante ang kanilang mga guro before, the way they speak, the way they get mad, isama nadin ang kanilang iba't ibang expressions and gestures habang nagtuturo.
At dahil nga impromptu ang lahat, we have to pick someone to represent our section. Bakas sa kanilang mga mukha ang tuwa at saya. Dati, kami yung mga batang puro away ang alam kapag naipapasubo sa klase pero ngayon tawanan nalang at asaran.
Until now, I have our pictures with me, talagang naka album yun sa facebook account ko.
And ayan na, the moment that everyone was waiting for, yung speech hehe talking about our memories and our life at present.
Here's exactly what I said that night.
"Looking back 2009, it was a year that my batchmates really wanted to skip, it was a time of goodbyes, it was also a time of uncertainties and a lot of confusion, the youthful, innocent and curious minds made us who we are today, some of us became Professionals already, meron tayong mga Guro, Engineers, Nurses, Social Workers and some of us are Nanays and Natays na, we became who we are today because of how this school taught and mold us to be.
We experienced being scared of the teachers, the subjects and even of our classmates dahil nga maraming bully sa batch namin (tawanan ang aking mga kaklase), isa na jan sina John Ford, sina RJ, sina Allan, Meron din kaming 'cold as ice but hot as flame' classmate na si Khael, si Chris din na crush ng bayan pero deadma sa life, anjan nadin ang mga girls na puro kaartehan sa katawan ang alam, wala namang nakukuha sa quiz. (Lakas ng tawanan ng mga girls). There were a lot of frustrations, kapag bumagsak sa exam, kapag napagalitan ni teacher at syempre kapag napahiya sa klase, but without those, hindi tayo mag grogrow ng ganito. I'm sure all of us are already matured enough, I can see how you laugh at your own imperfections before, nakakatuwang isipin noh? Kung pwede lang sana tayong bumalik lahat sa umpisa ng taong iyon, mas susulitin natin ang bawat araw na tayo'y magkakasama. At higit sa lahat, baguhin yung mga bagay na pinagsisisihan natin sa ngayon. I know some of us are not with us today but let's make every second count! I am a proud 10-B! Good evening po sa ating lahat"
Naaalala ko ang aking mga batchmates tayuan at napakalakas ng hiyawan, Hiyang hiya ako sa speech ko kasi napaka simple, meron nang mas deserving mag speech sana dahil professionals nadin sila pero dahil nga nasanay ang mga guro na ako ang tinatawag, ako parin talaga.
I wasn't aware na dumadami na pala kami, nagsidatingan ang iba pa naming mga batchmates.
Lumalalim na ang gabi ngunit abala parin ang bawat isa sa pakikisalamuha, even si Darlene at Joy iniwan nadin ako sa aking upuan para makichika sa iba
Nang biglang may tumabi sa akin.
"Aika kain na tayo, can you help me distribute the goods?"
It's Khael, kaming dalawa parin talaga ang leader sa grupo hehe, madami nang nag bago pero yung tandem namin same parin.
Habang abala ang ilan sa kwentuhan, chikahan, ung iba nag-iinuman na, heto kami ni Khael abala din sa pagdidistribute ng food.
I can feel the maturity between us, magkasama kaming dalawa pero wala ng malisya, we treat each other as friends and my classmates are already used to it. Wala ng hiyawan at asaran kapag nakikita kaming magkasama.
Hindi namamalayan ang oras, habang mas lumalalim ang gabi, hindi natatapos ang kasiyahan, kwentuhan, tawanan, meron din namang mga nagdradrama dahil mga bigo daw sa buhay, mga kaklase kong wala pa daw nararating sa buhay. We kept on comforting them, telling them to wait for the perfect timing.
I kept telling them na nauna lang kami, susunod din sila, magiging professionals din sila.
It was around 11:00 PM when I felt a bit dizzy dahil siguro may nainom nadin ako, actually hindi talaga ako alcoholic na tao, hindi ako umiinom, pero dahil gusto kong sumabay sakanila, nakainom ako ng mga tatlong bote lang naman ng Sanmig.
Umupo ako sa may gilid dahil ramdam ko yung paningin ko umiikot na, I tried to close my eyes for a while kasi nga wala pa kami sa best part ee, yung dance for all. Nagpromise ako kay Mikhael na sasayaw kami so I had to fight that feeling.
Darlene approached me and gave me a hot soup, medyo naging okay naman ang pakiramdam ko after drinking that.
"Okay kana" tanong ni Darlene
"Oo sis, medyo okay na ako, punta lang ako cr saglit"
"Sure ka ha? Need mo kasama?"
"Hindi na sis, kering keri to ð"
As I was walking towards the comfort room malapit sa may agriculture room, kapansin pansing may nakasunod sa akin
Sa way papuntang cr, medyo wala nang masyadong mga tao kaya naging creepy yung moment na yun, I kept on walking faster pero kita ko yung anino ng taong yun nasa likuran ko lang siya na parang susundan talaga ako kung san ako pupunta. Natakot na ako na parang gusto ko nang tumakbo
Dahil nga sa takot ko, tumalikod ako para makita kung sino yung taong yun.
As I turn around to approach him/her, nakita ko ang isang lalakeng nakatayo sa madilim na part ng way, hindi ko maaninag kung sino siya but I'm sure it was a tall guy naka white formal siya and nakatuck-in pero hindi ko makita yung kanyang mukha, talagang nahihilo parin ako that time, So ako na yung lumapit dahil alam ko may bantang hindi maganda tong taong to na kanina pa ako sinusundan.
"Sino po sila, anong kailangan nila?" I asked calmly para hindi naman halatang takot na takot.
Habang ako'y papalapit sa kanya, his build-up was so familiar, the shape of his face, his hair, his long legs and medium-faired skin. I was about to get nervous, kakaiba yung feeling, para akong bumalik sa pagkabata, everything I saw is familiar.
At the back of my mind, I am expecting someone na makikita ko, after 5 years of not seeing him, walang kahit anong balita about sa kanya, walang communication, mukhang eto na ang pinakamasayang gabi ng buhay ko.
I ran towards him and he started to walk papalapit sa akin, nakalimutan kong I am a bit dizzy that time, tumakbo ako ng mabilis kahit medyo natutumba at talagang umiikot ang paligid ko but I really want to confirm, I really want to see his face at close, I really missed him so bad.
Habang siya'y papalapit na sa akin, nakita ko ang kanyang mukha nang maitapat siya sa may street light, sa liwanag ng kanyang mukha, para akong matutulala sa kaba, bigla akong natigil sa pagtakbo, I told myself "Siya nga, si Chris, ang lalakeng matagal ko nang hinihintay, matagal ko ng hinahanap, matagal akong umasa sa moment na ito"
Tears suddenly fell from my eyes without even realizing it, this feeling, I felt it for the second time in my life, yung napaka bilis na pagtibok ng aking puso at sobra sobrang kaba, the first time was when I first saw him.
"Are you enjoying the night? bakit ka umiiyak?" he said habang pinupunasan ang aking mga luha, I was just staring at him without talking.
He then suddenly hugged me so tight, I can feel his breath so deep and the feeling was so warm, I can also hear him sobbing quietly at halatang pinipigilan niya.
I pushed him away a bit, I don't know why, sobrang saya ng feeling pero naalala ko yung mga time na never siya nagparamdam sa akin, nalulungkot ako.
"I'm so sorry Aika, alam ko galit ka, sorry dahil hindi ako tumupad sa deal"
"Nasaan ka? Anong nangyari sayo?, Kamusta ka?"
He told me to finish my business first, I mean yung pagpunta sa comfort room.
I suddenly forgot na naiihi na ako that time.