Seven Years Ago

"Bakit kasi ineligible pa rin ako?", I asked Marie as we walked from our tambayan to Engg (Building).

I took a drag from my Marlboro Menthol Reds cigarette. "Kaasar, di tuloy ako makapag-enlist", I said through a cloud of smoke.

"Either yung classcards yan, or nawala yung jacket[1] mo", said Marie. She looked at her watch. "Tsk tsk. Matagal pa 'to, wala pang one o'clock eh"

Aargh. Enlistment is always a hellish experience in UP. Especially when you're an Enggineering student - you have to go way over to the Math building for your Math subjects, go to the tri-college (CSSP) for your general subjects, then to the Enggineering building for your Eng'g subjects. Oh and don't forget that damn PE.

"Marie, pano ba'to... Puro pre-rog na lang abot ko nito eh", I wailed as we crossed the street.

I threw down my finished cigarette, and stepped on it. I looked up, and noticed that somebody was walking towards us.

He had a smile on his face, looking at us as if he knew us. He was not walking towards us, but he was balancing himself on the path ledge, trying hard not to fall down.

"OY DARIUS!" Marie shouted. Ooooh, so kilala sya ni Marie, I thought.

He jumped off the ledge ang greeted Marie, "Hoy ka din." He had this childish grin on his face. "San kayo punta?"

"Sa admin, papahanap yung jacket nya", Marie said as she nodded towards me.

He looked at me. I, in turn, looked at him, too, and gave a small smile.

"Oo nga pala, Shelley si Darius, Darius si Shelley."

I gave a slightly bigger smile, "Hello"

"Ano uli pangalan nya?", he asked Marie with a wide smile on his face.

Marie slapped him on his arm. "Ang kulit nito, sabi ko nga Shelley!" Marie looked at me and said, "Makulit talaga 'to eh"

Para syang kiti-kiti, I thought, as I observed Darius.

"Classmates kami ni Darius nung elementary eh", Marie said. "Ah talaga?" was the only response I could muster. "Tapos nung summer lang kami uli nagkita. Classmates kami sa 53"

"Ang galing nga ni Marie sa 53 eh" he said with a grin.

"Oy, hindi kaya, ikaw kaya yung magaling!" Marie looked at me, "Salutatorian yan nung high school"

"Hindi, hindi ako salutatorian. Di daw kasi ako umabot sa grade na para sa salutatorian eh."

By this time, I was only replying with small smiles, "Ahhhh" or "Talaga?". All this time, he was constantly moving, either walking on the ledge again, or stumbling on his own two feet, or just plain pacing around.

"Uy, Shelley, mayaman yang si Darius" Marie jokingly whispered to me.

Darius laughed. "Hindi kaya. Magsasaka lang tatay ko. Labandera lang nanay ko."

"Eh may sariling kotse ka nga eh" Marie shot back.

"Di sakin yon!" he countered, with a glint in his eye.

I looked at my watch. "Ah, ano, lapit ng mag-1 eh. Akyat muna ako ha, pipila nako sa admin"

"Darius akyat na kami ha", Marie said.

"Sige, hintayin ko na muna sina Pao dito", he replied. He looked at me, "Sige good luck ha"

I smiled, "Thanks"

Marie hooked her arm around mine and we turned towards the entrance. "Sige Darius! Goodbye!"

I looked over my shoulder. He was still looking at us. I smiled and mouthed, "Bye".

He smiled.

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Not exactly the way it happened hehehe.

I clearly remember it was an enlistment day and I was with Marie and we were going to the Eng'g building. I also remember that I was ineligible to enroll. I also remember that I was smoking Marlboro Menthol Reds that day because I clearly remember the box.

And then, I know Darius was at the side entrance of the Eng'g building. And he too remembers that we got introduced. And I clearly remembered Darius saying that his father was just a farmer and that her mother was just a labandera.

And so, I will never forget: seven years ago, June 2, 1998, was when I got introduced to a lanky, hyper and makulit boy, who will turn out to be the father of my child ... and the man I am going to marry.



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[1]jacket - refers to the school records (class cards, copies of Form5's, TCG) of an Eng'g student.

obssessed over wedding preps @ 12:54 PM

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...back to the seventh year hitch...