INK. Istambay Ng Koridor. I’d say a very telling title for a group that started with just that… but gained a bond that went way beyond.
I am not to recount how the friendship started… but rather, i'd like to reflect on why it still stands.
I’d say it is because we are all comfortably familiar with each other while at the same time excited about our differences. Everyone is so distinct and a lifetime is not enough to unravel, even comprehend one another. We are capable of surprising each other of what one can and cannot do, what we are capable of standing for and falling into. But most of all, because we are ready to accept one another no matter where we have been, where we are and where we opt to go.
Ink in Antipolo 09/11/04
Last night, we got together again. Just the second time this year. We don’t meet often but the time in between is immaterial. The get together reminded me of how dear each one of them is, and how our very distinct personalities keep this group together.
I’d like to start with Phi (although she was not in the get together last night.. and the other meetings before that… neither do we expect her to be in the next – but that does not matter.) For me, she was the ideal friend. She was my best friend. She need not prove her friendship to me anymore. Though we have long parted ways, I remember her as someone who knows what she wants- The things in life that lasts. She invests her whole being to that. She appreciates you like no other. For her to love is to hold nothing back. And I admire her for that.
Anna P., There is no particular order here, but if there was, second place is NOT her place. In fact, that is what I have been trying to prove my whole high school life. But although it looks simple, it is easier said than done. Anna P., Priscilla, Pretzel, now Anne, is simply a wonderful human being. She is just so PRESENT to the people she cares for. She is earnest and gregarious all at the same time. She is always ready to go beyond her comfort zone to be there for us. Whether it be for a few laughs, someone to talk to, eat or drink with. Over the last years she boldly took on the road that leads to her true self. I am happy for her. Whichever road she chooses, I’m right behind her - ALWAYS. Anna, you are such a precious gift to me and I will forever treasure you. You will always be one of my best friends.
Pette. She is such a revelation to me. We have had a lot of time spent together this past couple of years and i appreciate the maturity I saw. I’d call her the STAR anytime. She believes that. And she is. She always was. She is a star to her husband, children and to whoever else she charms with her wits. A person with a magnanimous spirit. A caring friend, a thespian in the colorful movie called Life.
Patricia. I love this girl so much I could not fully explain why. But I’d repeat I love her. She is a friend who’d fight for you. She is someone I’d cry to. She has the fire to protect you and the water to wake you up. She is not as excitable as before, that one I noticed. She has grown to be a woman who is content with life and I believe she deserves her peaceful life now.
Kaye. This girl is admirable because she is so in touch with reality and chooses to deal with life head on and with a smile nonetheless. She is a child and a woman at the same time. She is tenacious and practical. She breathes life to the things she do and the people she meets. Beauty and joy is the nature of her spirit. A real standing, smiling, victorious survivor.
Rosema for me is the most sensitive soul in the pact and with a very sharp mind to boot, she could be pretty emotional. But she prefers to be cool. She needs no convention to be correct. She believes, dictates and define what is right and wrong for her. She could be pretty dogged at times once she has set her mind on something but she takes responsibility for her mistakes and continues to BE anyway.
Jack, always proper and demure. I believe that from among all of us, she is the one who has the ambition, drive… at least a plan in life. : ) She looks straight ahead, recovers from some detours and continues the journey. What is amazing about her is the amount of love she pours out into the group. She is an essential person in keeping the group together. She may not always be easy to deal with : ) but her love bails her out every time. Love you Jack.
Maan. The artist. Another complex person who wants to keep things simple. For me, I shall never have the chance to fully know her as much as some of us do but what I appreciate most with her is her honest, no frills way of thinking. She just IS. She comes in raw (greatly fortunate that she comes with a really innocent looking package) but is able to be unyielding and appropriate at the same time.
Badette. Our fashion icon. How she remains beautiful and up to date with trends while being a dutiful housewife and mother is beyond me. She always appears fresh and glamorous in a classical way. She is placid in battle and fiery in her silence. She is happy with simple things and makes the most of it. She always finds a reason to laugh at what befalls her. A very strong woman to say the least.
Melissa. Before she left to go abroad, she always makes it a point to be present at all our gatherings. She contributes very little to the jokes being passed around or the stories being told but I’d say she is the keeper of all our stories. She knows how to have fun. “Magaling makisama” is an understatement. She just is a friend to stand at your side no matter what. She “wastes time for you” if that is what it takes to make you feel better. I admire her confidence and strength of character.
Laarni. I did not get to spend a lot of time with her and I know very little about her now. I am sure she has evolved to be her own person. What I remember most about her is her giggles and serenity. Nothing seems to worry her. Well, if there are, maybe I was not one she would pour her concerns to. After high school, I personally has not seen her but I wish her well in all she undertakes. I wish her happiness and health foremost.
There you go. Eleven beautiful people inside and out. Eleven wounded souls who know what it takes to make mistakes, to face the consequences and BE the person their experiences have honed them to be. Eleven wonderful spirits whose gift of being remain in my heart no matter the distance and the lapse of time in between. There are many lessons in life many people fail to learn because they never tried loosening the grip and falling. This group has been there and done that. Not one is the same. But all are journeying together in spirit. The best part happens when we gather around to laugh at our defeats and celebrate our victories as if we are still in high school, where all is for fun and nothing is more precious than the company we keep.
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