Nine Months After

Spent last night with my closest friends, celebrating Rex’s birthday at their beautiful home in Cainta. The night started with a wonderful dinner cooked by OT’s mom. We feasted on Karekare, Pork Barbecue, Bopis, Stuffed Squid and Pancit Lucban. Dessert was a choice of ice cream (not our brand, so I didn’t choose that) or leche flan. No booze for me last night so I had San Mig Coffee instead (2 sachets in one cup).

After dinner, the boys proceeded to the backyard while the girls started looking up pictures in Annie’s laptop. We then figured that we don’t have any new pictures and decided that it’s time we take new ones. So, the photo shoot started.

Prior to the photo shoot, Annie felt like primping us a bit since she thought we would look pale in the pictures so she brought out her make-up paraphernalia and started working on Princess and me. The shoot was a lot of fun because as we were trying to find the best shot (one that would win its way to Annie’s friendster profile) we ended up having candid shots that looked totally ridiculous!

Towards the end of the get together, we all joined the boys at the backyard and looked up Minnie’s website featuring Anton’s tae kwon do practice. Don’t mess with the kid, he’s got great potential in the sport. More jeers and funny anecdotes followed then we called it a night with an agreement to meet again the following week, this time at Chuck and Princess’ home in Paranaque.

I can’t believe it has been nine months since we last saw each other. So much has happened in each of our lives since January and yet we are the same comfortable bunch. Not much has changed – Chuck and his quest for unemployment, Princess and her baked goodies, OT and her easy laughter, Rex and his color change after a bottle of beer. Minnie and her baby hair, Jon and his stories about Anton and Gian. Tony and his “sociable” ways, Annie and her healthy eating habits, me and my red lipstick.

Put it all together and you will find a group of friends who appreciate and take pride in each other’s accomplishments, who have learned to accept each other for all their eccentricities and shortcomings; a cast of would be’s and wannabe’s, haves and have nots, can do and cannots at different phases and aspects of life. But most important is how, because of years together, they give a delightful sense of comfort, similar to an new t-shirt the you wore proudly all the time, and even as years passed - despite the tears and the holes - you refused to throw it away; you later turned it to a favorite nigh shirt, one that gives you the most comfortable slumber.