Trece de Agosto, orLost Friends

Chinky is 28 today.

I had a wonderful friends in Grade School. We had Nancy Drew discussion groups, made code names for both the popular and annoying kids, and played patintero in the vacant space in front of the chapel. It wasn't a waste of time to watch cars go by, but you could also borrow games from the library (Lover's Date, Casino and Monopoly), and then grab an Icee from the store across the street afterwards.

Chinky, Gay, Emily and I were inseparable for quite sometime. But as things are wont to do--things changed. Chinky left for the States; Gay transferred to Manila Science High School; Emily and I were in different classes; and eventually even after all the tears and promises, we were going very separate ways.

It's Chinky's birthday today. I don't even know if she still lives in West Chester. Gay is married and is leaving for the States soon to work and probably settle there. Emily is a lawyer with whom I occasionally get in touch through email. Do they even remember the same things that I do? Someday though, I hope that we can get together and catch up. And then go on with our totally different and far-apart lives.