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it was just right after midnight last night when i texted my greeting to an old friend. today is her birthday, september 30, and it has been a tradition for us to greet each other at just past midnight. i hope mine was the first greeting she received this year. we've been doing this for so many years that a few other friends had caught on and "copied" our modus. we would wait until the stroke of midnight to greet friends, family and officemates. during the first few times some celebrants weren’t amused to be awaken at such an ungodly hour (for them), but later as we continued this practice (prank?) they kinda expected it. one time i was too drunk to make a call. the next day the celebrant was in her best tampo mood on her birthday. ha ha. my fault. it took a dozen roses, a greeting card and 3 days for my apology to be accepted. from then on i have tried my best not to forget such greetings. definitely more expensive than a phone call or text. ha ha!
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i met cocoy many years ago at a previous job, a provincial assignment in central luzon. we were not officemates. she had resigned a good two weeks before i arrived and was there for her clearance or something. we were introduced to each other by my boss over lunch and instantly hit it off. i don’t know what it was but it was just like in the movies (he he), seemed like we had known each other for so long. even my boss was surprised. together with her husband, rod, we talked endlessly. needless to say the three of us became the best of friends. i was candle sponsor at their wedding and godfather to their eldest. we would go out of town, drink till dawn. cocoy would ask me to come over and talk whenever they had marital spats. rod would be a sounding board whenever i needed to unload some emotional baggage. we were there for each other.
unfortunately i had to move away. i found another job south of metro manila and had to leave. though we still regularly communicate through phone calls, email or text, nothing can compare to being there with each other. i miss those days. i miss rod and cocoy and the closeness we had. i miss the wonderful feeling of being needed, of helping, of giving.
i have many other friends, but my relationship with rod and cocoy stand out. with them i found the true meaning of of the words “best friend”.
postscript: posted this article just today, 10/1/07. i was so absorbed with la salle's victory over ateneo that i forgot to post it yesterday.
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