13 long years

It's been 13 years since I last visited Buhi, Camarines Sur. T'was the town where my Mom came from and where I got to study even for just 3 years in elementary. Thre yrs maybe short but I've come to love the place and the people and friends I had there//friends that I still have up to now.

I transferred here in Quezon City when I was in Grade 6 and thought that my Buhi friends will just be part of my childhood memories. That soon, I'll just be looking at my childhood photographs and read old letters and cards too... I was wronged. There's one person who initiated long years of exchanging letters. I may have not experienced what it's like to study High School in the province but It seemed as if I was with my Buhi friends along the way. Zhalva, Christine and my cousin Cherryne kept me updated. It was Zhalva who was more diligent even with my ugly handwriting. She was so sincere with her friendly poems, was so uniquely naive in some ways, so amiable even just through words. I couldn't think of anything to surprise them every Christmas or Valentine's Day..when I, one day, thought of recording my message instead of writing. It was a hit! They liked it, just dunno where the cassette tape is now(yes!, t'was still hip to have one those years LOL!). We have another friend, Lennie who was then here in Paranaque, Manila. Lennie also studied here like me and we had few..as in very few phone conversations but still remained friends.

1993, when my grandmother died, I had to be absent as a 4th year student in QCA. We (together with my Aunt) have to go home ... My Mom wasn't here so, I stood there in her behalf. A year after when Mom came home from Kuwait was another chance for me to visit Buhi but my friends wasn't there ..It was already June,2005..we're all Freshmen already. It somehow made my last visit a little sad. But the sadness faded as fast as the years has passed... Look at us now, I got to meet my friends again after almost 13 years (referring to Zhalva) of not seeing each other.

ZHALVA & ME

Nothing has changed, maybe our age but hey! we don't look or even feel old huh! LOL!

Me, Merry Chris and Lennie

The last pic was taken @ Megamall last 2007. Thanks Christine for plenty of gifts and thanks as well Lennie for insights and the gift.