Best Friend Forever

You know naman how much I love you BFF!!!

Nearly ten years of great friendship, yan ang mayroon kami nitong babaeng ito!

I am so proud to say that she is considering me as her best friend forever (well, huwag akong masyadong sugapa, madami kami!). Hindi man kami usual na nagkikita at nagkakausap but I know in my heart that we are all in this together. Through ups and downs of our own lives, nandiyan siya to listen, to give advice and to give me warm embrace after the storm. I can't imagine myself kung wala sa akin itong babaeng ito; hindi ko rin alam kung ano ang mangyayari sa buhay ko kapag wala siya.

Yesterday was her birthday and since she is drastically part of my life, I'll be presenting to you the things that made me realize that she is my best friend forever! Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you Miss Imelyn Surio Blanco (a round of applause, please!)

The first time we met was in 2004, both of us were freshmen in the world-renowned (?) Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila in Intramuros. Hindi pa ako ganoong ka-loud unlike the succeeding days dahil bagong environment and full of adjustments ang kailangan gawin ng isang freshman sa isang university. It was our second subject, Sociology and dahil first day, kailangan naming magpakilala. I remember her seat, nasa bandang unahan pa siya katabi niya ang mga friends naming si Melanie Sumaria, Llewelyn Marasigan and my best buddy na itago na lang natin sa pangalang Kenneth. It was her turn to introduce: "Good afternoon, classmates (in her signature kolehiyala/conotic tone)! My name is Imelyn S. Blanco. I live in San Pedro, Laguna. I graduated from Araullo High School..." Ako coming from the Emerald City of Muntinlupa of course nagulat kasi may malapit lang sa akin na puwede kong makasabay. I remember sa Park N'Ride sa may Lawton, nakita ko siya sa bus na sasakyan ko rin. Nasa unahan, at napaka-meek niya sa sobrang tahimik. Then one time, nagkataong nagkausap na kami about anything and everything under the sun. Nagsabay kaming umuwi from pagkalabas sa PLM then through Park N'Ride where we usually take the bus going to our own homes. And then napag-usapan na namin kung sino siya at kung sino ako. Although there's a bit of okrayan moments (ganyan yan!), I already knew that we were destined to become very good or even best of friends. The moment na bababa na ako sa amin, sinabihan niya ako ng "Thank you sa pagsabay ha!" Hindi ko na-gets at first on why did she thanked me, yun pala for accompanying me. And I guessed it right, we became best of friends!

Kapag may problema ako if not about love life or career at kahit ano pa, hindi mawawala sa isip ko to talk to her. She has the best mind of giving advice to my crazy life. Tanggap niya ang pagiging overly-rated romantic side ko na kapag ako nagmahal, I'm giving my all (though hindi ko pa talaga ito nagagawa). Tanggap niya ang pagiging magulo ko on deciding which one will I choose. At higit sa lahat, tanggap niya ang mali sa akin. She will tell in front of my face what's wrong about me and I need to change it for good. Basta habang nandiyan si BFF, I have a wall to lean on and she will never ever let me fall back. Like the recent na meet-up namin, kinulang ang apat na oras for bringing out some problems and sad features of my life (as of this moment hehehe). I know in my heart that she would help me cleaning up the mess I've made and she gave me the best ideas on what to do with it. Sa mga ganoong pagkakataon, I would know that she will make the best, instant answer for my queries in life. At ganoon siya, kaya mahal na mahal ko yan!!!

I will never, ever forget the kulitan moments we had when we were college. Every time na kapag tinatanong ako kung ano ang mas memorable sa akin, elementary, high school or college, I always say my college life was the best! Bukod sa madami akong naging experiences (not like that, okay!) about being independent, gaining new friends and discovering new talents, isa si BFF kung bakit memorable siya sa akin. Nakita niya ako how I suffered from having a very low grades. Nakita rin niya ako kung paano ako nasaktan dahil sa pag-ibig na yan! Nakita rin niya ako kung paano ako nag-bloom. Nakita niya sa akin ang lahat, except my body hahaha! The moments na umuuwi na kami ng super late (like 12:00 mn) dahil sa gala namin hanggang sa mga chikahan moments sa SM City Manila. May mga kulitan moments rin sa Avancena at sa main campus ng PLM sa Intramuros. Sa bahay ng kanyang auntie sa Caloocan, hanggang sa kanilang bahay sa Sta. Rosa. Aside from my best buddy Kenneth, hindi akong nagsasawang makita siya, makausap siya and all. If only we could have our classes again in PLM-Avancena campus, na ang laging ginagawa lang namin ay magkuwentuhan habang tinitingnan ko siyang nagme-make-up. If only I could turn back time na habang naglalakad kami sa Luneta together with our friends ay parang wala kiyemeng may tao kung maglampungan kaming dalawa. I remember the time we were in Manila City Hall at may inaasikaso akong mga papeles. Lagi kasi siyang nakasukbit sa akin na parang mayroon akong dalang dextrose. Pagdaan namin sa floor na puros mga nagpapa-notaryo, may nagtanong sa amin ng: "Hi! Marriage contract?" Siyempre kami na ang nagulat and all! Ganyan kami magmahalan niyan! Nothing can withstand that!

At this moment, I need you! I really, really need you! Sorry if I wasn't able to come on your birthday. Special pa naman because you already reached the last year of your quarter life! 25 ka na! Pero siyempre, I can't face you if I'm having too much pain. Anyways, I just miss you a lot! I miss everything in both of us! Sobrang nakakatuwa dahil minsan lang tayong magkita pero we know in our hearts that you're always there. You know in your heart that I'm always there. Minsan nga nakakainis dahil laging ang ating mga work ang dahilan kung bakit hindi tayo nagkikita. Kaya siguro napapansin na natin na okay lang kahit hindi tayo magkita because we have Facebook, we have Twitter and others. But the importance of our friendship is we seeing each other! And alam mo na kung ano ang puwedeng mangyari sa atin kapag nagkita tayo! Kuwentuhan to the max! And for this moment, I would like to apologize for sometimes forgetting you! Hindi naman sa kinalimutan kita, it just so happened na busy lang talaga tayong dalawa! I am so happy for you and Geraldows Mallows (ako lang ang tumatawag sa kanya ng ganyan!). I remember the days both of you were starting. And yes, umabot sa point na nagtampo ako sa iyo dahil you never had much time with me (oo, ako na ang selfish!). I just don't understand that pero I realized that you're happy and so I should! Tingnan niyo naman, hindi na biro ang limang taon at malayo pa kayo sa isa't isa. I think that love is only at the beginning, what's important for the both of you is trust! And I can see you have that until now!

If only we can turn back time chasing all the good memories together. From day one of our friendship right until now, as of this writing. Kaya kong pumunta ng Sta. Rosa, sa inyo and we could have everything. Magkakasama tayong pito (how I wish we could bond again and again and again!) and all we have to do is to do crazy stuffs just like before (let's kick our problems!). Ang tradition na kapag last week of January ay magkikita-kita tayo sa MOA to celebrate the birthday of Kenneth. Or we will have so much fun laughing inside a comedy bar (remember The Library!). At noong poordoy na poordoy (read mahirap) tayo dahil wala pa tayong work eh kuntento na tayo sa window shopping sa SM City Manila or sa Robinsons Place Manila! At siyempre, hindi ko makakalimutan ang pagiging baliw natin sa Hale noon! Remember the time we went to SM City San Lazaro just to watch the mall tour nila Champ Lui-Pio. Sobrang patay na patay ka doon at in fairness nga talaga guwapo si Champ! Hanggang sa pumunta tayo sa Starmall (formerly Metropolis) at nasa unahan pa tayo with Cacai! And sa Pavilion Mall sa Binan just to again watch them live! Ang kulit lang; suddenly nag-iba kayo ng gusto at naging fanatic kayo ng Orange & Lemons (na disbanded na!) at ang mga gawain ninyong pagsunod sa kanila and all! Whenever I think of music, it reminds me of you! Ikaw na talaga ang rakista na naging follower ng mga emo rock bands at pati na rin mga metal rock bands that makes me a bit sick! At hindi ko rin makakalimutan ang mga tag names ko sa iyo na mga artista na sabi raw ng iba (including me hehehe) na kamukha mo like Kris Aquino (?), Regine Velasquez (?) at ang malupit sa lahat, Judy Ann Santos (!). Hahahaha!

Imelyn Surio Blanco. The name I will never ever forget! I don't know until when are we going stay here in this unpredictable world but whatever the conditions, catastrophes and all that, I will and will always be your best friend forever! Alam mo yan sobra! Words cannot describe our partnership together, basta ang importante kasama ako sa entourage mo sa kasal. I was thinking of that before na hindi pala ako puwede maging "maid of honor" mo dahil lalaki ako. Kahit ako pa ang maging pari sa kasal mo, okay lang what's important is I'm there in your most unforgettable day of your life. Let's pray to our dear Lord that our friendship, amidst the temptation of anger and guilt, we're still together. I can't hug you or embrace you or even kiss you, dito na lang sa blog ko!

Happy Happy Happy Happy Birthday Imee!!! Alam mo na ang dapat mong gawin, we're no longer getting younger but we're getting older! Alam mo na yun!!!

Wait, our most beautiful portrait together as best friends forever (may pimples pa ako diyan! Hahaha!).

My best friend forever and ever and ever and ever!!!

Toodles!!! Mwah mwah!!!

See you on June 2!!!