Bodies wilt and die, but the soul continues it's epic journey.
Life knows no end.
- emo moments witnessed by the Wanderer.
---
He sat across the table next to a floor-to-ceiling glass window. His eyes fixed at the passing ladies in their white and checkered-brown uniform outside, their presence reminded him of our college days in a university not far away from where we were. It was late afternoon and the sky still heaved with rain clouds. Heavy showers threaten to fall again drenching the college lads in their polo and black slacks hanging for dear life on a jeepney's estribo rushing to get home.
"So kelan ka mag-aasawa Mugen?" He blurted out of the blue, while dipping a big stick of French Fries onto the catchup tray at the middle of the table.
"Huh? Hindi ko pa balak yun. Masaya pa ako sa buhay single ko, tsaka paano na lang si Mama kung mag-asawa ako?" It was a safe answer. Despite being buddies since college, I prefer not to tell my new sexual preference. Better for him to remember the old me.
"Sabagay." He sighed before picking another stick of Fries from its yellow carton container.
"Pero alam mo tol, rewarding ang magkapamilya..."
"Talaga? Paano mo nasabi?" I answered back, while taking a big bite of cheeseburger he bought for me earlier.
Brimming with smile, he answered. "Minsan kahit pagod ka na sa dalawang trabaho mo, makita mo lang si Jar na nakangiti sayo, mawawala lahat ng bigat na dala mo." I envy him for having a son as a firstborn.
"Nung minsang nagkasakit nga siya, sabi ko talaga gumaling lang ang anak ko hindi na ako magloloko. Simula noon, hindi na ako sumama sa happy-happy ng mga katrabaho ko"
"So diretso ka na kay misis?" I inquired. I also noticed the familar red and white logo plastered on the wall just behind him. It had a prominent image of a red-haired girl in pigtails."
"Iniintay ko siya matapos ng trabaho ng alas-tres ng umaga tapos sabay na kami uuwi ng bahay.." They were both working for a newspaper company. He, a Sportswriter, while his wife was a proofreader.
We talked about being the head of his family that afternoon. Our conversation was so profound that I almost forgot going to the gym. Being the first of my college buddies to settle down and have a family, he laid down the challenges of fatherhood like he's my own father. For all the years we've been senti partners, it was the first time he really got senti on me. Who would have thought that it will be the last time we would get a chance to have a heart to heart talk.
Because the next time we saw each other,
He was fighting for dear life in the ICU. His lungs collapsed from being too overworked. His brain scans also showed blood clotting just below his Cerebral Cortex.
"Okay lang ang lahat tol. Nandito na kami. Chill ka lang..." I whispered, while squeezing his feet. I was the last to approach while our other buddies started weeping outside the room.
Fifteen minutes later.
As we eat our dinner in a nearby Jollibee, my phone bleeped. It was a text message from another classmate asking for confirmations if the news is true...
...That our tropa had just passed away.
We rushed back to the ICU only to see his lifeless body being taken out of the room and into the waiting morgue behind the hospital.
Da Kid only waited for us to arrive before he made a graceful exit.
---
It's been exactly one year after he left.
But the pain of losing still remains.
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