Sisters Of The Sun

"I have no more friends," Princess told me the other day while smoking a stick of Marlboro Lights during a coffee break.

"What happened?" I asked him, feeling concerned about his situation.

He never told me the exact details due to the sensitivity of his conflict. But from the impressions he hinted, it seems like there was a tampuhan between him and his straight barkada. To show how proud he was despite being the odd guy, he decided to part ways with them and did a soloflight since last Friday.

To show my sympathy, I immediately made an arrangements to be his uwian buddy. I also became his yosi partner since before the conflict started, he used to take breaks with them when the opportunity arises.

---

So far things are looking good between us. Being the only guy he talks to, I am beginning to discover how similar our interests are in so many ways. No wonder, Mami Athena once remarked that Princess and I are like sisters to her. My conversations with Princess reveal that despite my initial impressions of him being the most fashion-oriented and war-freakl among the PLUs I know in the floor, beneath those pettiness reveals a deeper person worth exploring.

On our first uwian alone, Princess told me that if he is a girl, he would be a very bitchy one. Jokingly, I told him that if he was born to be a bitchy lady, with his looks and appeal, he might have hooked up with the hunkiest guy his eyes could cast on. Being aware of my own femininity, I told him that if ever I'd be a girl, I'm not the type who would be wearing a pink skirt and a petite blouse, instead I'd be the koboy-type. Most likely, I'd be seen walking under the scorching sun without any complains or making sabit on a jeepney estribo just to get home on time.

This morning, we talked about music - particularly the ones that he likes. It turned out that aside from Celine Dion and Britney Spears, he also listens to Tori Amos and Shawn Mullins. When I played the song Lullaby yesterday (since I was the dj of the floor), he immediately sent me an MSN message just to tell that he loved the song that I was playing. I replied that Shawn Mullins is just one of my favorites. That simple conversation lead to our common belief that the kind of music that catches our appeal are the light, indie ones that doesn't receive much airtime on the radio.

However, our conversation never stopped there.

Since I told him that the reason why I came late, also this morning, was because I slept very late last night. He asked me if I suffer from insomnia. I told him that I don't really have problems sleeping - except when I stumble on a good documentary on Discovery Planet or National Geographic. To my surprise, he said that those are the only two channels he watches on cable. Ironically, the best TV program for him is the same TV program that forced me to clutch my blanket even closer to my body last night. No matter how freaky it was to be alone in the room, I watched the docu-drama series, A Haunting on NGC until 2 am in the morning.

---

Our similarities never stopped there.

From the cartoons that we both like, to the color that immediately catches our eyes, it seems like we are the alter-ego of one another. What I lacked in finesse and sense of culture (or fashion, for that matter) - he provides to me, while his lack of bruteness and strength is the one I cover. We're both creative and artistically inclined enough to appreciate each other's works and our solitary nature meant that we both understand how each other's mind works. Ever since we struck an alliance at Bed two weeks ago, my respect for him has increased two-fold. It was further boosted when he expressed his sympathy and disgust with regards to my previous conflict in the office last summer. Perhaps, this expression of sympathy was the same reason why I immediately threw my support when he told me about the issues he had with his tropa.

For sure, my secretive nature and sudden obvious closeness to Princess would stir a new rumor in the floor. However, this time I have prepared myself for the possible barrage of intrigues that may come, if things aren't clear to my new companion. Forewarning Princess, he is aware of how we're being talked about behind our backs. Good thing, he doesn't mind it at all. What's important for him is that he is enjoying my company (and the new-found freedom he got) and that's all that matters to him.

Nevertheless, despite the apparent advantage I get from gaining a new work/gimik companion, I'm always open to the possibility that it will just a temporary set-up.

I for one, works behind Princess' back to patch up the tampuhan between him and his tropa. A friendship spanning from childhood to adulthood is something that shouldn't be thrown away easily. To keep my neutrality intact, I never asked him or his friends how the conflict started. Princess wouldn't reveal to me the details, while his friends simply said that he just walked away for no reason at all.

Bearing the lessons (and pains) I've learned from the "Big Hit," I told both parties never to burn a bridge that has spanned decades. "Isipin niyo na lang yung malalim na pinagsamahan niyo," I told them whenever the tampuhan would be brought up in conversations.

Weeks will pass and the misunderstandings that divided them will be patched up as if nothing happened. So long as I keep my cordiality to Princess' original tropa, hopefully, it wouldn't take too long before both parties realize how petty it was to turn their backs from a good friendship.

Soon, everything will be back to normal and I might be humming my way back home alone again. But despite such solitary possibilities, I guess I had already made a mark on Princess' life in many ways that I have never imagined before. Being in the same account at work, our alliance ensures that we would watch each other's back in case the other operators decide to gang-up on us. Since we have become uwian buddies, it may lead to countless night-outs and hang-outs only the two of us could only appreciate. Lastly, because our interests surprisingly complement one another, it may further encourage our creative abilities through each other's mutual support.

The possibilities of influencing each other's lives are actually endless.

And I'm glad that he came, in a time when lost is imminent to befall on me again.