Friends

I will add more friends next time...

Marlon R. Feliciano(Marlon)
Being the class valedictorian, it was an advantage and a disadvantage. Advantage, since I gained many friends. Disadvantage, simply because the people who I wanted to be my friends seemed to be a little difficult to befriend.

The latter case applied to Marlon.

Marlon was so quiet, so very much a loner like me. I noticed that on the latter part of my freshman year and till the earlier part of my sophomore year. Not so much details can I still remember. But what I can still derive from memory is that Marlon was elected Vice President then of our class. so that when it came to projects, he was always present. so does I, since I got the post of the sophomore rep. I think that was a significant factor why we easily got along.

A lot of things were in contrast with Marlon and Roald. Roald was a sort of a "happy go lucky" person. Marlon, on the other hand, has this responsibility and courage which was lacking in me at that time so the tendency for me was to cling to a person with such qualities for me to emulate.

It was so easy for us to get along, as I've already said above. Marlon and I seemed to be literally brothers. I go with him to their home after the class was dismissed for the noon break. There in their home we took our lunch together. Take a short rest and then after prepare ourselves for going back to school. His family became my second family too. I knew and was known by his mom. His siblings were also my close friends. I even became fond of his nephew, Ryan, who was still an infant then.

I owe to him the cause why I got admitted to UP. June was then and most of the senior population were too busy applying for college admission tests. I was not that involve in such an activity. As a default, I was intending then to pursue my college at Arellano University main, in Legarda, manila. Most of my classmates, were, of course, wishing their best lucks for the ever famous UPCAT (University of the Philippines College Admission Test). Me, being the running class valedictorian, was supposed to try the same exam. but deep inside me, I was a little anxious in taking it. I think I would just flank it. What a mess! I told to myself, if I ever take that exam and flank it in the first place, what's the essence of even applying for it?

A week before the deadline of submission of application, I told my folks at home of the fuss about that UPCAT thing. They insisted me that I should also try. I told them, I was not that enticed to UP by the way. They respected my choice and I think that was good.

But Marlon never left me afterwards, he even got to somewhere I didn't know just to get me an application form. He told me that it was he who likes best to take the exam and why wouldn't I join him in taking it. Huh! He got me caught off guard and what happened was during the last minute of the submission, we were processing our forms from the sign up stuffs until the procurement blues.

But what happened during the act that we were to pass our forms, he backed out. My dad made it to submit mine but Marlon told me he has no money to pa\y the application fee. Sadly, I was thinking I was all alone then, taking the exam. What a nice set up, anyway?

I learned so many things from him. I learned how to be a little ambitious. Setting up goals in life would guide us move towards maturity. We must learn how to stand on our own and we must be able to give back to God all the favors that He had given us. Literally, Marlon became my big brother. However, he also became my most bitter (constructive) critique. I can still clearly remember his words telling me that if ever I lost the valedictory position in any grading period, I would be losing it for good. Shacks! He was right.

Last Holy Week, I had been to Malabon for the wake of Lowie's grandpa, which was a few blocks away from Marlon's home. That was Black Saturday. Knowing that I would find a hard time going home, Marlon told me that I could sleep in their home. So I did. It was such a great feeling going back to my second home. There I saw Tita Avelina(his mom), Ate May(his sister) and Ryan(his nephew). Afterwards, the following morning, we attended the Easter dawn mass.

Many told me that Marlon has changed a lot. But for me, after those two days, he was still my best high school buddy.

I came back to the Philippines last September to celebrate my birthday. I felt so happy since Marlon also made it to my small gathering. He came with his wife Michelle and their very cute daughter Mia. It is so good to see my high school buddy again.

Days after the birthday party, he invited me to play bowling. On my last week before I go back to Japan, we had dinner with some more high school friends. I felt so lucky to meet more of our friends. I was also surprised to see how most of us have changed yet in the same time, we are still the same hight school friends as before.

On my way home, I felt so grateful to Marlon for filling my short vacation in the Philippines with such unforgettable memories of high school days. Hope to see you soon!