It was supposed to be a teaser, so I just posted the picture and nothing else. I wanted my present friends to ask who they are, where they are now, how we met, etc.
However, I changed my mind after posting the picture. They deserve to be named now, not later,
Left to right: Bella Altura-Mitra, Me, Charito Robledo-Tolentino, and Flordeliza Espina-Noriega.
My three friends are all true-bloodied Batanguenas. We bonded at the Philippine Normal College (now, Philippine Normal University), because we belonged to class IV G -10 from first year until graduation. Furthermore, we all stayed at the PNC dormitory- the Normal Hall the whole duration of our college years.
They came home with me to Orion, Bataan on some weekends and me to theirs in Batangas- (San Jose, Tanauan, and Batangas City). We went to church, watched movies, ate in different restaurants, trooped down to Quinta Market in Quiapo for imported soap, shampoo, and chocolates and most of all, shared secrets, which were aplenty at that time. We sometimes wore identical made-to-order dresses, and shared whatever stuff or food we can share with each other. We came to be known as THE GENUINES. It was an in-thing in the sixties for a barkada to have a name.
After graduation in 1967, we lost track of each other and found each other again through the internet early last year. It was only last January 14 this year, that we saw each other again. Bella picked me up at the Naiaa 3; Flor( a balikbayan) picked up Charito in Tanauan, and we met at the San Pedro, Laguna residence of Bella and Andy. All hell broke loose when we saw each other - with all the hugging, kissing, jumping, laughing and crying. Andy(Bella's husband) and Teddy(Flor's husband) could only smile, sharing our happiness.
Andy and Bella (mostly Andy-hahaha!) prepared a very sumptous lunch and plenty of between meals delicacies and chichiria for us, which we ate with gusto, while sharing and giving updates on our life between 1967 and 2010. 43 years, 43 long years! Wow! God is so kind!
We sadly bade each other goodbye, with promises to keep in touch as much as we can, and to be ALIVE FOR OUR NEXT REUNION! That's a tall order, isn't it?
