A Late Greeting

Kris and I were outside of the High School office, waiting in line for a late pass. We were often tardy. Being classmates, we filled up our index cards together. I once asked her what her excuse was.

“Heavy traffic,” she said jokingly.
“Pero diba you live nearby?”
“Oo. Hehe.”
“Ah. Halata nga sa buhok mo eh. Basa pa!”
“Shet oo! Mukha lang akong na-traffic sa banyo!”

We muffled our laughter, and Kris quickly changed her reason for being late. Despite her damp hair and sleepy eyes, Kris looked so beautiful. She was already modelling then.

That year, she and I were groupmates for our business elective. In order to boost the sales of the colorful ponytails we were selling, she dragged me to the middle of the Grade School area. She quickly befriended our young, new customers by braiding their hair and telling them they all looked pretty. We ran out of ponytails by the end of the day.

Kris really has a way with people and kids, but her charm and her friendliness were not for everyone. A lot of her actions have been misinterpreted and exaggerated by people who couldn't appreciate such a captivating individual.

Kris became my best friend when I saw her crying outside of our classroom. She was all alone; everyone else was taking their lunch. I sat beside her and listened to the story of how her best friend betrayed her and even shoved her out of her way.

To lighten the mood, I calmed her down, gave her a hug, and told her, “Hay nako! Let’s be best friends nalang!”

Who would’ve thought that a simple, formal declaration would lead to six years of really being best friends? This blog post was for her birthday, but I’m days late! Honoring our tradition? Haha!

Belated happy birthday to my crazy model best friend and the only person I know to ever get banned from attending a soiree—ikaw na ang modern-day Helen of Troy! Haha, I love you!