Thursday, January 08, 2004
//brownian thoughts on a wedding
Almer, my best friend, got married yesterday.
His decision to get married somehow seemed like watching him relocate from one big room where single people live together and party all night long and have coffee afterwards, to another room just across ours, where married couples do their laundry, feed milk to their children, and make grocery lists. And over the last five or so years, I have seen friends, classmates, drinking buddies, and oh-my-golly-wow, old girlfriends, pack up and go. Some hastily, and a some with dreamy, love-shot eyes. Everytime this happens, friends from both rooms would dress up, gather around, drink wine, and exchange tales about places, faces, and little feet.
Yesterday, my friend finally picked up his bags, and I was the one who walked with him to the door. I stood at the altar, right beside him, as we watched his bride walk down the aisle, wearing a veil that failed to hide the tears in her eyes.
As I walked back, the faces of friends who used to live with us in our big room but have chosen to move out not too long ago, flashed inside my head. RB, who used to be a bully back in Pisay, and the butt of our jokes, is now all excited and proud about the baby who is coming in about 6 months. Arnie, one of the bad boys of our batch, is now father to 2 lovely daughters. Lani, the first person to love me in a romantic way, she used to paint the town red along with her friends, but she now hardly ever stays out after 10 pm because she's always worried about her son. Patrick, my Machine Design partner and batchmate, whose son, Mateo, is now my Godson. And there's Jun, my co-kiddo and idealist in second year high, whose 3-month old daughter just underwent a successful surgery.
Today, I go back to the life I've lived and this room. As I look around me, I realize that as much as I have spent most of last year's vacation leaves just to attend friend's weddings, a good number of us still remain behind. I do remember that as of our last high school reunion, people were already starting to show off photographs of their kids, but I also do recall that most of us still lived in a world of overpriced late-night coffee and beer. I just can't help but wonder how long this is going to last. I just can't help but wonder if the time will ever come when friends and loved ones will dress up, gather around, drink wine and exchange stories, because I invited them to walk with me towards the door.
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His decision to get married somehow seemed like watching him relocate from one big room where single people live together and party all night long and have coffee afterwards, to another room just across ours, where married couples do their laundry, feed milk to their children, and make grocery lists. And over the last five or so years, I have seen friends, classmates, drinking buddies, and oh-my-golly-wow, old girlfriends, pack up and go. Some hastily, and a some with dreamy, love-shot eyes. Everytime this happens, friends from both rooms would dress up, gather around, drink wine, and exchange tales about places, faces, and little feet.
Yesterday, my friend finally picked up his bags, and I was the one who walked with him to the door. I stood at the altar, right beside him, as we watched his bride walk down the aisle, wearing a veil that failed to hide the tears in her eyes.
As I walked back, the faces of friends who used to live with us in our big room but have chosen to move out not too long ago, flashed inside my head. RB, who used to be a bully back in Pisay, and the butt of our jokes, is now all excited and proud about the baby who is coming in about 6 months. Arnie, one of the bad boys of our batch, is now father to 2 lovely daughters. Lani, the first person to love me in a romantic way, she used to paint the town red along with her friends, but she now hardly ever stays out after 10 pm because she's always worried about her son. Patrick, my Machine Design partner and batchmate, whose son, Mateo, is now my Godson. And there's Jun, my co-kiddo and idealist in second year high, whose 3-month old daughter just underwent a successful surgery.
Today, I go back to the life I've lived and this room. As I look around me, I realize that as much as I have spent most of last year's vacation leaves just to attend friend's weddings, a good number of us still remain behind. I do remember that as of our last high school reunion, people were already starting to show off photographs of their kids, but I also do recall that most of us still lived in a world of overpriced late-night coffee and beer. I just can't help but wonder how long this is going to last. I just can't help but wonder if the time will ever come when friends and loved ones will dress up, gather around, drink wine and exchange stories, because I invited them to walk with me towards the door.
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