Playing school at the SBC Homecoming

Going to school can be as much fun now as it was 50 years ago even if you have to wear your khaki shorts and white shirts as long as you can have pretty ladies to complement the Red and White colors. I had to bribe Mr. Guido "Boy" Tuico, who has never in his adult life worn shorts - "Just not done in Madrid." he said - with these pretty ladies to wear one. It did not take him too long to warm up to it. He even ask me later to take a full picture of him. Hey Guido, show your friends in Madrid what you did in Manila.

But it is really now time to go to school. The San Beda College held an alumni homecoming last February 18, 2006. One of the festivities is the recognition for the first time in school history of the 50th anniversary of the elementary graduation class. It so happened that the jubilarian this year is Grade School Class of 1956, my class. To celebrate the boldness of the event, we decided to parade ourselves in our long-ago uniforms. That is what you see here. It is so amazing that even fifty years have passed, our class developed more inhibitions like Guido. We cannot bring ourselves to wear again our beloved uniform! I guess we have bakokangs (no english translation) now. But surprise of all surprises - my former barkada, Vic Fernandez, now holding a big job (like a lot of my classmates, just to make matters clear) came in full uniform (Father Sergio Martinez, our former Father Principal and now deceased, would be surely be proud). I wish I had taken a picture of him in his shorts (khaki pants, not underwear). Above is a picture taken of the former classmates - some in shorts. See our red patches - courtesy of Bong Obligacion. He really want us to look authentic so he had this patches made. We promise each other to keep the uniform and wear it again in 2010 when our high school class (the same class) will again celebrate it's 50th anniversary. When you think about it, it easier to keep the uniform ready, it is harder to keep yourself alive. More power to all of us guys - may we have many more years! The ones who make it really deserve another gold medal - not for lasting 50 years (that was easy) but for LASTING the next five years!

But the night just started. With a bottle of an 18-year old Glenlivet - a single malt whiskey Krip Yuson will say - and free flowing pichers of beer, we went out and relieved old times. For one whole night we were young again, we are again classmates and in the "quadrangle" where we play, surrounded by the same buildings we come back to for classes. Gone are all the problems, inhibitions, status of the present - all that matter is time has stopped and brought us all back to yesterday now today.

However, all nice things must come to and end. Soon we will have to depart and go our own ways. We started one by one saying goodbyes. With a sorry walk my classmates left one at a time. We have to go our own way again and face the world we live, our reality must again be faced. A few of us can't really leave it behind that soon. We want to hold on even though the place is being cleaned out. We were clinging on, can't really let go that easy. I managed to stand up and take a picture of the moment. Tuttie Vergel De Dios, Frankie Casal, Boy Hilvano, Guido Tuico and myself (taking the picture), bless us all.

We had to leave but not until we find and see the bricks on the floor of the quadrangle that hold our names. In the dark we went through all, one by one until we found our own names. I found mine and managed to take a picture.
I know now that something of me will be left behind for others to see and remember even when I am long gone. Hopefully those who are left behind will say a prayer and be reminded that this class of grade school 1956 was here and did not want to leave, wanted to freeze this moment in time.