Twenty years ago, I left high school and left behind 10 years of my youth. But I took with me the rare friendships I gained through all those years. When I remember my school, I think not of my scholastic achievements but of the many adventures I had with my barkada.
Our high school barkada came to be because of our Citizens’ Army Training (CAT). We were a motley group of crew-cut shaven officers. Adam Buenaventura was corps commander. What a giant leader he was! I was his vice corps commander. Osmond Chiong was N-3, Erwin Valenzuela was N-5, Henry Odulio was adjutant, and the list went on and on. We were a fine crew and we dreamt of reaching the CAT inter-school military contest finals. Naysayers said it was a tall order and a mission impossible. Training for this military fest brought us closer and our barkada bigger. Adam steered us to the school’s finest finish in the CAT inter-school competition. We did not win the crown but we knew deep in our hearts that we were excellent.
Right after high school, we kept in touch with each other --- celebrating birthdays, spending out-of-town swims, and keeping track of early adulthood escapades. First bottles of beer. First trip to a girlie joint. First you-know-what.
We had girls in the barkada. And we would spend Saturdays hanging out at their houses --- their parents just all too nice to have us come over. Through the years, we lost touch with several of our friends but we kept a core of barkada who would be there during the best and the worst times of our lives. In weddings, baptisms, funerals. Not necessarily in that order.
We set the 30th of December for our annual barkada Christmas party. I missed several occasions but I could proudly say that our barkada has never missed celebrating this annual party --- whether there were only four or 24 who year in and out would reminisce about the good ol’ days of high school.
We had our last at the Monfort Bar and Grill in San Miguel by the Bay park. We opened invitations to other batchmates. It was a blast.
This year, we hope to make it a batch reunion party. This, we know is a tall order to accomplish. But we heard about the same stuff when we competed for the finals of the CAT military fest. Wait for my year-end account and then we will know if we again accomplished a mission impossible.
Our high school barkada came to be because of our Citizens’ Army Training (CAT). We were a motley group of crew-cut shaven officers. Adam Buenaventura was corps commander. What a giant leader he was! I was his vice corps commander. Osmond Chiong was N-3, Erwin Valenzuela was N-5, Henry Odulio was adjutant, and the list went on and on. We were a fine crew and we dreamt of reaching the CAT inter-school military contest finals. Naysayers said it was a tall order and a mission impossible. Training for this military fest brought us closer and our barkada bigger. Adam steered us to the school’s finest finish in the CAT inter-school competition. We did not win the crown but we knew deep in our hearts that we were excellent.
Right after high school, we kept in touch with each other --- celebrating birthdays, spending out-of-town swims, and keeping track of early adulthood escapades. First bottles of beer. First trip to a girlie joint. First you-know-what.
We had girls in the barkada. And we would spend Saturdays hanging out at their houses --- their parents just all too nice to have us come over. Through the years, we lost touch with several of our friends but we kept a core of barkada who would be there during the best and the worst times of our lives. In weddings, baptisms, funerals. Not necessarily in that order.
We set the 30th of December for our annual barkada Christmas party. I missed several occasions but I could proudly say that our barkada has never missed celebrating this annual party --- whether there were only four or 24 who year in and out would reminisce about the good ol’ days of high school.
We had our last at the Monfort Bar and Grill in San Miguel by the Bay park. We opened invitations to other batchmates. It was a blast.
This year, we hope to make it a batch reunion party. This, we know is a tall order to accomplish. But we heard about the same stuff when we competed for the finals of the CAT military fest. Wait for my year-end account and then we will know if we again accomplished a mission impossible.
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