Six Years

I took the long route towards Greenhills where we will meet. Meaning, I walked from MRT Ortigas towards Virra Mall. The whole time I was walking I kept thinking, "What is he like now? Would I be able to recognize him or would he recognize me?"

"Where are you? I'm already here in front of Tokyo Tokyo."


"Wait, I'm near."

As I went down the area, my heart started to beat faster. I remember beating this fast whenever I see him. But before it was the longing to see him, now it's anxiety building up.

From afar, I could already see an image of a tall guy, not lanky and lean anymore just like in yesteryears; a little tummy; but still - there he is waiting for me just like in the old days.

"Heyyy..." I said while wiping my forehead with my handkerchief.

"You look thinner."

The first time in six years and this is the reply I get?


"Yes. I know. It's a good thing."


"No, you're like skin and bones."


"Geez Carlo, I wish I am skin and bones."

I can feel tension building up and started to break the ice.


"Where'd you want to eat?" I asked him.

"Chowking, you want?"


"I am fine with wherever you want to eat."


"Okay."

We walked towards Chowking which is just a few feet away from where we were standing.

Once inside, "It's hot in here, let's find another place." I told Carlo.

"You're fussy." He quipped.

"Of course I am. Haven't you noticed it before?" I gave him a slightly evil look.


"No."


"Well I never was a cowboy."


"You were."


"People change." I remarked.


"Okay. Let's go some place else." He told me.

Walking outside the vicinity of the Greenhills area, we were waiting for each other to ask something, anything.


"So how are you and your boyfriend?" I was the first to surrender to the dead air.

"Good. Pretty good."


"I am glad to know that."


"So, how long have you been communicating with my boyfriend?"


"About a few years ago."

It was true, we were just disconnecting and reconnecting again. That's just how it is.

"So, what things have you talked about behind my back?"

Knowing him, the paranoid him, I was not completely surprised he asked me this question.

"Very little. We may have communicated earlier but we mostly just say hi's and hello's. Besides, did you know we have not talked about oh, four or five months?"


"Why?"


"Because he wouldn't give me your number, that's why."


"Why would you want my number?"


"I wanted to talk."


"Why?"


"Carlo, I am assuming we have both moved on."


"Of course." He quickly replied.


"So I don't think there's anything wrong with talking with you again, is there?"


"No, I guess not."

My sweat was building up because of the humidity and the questions he was throwing at that time.

"So where do you want to eat?" He asked again.


"Do you want Chinese?"


"I do but I only eat at Chowking for Chinese."


"Seriously?" I gave a questionable look.


"Yes."


"Do you remember how we used to eat at Chowking in Vega?"


"We did?!" He surprisingly retorted.

"We did. How could you forget?"


"I have forgotten a lot about us, G. Didn't we eat more at Jollibee in Calamba?"


"We did but we also ate at Chowking in Vega."


"So you remember Binalot where we ate?"


"Yes, that's already gone."


"Oh..."


"I think they turned it into a dorm or something."


"I see."

We walked until we reached Greenwich where we plan to have early dinner.

Our conversation reminded me of how memories can be frames, where every frame represents a timeline.
And where every timeline sometimes gets faded, blurred out, or perhaps deleted without intention.




Part 2