I am not the type of person who likes exclusive friends, like having someone without boundaries, and putting my guard down. I just want to be friends with everybody.
But later part of my life, I feel blessed and surprised! When someone returned and let me feel that I have someone who believes in me, trusts me, feels me, and values me more than family.
Beware, this story is a mix of fun and emotions, and is a long story. This is a real story that I think is worth telling to you, and my children and grandchildren someday, and I found an opportunity when I read Sir @justinparke's contest here on @asean.hive
I was not so excited when I entered my classroom, which was my first day in high school, and I passed the exam for the Science Class Curriculum. I knew my classmates would be very smart and rich, which I belittle myself. I got at least a little brain, but I came from a poor family of farmers. I was culture shocked, my elementary school was very small, and there I was in that big school to have my secondary studies. I felt shy when I entered the door and was trying to find a seat at the back of the classroom. Then a big voice was calling, "Hey! Come here, there's a vacant seat here!". I looked at her and I smiled, and I sat next to her. She was a tall, chubby lady with beautiful eyes. My height is only up to her shoulder. She smiled a lot, and she had dimples on her cheeks.
She used to do this to me when we are together, she always says I don't know how to fix my face hahahha.
We became friends instantly. But our classmates called her "pig", she called them "fat", but I admired her cool. She just smiled at them.
On recess, we shared snacks, she lived with her grandmother, and we were the same. Her mother was working in Manila and barely came home, and she didn't know her father since she was born. On days that she had her allowance, she usually bought a slice of cheesecake, which cost 2.50PHP, and a bottle of Fanta, which was 6PHP, that was way back in 1998 though. She would then cut the cheesecake into halves and ask for an extra cellophane to share half of her Fanta with me. The same thing I did when I had my allowance, and she doesn't have one.
She spent hours in front of the mirror which I don't like waiting hahahha
During quizzes and exams, especially in Science, she would say, "Jeanie, don't cover your paper, let me copy your answer", and of course, I didn't. She really believed that I was very good in Science and Math, except Algebra and Calculus, and that I only got passing grades then.
Years passed, and we finished our high school education. Those times when cellphones were still not a necessity, we didn't bother communicating. That was funny, wasn't it? Like, after all those memories, we just have to part ways and don't communicate anymore. But that was life in the 90s.
I went to Xavier University after passing a scholarship, and I heard that she went to Phinma, which is another funny thing. My parents' house is very near Phinma, but what on earth we had those days, we didn't bother ourselves to find ways to see each other.
Many times I heard my mother tell me, "Rozel was here this afternoon, she borrowed 30 pesos for her fare going home, she spent all her allowance on her projects." There was only one thing that I asked my parents when Rozel came to our home, to give her a free snack (my mother used to sell banana cue then). And I never said anything. On another day, my mother would say, "Rozel waited an hour for you to come home, but you're late; she already left." And one evening my mother said, "Rozel was here this morning, she supposed to borrow your jeans because she had some trouble with her stomach and happened to poop in her jeans, but your jeans are too small for her. Your father lent her his jeans". That was the funniest thing I ever heard, but I never laughed. I just nodded my head. That was in 2003.
Years passed I never heard anything about her anymore. I got married and had two sons already. I never bothered to find her on any social media app. Until it was February 2015, I got a message request. And it was Rozel. Her message goes this way, "Jing, I've been looking for you for 10 years. I searched Facebook, but I couldn't find your name. Until one of your friends on Facebook, who happened to be my friend also, greeted you on your birthday. I knew it was you, though you are not using your real name. Where are you now? I miss you so much. Please read this message and contact me."
I opened her Facebook profile, and what I saw was a very sexy and beautiful woman. Not a fat pig, not the Rozel whom I used to know. Then I was hesitant to reply, but I did. I missed her too. And that very second that I sent my reply to her, she called me, through a video call, which I was also hesitant to pick up, but I did.
On my screen was the upgraded Rozel, slender and very beautiful. I was shy, I am now the fat pig, we exchanged bodies after 15 years, hahahah. I learned that she was already in Japan, married to a Japanese, and was an English teacher there. She had no children at that time. She enjoyed the life of strolling around the planet. She went to LA and New York, Germany, France, Korea, and other countries for a vacation. Her husband had a waterproofing business in Japan. She lived a Disney princess life.
She then asked about my life, I told her everything. We spent 3 hours in that video call until my phone battery ran out. She asked for my address, I was surprised, for what? She said she just wants to know so that she can visit me when she comes home, and I gave it to her.
A free trip to Bacolod
Three weeks after reconnecting with each other, which we talked about almost every day since then, a deliveryman from LBC called me to pick up my package. I was shocked, I thought it was a mistake, but he insisted that it was really under my name. We picked up 2 big boxes, yes, it was really for me, and the sender was Rozel. I called her immediately, and she was just laughing at my shocked face.
The topmost cover, when we opened the box, was a handwritten message from her, saying "please accept everything inside these boxes. These things are heartily given to you. I am very happy to find you again. I pray every day to see you again. You gave me inspiration, you gave me hope and courage, you made me brave, and what I am today, partly because of you and your parents."
And those boxes contains three pairs of authentic jeans for my father, 2 shoes for him also, it has lots of clothes, towels, slippers, lotions, chocolates, sandals, bags, wallets, rice coming from Japan, sugar, coffee, watches, an Iphone, and lots more. I was shocked! Like I wanted to return those things, I know it costs too much. But she insisted. Since then, she used to send me any stuff, and sometimes send me savings in my account.
I never asked anything from Rozel. A simple heartfelt thank you was more than enough, but there she is, never failed to help me even if I didn't asked help. Seems like she reads me and hears me even if I don't say a word. And the thing is, she don't like me saying thanks to her in social media hahahha, she don't like me posting her given stuffs. There were much more than the boxes, but I will not tell them all here. She changed our lives.
Today Rozel already owned two companies of waterproofing and supplies plumbing products and materials supplying nationwide. We see each other twice or once a year. And until today, she is still the childish, smile queen I knew who still believes that I am more brilliant than her. Hahahhaha funny her. She didn't realized yet that she is much smarter than me.
