When I was 14 I saw a clean-cut guy in full-gala CAT uniform. He was s a Cdt Major then and he was practising saluting with his sword. I moved to get a closer look and saw his perfect white teeth and dimples when he smiled. I estimated he was a good 2-inches taller than me.

It was a Richard-Gere-moment, you know, falling for a guy in uniform.

Weeks passed before I told my barkada that I was salivating after this guy had a crush on this unknown guy. I had to because when he happened to pass by me one time, I turned red for the first time in my life. I have never liked anyone that much.

It was a good thing having a support group at that age. In a school of at least 4 thousand kids, it was a great help to have more than one pair of eyes to scope out your target.

One time it was raining so hard and the corridors were jampacked with students all the way down the wet stairs. We were pushing and elbowing our way and I was leading the charge. Then I felt a push and the next thing I knew my scream was fit for a horror film sound FX.

I landed on a sweet smelling embrace. He asked me if I was okay and if I saw who pushed me. Oh I could have died right there and I couldn’t have been happier. It’s like time stood still and obviously that scene’s forever etched in my memory. I bought my friends mami as thank-you.

So ngayon iniisip nyo ang lalandi namin que bata-bata pa. I will not argue, masaya naman!

When we learnt his name, my friends made it a game to call him and then hide leaving me red-faced. By the time we were formally introduced, obvious ba’ng alam na nyang patay na patay ako sa kanya?

My heart was beating so fast, I was sure everyone heard it. He said a lot of things and probably asked me something but all I could do was look in his eyes. Para kong tanga.

He started hanging out with us and things were looking rosy. Isip ko magkaka-first kiss na ko! Woohoo!

Then student election arrived and there was this nutter from section X in 4th Year who thought they were being discriminated against by not having an official party made up by the lower sections. He recruited the most personable people from those classes and unfortunately, my Major joined. I was so disappointed, I was running with one of the other “official” parties.

It was my fault, I let my immaturity stand in the way.

I’d overhear him defending me and my “section 1” friends from people when we’re doing classroom rounds campaigning. But I’d pretend I didn’t see him. He’d smile but I would turn away.

Eventually, he stopped coming over and then I never saw him again.

The last time I saw him, my kada told me to look up the school balcony and he was there waving at me.

I looked down again and regretted it since.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 24th, 2009 at 11:17 am and is filed under friendship, L-moments, love. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.