OK na. OK na ko. Graduate na... 

Congrats, Carson. 

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Ang hirap magsulat. 

Got home at around 2am after the after-contest celebration that we had yesterday. Mel won the championship and we were ecstatic. This was the first time that our club won the division level championship. She's progressing to the district contest and I feel confident that she's going to win this too. 

I was on the bus on the way to meet up with LA when gabby called, telling me na sumabay na ko sa kanila, which I did and then we just picked up LA at a Starbucks near their place. Then, we reached the venue.

Nakapag almusal na kami at lahat, hindi parin dumadating yung contestant namin. Ivan had me stand in Mel's place during the contest briefing for the contestants. Nostalgic. I remember how it was back then when I was the one competing. Sobrang nakakamiss kaya mejo nakakalungkot. But not the bitter kind of lungkot. Ung tipo ng lungkot na nafifeel mo pag may naaalala kang magagandang memories. 

I picked a number for mel for their order of delivery. I got #3. Funny whenever I pick for my own number, laging #1 ang nakukuha ko. Tas pag di ako contestant, #3??! Why, Universe?

Nakakatuwa lang, even before I stood in Mel's place at the briefing, there were people who approached me to wish me good luck kasi akala nila kasali ako. Lol. 

But I love how toastmasters is much like the feast. This is a place where u can receive plenty of hugs and encouragements and inspiration. I'm so happy I belong here. 

When the briefing was over. Kinakabahan na ko kasi wala parin si mel. Once the contest chair starts speaking, she'll get disqualified na. Mejo suspense. She got there just a few minutes before the contest started. Takte, kinabahan talaga ko dun. Pero sulit naman. When mel spoke, I had goose bumps. I knew right then that she will be the champion. I have this feeling too that elite will soon have it's district (national) champion through mel. Naeexcite ako.

I really wish I could witness it once it happen. Ang mahal mahal naman kasi ng discon tix. Gusto ko na magbenta ng body parts. Kidney anyone? 

Awarding. photo op. Chika chika. Etchetera. We then headed to some Vietnamese resto, name of which, I forgot. Nayaya si gabby nila sha, trixie at deegee. Some directors and TM leaders were there too. 

Kainan. Kwentuhan. Whatebs. I was sitting in front of sha then and gabby once again brought up how I joined toastmasters because of sha. Mejo embarrassing. But since this wasn't the first time. Keribels. Gabby was encouraging me to initiate convo with the people around me. Well, he saw how I can be painfully shy at times... OK, most of the time. He told me to look at Andre, our new member who has problems with stuttering but he never let it get in the way. Andre that night was making conversations with the directors while I was curled up with other elite girls. I knew gabby had a point and that he's just trying to help me. Still, it's making me feel like I'm gonna get sick every time. I did looked at Andre. Sometimes I feel like he's just like me. Only 10x braver.

When the dinner was over and people were starting to leave. The girls and I were then planning how commute our way home. Normally, I hitch a ride home with gabby since Ivan's home is along the way, but kitel, gabby's friend was there and they are likely to have another gala. We said goodbye to the people left. When we said goodbye to gabby, he said "sabay na tayo, uuwi na kami." It was around 7pm then. The night was still young. For the past 1year of knowing gabby, I was pretty sure he wouldn't go home that early. Turned out, I wasn't wrong. Said Andre wanted to have a drink at nommu so we went there. Before that, we passed first to the wake of TM janice's dad. There were a lot of us then so a few had to commute. I volunteered to join LA and Andre para mag uber. Must say it was a good decision. 

Andre had a condition where in whenever he speaks, he stutters a lot. He mentioned about this condition since the first time stepped in our club meeting as a guest. You can see his picture in so many other clubs because he club hop a lot. That's how determined he is in solving his condition. Because of that, a lot of people from other clubs were starting to visit our club often kasi na inspire daw sila Kay andre. That night when I got to have a lenghty talk with the boy, I realized why. 

Akala ko dati, andre is some mayabang dude because he looked overconfident to me. When I got to talk to him, hindi naman pala. He still stuttered a lot but that didn't stop us from having a good conversation. I got to hear his views, what he's doing with his life, a little about his family, his life as a student, etc. I think andre is beyond his years when it comes to maturity. 

I asked andre how old he is and he said he's 20. That made me look at LA to ask, "were u like andre when u were 20?" and she said "no". I remember I was just playing around when I was 20, a little messed up and didn't care that much about the future. I think a part of me envies andre a little because he started investing on himself at an early age and on how doing so is making his future seem a little brighter. Still, I don't think I regret living a pretty messed up life back when I was younger.

We then went to nommu. Ate, drunk and got drunk. I usually don't drink out with the perfect excuse of hyper acidity (which is true), but mostly because I'm scared of getting drunk. The last time I got drunk got a little bit nasty. I don't like exposing my inner demons. Really. After a few glasses of Margarita, mel, who was sitting beside me was getting a little more chatty than the usual. I told her "lasing ka na, mel. " and she was like "hindi ako lasing." Repeat 10x.lol. it was so funny. My cheeks then were feeling warmer so I knew the alcohol was starting to take effect. When I stood up, the floor moved. Takte. I had to take it slow. Kwento muna bago inom para di tamaan. Lol. 

It was a fun night filled with food and kwento. We were with kitel. She's not a club member. I've heard a few things about her and I thought she was mataray and scary. Well, I think she is but just a bit. But she's also funny and straightforward and generally nice to talk to. Overall, I think like her. She's just like gabby. They are best friends after all. 

I also enjoyed that sasi was there. Malakas syang mang asar at madalas makulit. Pero yung times na bigla syang nagswi switch sa serious tone e sinisikap ko talagang makinig because there's so much wisdom with this man. I wonder if he had ever written a book. 

As to whether I enjoyed the presence of the people from my club... Well, that's already given. 

It was past 1am when we called it a night. Mel was still chanting her "hindi ako lasing" line, repeat 10x. My inner demons were still locked up, but to be safe, i tried not to get near anyone who I think can cause them to break loose. 

Mel wasn't looking so good then, I was starting to worry for her safety in going to her home in meycauayan at 1am in that condition when Ivan proposed that mel sleep in their place and just go home the following day. I felt relieved and touched. Malakas mang asar sila Ivan at gabby, but in the end of the day, inaalala parin nila ung welfare ni mel. Nakakatuwa lang.

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It was around 10pm when I turned on my mobile data. While checking my phone in between drinks, his profile pic flashed on my screen. Timed 7:23pm.that was 2hours ago. If he is the same person that I knew n years back, I knew that this was his best attempt in flirting. I typed my response. 

R is one of the few very complex people I know. He's like a maze whose pathways I learned to navigate. I sure can find my way to the finish line, but what's next? 

Hindi siguro makatarungang itulak pa yung taong alam mo na hindi mo na kayang saluhin pa. 

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Grumadweyt na nga ko. Pero mukhang tutuloy pa ko para mag MBA. 

07:55 PMにcinderellaareus によって書かれました。

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