Our wooden desk was meant to sit two students. Our teacher made us to sit together during the opening day of our 1st elementary grade. I did not know her and she did not know me. It was my first time that I laid my eyes on her. She then became my sitting partner for the rest of the school year. I can't remember whether it was randomly assigned or was it because our last names were in alphabetical order. Boys and girls were at the same seat, sitting side by side in front of a wooden desk. It was the seating order at the time.
I was quiet and reserved. Striking a conversation with a girl whom I didn’t know was not natural for me. I have to say that I would be more at ease when seated with another boy. My classmate on the other hand was adaptable and friendly. She could easily open up and talk to me about her friends, her things and what she did during the weekend. Although she prefers the company of girls and her inner circle, nonetheless, she and I became friends. I could ask for her pencil and she could borrow my eraser. She could spare me a piece of paper while I could lend her my box of crayons. We had no problem when it comes to helping each other. When you are seating with someone beside you at the desk, your seatmate is your close friend.
Although we were good friends, outside the classroom we were like sibling rivals who liked to bug each other. During recess, children liked to play. They liked being around with everyone to have fun. Children in their age, however are capable of doing something stupid. Boys liked to tease girls and girls liked to tease boys. "You look like this and you look like that. I say, you are this and you are that. I have this and you don't have that." She was one of those girls that could occasionally get on my nerve. Our conversation sometimes could get troublesome. When she and her friends were by her side, she would make up stories to disturb me. I hated that feeling when I felt alone and they would gang up on me.
I went home from school and told my mother about it. "Nanay, mayroon akong ka-klase na uma-away sa akin. Lagi akong ina-asar, hinihira at minsan pinagtatawanan pa." My mother who was pre-occupied with her chores was in a bad mood and had no time to listen to petty wrangling. She blurted, "Heh....... . . ! Kapag inaway ka, halikan mo!!!"
It was recess again the next day. Children were playing outside the classroom. It was a great day to be out under the sun. My classmates were running around, playing cat and mouse. Some boys were acrobatically jumping on someone's back and some girls were noisily chatting with each other. I happened to be in one corner and she laughingly walked over to me. I can't recall what she did or said but it was something that ticked me off. I felt she was annoying and making fun of me. At the back of my mind, I remembered something, "Kapag inaway ka, halikan mo!"
I jumped on her without any warning and kissed her on the cheeks, exactly what my grumpy mother had told me. She immediately covered her cheeks with her hand where my lips had landed. She didn't see it coming. She was horrified and gave me a shocking look. She could not believe that I could do such a daring act and then she started crying. My classmates began crowding around her to see what had happened. Her friends told me, "Hala ka sa tatay niya. Hala ka sa nanay niya. Hala ka sa kapatid niya. Hala ka sa lolo at lola niya. Hala ka, hala ka......... . ."
For days it got me worried. “Anong gagawin ko kung sabihin niya sa tatay, nanay o kapatid niya ang nangyari?”, I was uneasy. My ear kept hearing the words “hala ka”. I had to admit I acted stupidly but it was the last time she made fun of me. I remembered she stopped talking with me for weeks. She spoke only with me sparingly and she never opened up again in the same way when she was close to me. There was that day when she looked at me with disappointment. Apparently, she was hurt and for her, our friendship ended when I shattered it.
The following year, my family and I moved to the city. I never saw Precie again. I never heard anything about her even when my family and I visited the town occasionally. Living in the city made me away from my classmates and friends I grew up with. But I love the memory. I hope she still remembers the time when we were friends; the time when we were sitting side by side on that wooden desk.
I was quiet and reserved. Striking a conversation with a girl whom I didn’t know was not natural for me. I have to say that I would be more at ease when seated with another boy. My classmate on the other hand was adaptable and friendly. She could easily open up and talk to me about her friends, her things and what she did during the weekend. Although she prefers the company of girls and her inner circle, nonetheless, she and I became friends. I could ask for her pencil and she could borrow my eraser. She could spare me a piece of paper while I could lend her my box of crayons. We had no problem when it comes to helping each other. When you are seating with someone beside you at the desk, your seatmate is your close friend.
Although we were good friends, outside the classroom we were like sibling rivals who liked to bug each other. During recess, children liked to play. They liked being around with everyone to have fun. Children in their age, however are capable of doing something stupid. Boys liked to tease girls and girls liked to tease boys. "You look like this and you look like that. I say, you are this and you are that. I have this and you don't have that." She was one of those girls that could occasionally get on my nerve. Our conversation sometimes could get troublesome. When she and her friends were by her side, she would make up stories to disturb me. I hated that feeling when I felt alone and they would gang up on me.
I went home from school and told my mother about it. "Nanay, mayroon akong ka-klase na uma-away sa akin. Lagi akong ina-asar, hinihira at minsan pinagtatawanan pa." My mother who was pre-occupied with her chores was in a bad mood and had no time to listen to petty wrangling. She blurted, "Heh....... . . ! Kapag inaway ka, halikan mo!!!"
It was recess again the next day. Children were playing outside the classroom. It was a great day to be out under the sun. My classmates were running around, playing cat and mouse. Some boys were acrobatically jumping on someone's back and some girls were noisily chatting with each other. I happened to be in one corner and she laughingly walked over to me. I can't recall what she did or said but it was something that ticked me off. I felt she was annoying and making fun of me. At the back of my mind, I remembered something, "Kapag inaway ka, halikan mo!"
I jumped on her without any warning and kissed her on the cheeks, exactly what my grumpy mother had told me. She immediately covered her cheeks with her hand where my lips had landed. She didn't see it coming. She was horrified and gave me a shocking look. She could not believe that I could do such a daring act and then she started crying. My classmates began crowding around her to see what had happened. Her friends told me, "Hala ka sa tatay niya. Hala ka sa nanay niya. Hala ka sa kapatid niya. Hala ka sa lolo at lola niya. Hala ka, hala ka......... . ."
For days it got me worried. “Anong gagawin ko kung sabihin niya sa tatay, nanay o kapatid niya ang nangyari?”, I was uneasy. My ear kept hearing the words “hala ka”. I had to admit I acted stupidly but it was the last time she made fun of me. I remembered she stopped talking with me for weeks. She spoke only with me sparingly and she never opened up again in the same way when she was close to me. There was that day when she looked at me with disappointment. Apparently, she was hurt and for her, our friendship ended when I shattered it.
The following year, my family and I moved to the city. I never saw Precie again. I never heard anything about her even when my family and I visited the town occasionally. Living in the city made me away from my classmates and friends I grew up with. But I love the memory. I hope she still remembers the time when we were friends; the time when we were sitting side by side on that wooden desk.
