My AMIGAS for Life: ASEAN Hive Community Challenge #158 👭 Forever Friends 👬

Hello there fellow Hivers! How are you all? It’s been a while since I have shared something here. I just did some errands and took the time to relax since my schedule had been hectic for the past week. I found out about Community’s Challenge about Forever Friends, and here I am catching up before the deadline. I believe this is the best opportunity for me to share with you my ride or die – my friends.

Growing up as an only child, I see my friends as my siblings at heart. I can recall, back then, there were days where going home for me felt like a punishment not because I hate our home but because it meant parting ways with my friends. I just love being around them as they always make my day bright and filled with laughter. My friends became more than just people I hung out with. While my mom is busy working, I leaned on my friends for everything a sibling might provide.

Making friends is fun not until we had to move from one place to another. I understood the cost of connection. The more I let people in, the more I get hurt once it’s time to leave again. I spent my entire childhood in Manila and my high school years in Bukidnon – my father’s hometown. Imagine how hard it is for me to say goodbye to my friends whom I see as siblings I never had. So, when I graduated in high school and transferred residence into my mom’s hometown – Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte back in 2014, I fear making new friends. It’s a strange thing to crave connection, (hmm I wanted to have friends because I’m afraid of being a total stranger in a new place) but I am also terrified at the same time.

Luckily, when I started my college life, I met warm people, who made me feel like I belong. In an instant, from strangers, they became people I can’t imagine life without. From 2014 up until now, our bond has stayed the same. We grew into each other’s lives naturally that it felt like we were always meant to meet. We’ve been friends for more than a decade now.

From having late night study sessions, laughter over projects, struggling with quizzes and exams, we are now talking all about grown-up stuff. We’ve been together through ups and downs, and we’ve seen each other grow from being students to adults.

Lynuel and Merry Fe =They were my first ever friends in college. I was a transferee back then and they welcomed me by offering a seat beside them during our first period class. From then on, we used to sit together in all classes and be groupmates in every class activity. If you often watch movies, were like that inseparable trio in every class. Our group then welcomed two new friends when we had two new shiftees in our class who shifted into BSED major in Filipino from Mathematics – Lorena and Robert. We all graduated with the degree – Bachelor of Secondary Education, major in Filipino and all glory to God, eventually we became Licensed Professional Teachers.

This is the last bonding we had before Lorena (first person from Left) had to permanently reside in Jolo, a municipality in the province of Sulu, Philippines.

I really couldn’t imagine how college life would be without these amazing people who were with me along the journey. We have experienced a fair share of triumphs and failures, but we made sure we were present in all these phases of each other’s lives. We celebrate each other’s milestones, may it be, overcoming heartbreak, being able to buy new things, getting a new job, having a baby, getting a promotion or even just simple joy of being able to get back on track after lost days. We were each other’s support system. I remember my friends spending late night studying with me for a contest I’ll be joining, getting anxious as if they were also the contestants. Then, taking time to check on me especially during the pandemic time. They were also with me as I struggled doing my master’s thesis, absorbing also the stress I felt all throughout my postgrad journey. They were not just friends; they are my family.

ADULTHOOD

Although all of us are all LPTs, only Robert and I are working as teachers, and my other friends took different paths far from teaching. Merry Fe works as an office staff in the research department of our Alma Mater University, Lynuel works as an administrative assistant in the City Prosecutor’s Office and Lorena, who’s now living far from us, manages her own business while being employed in a food related industry in her husband’s hometown. Looking back at how far we’ve come, I can’t help but feel an immense amount of pride. Through it all, we’ve cheered for each other.

Let me share with you a story of how our friendship withstood time, distance and change.

(We can now tell this story because we've finally moved on from this and we hope that this story can be an inspiration to others)

Years ago, Lorena had been in an abusive relationship. We were very clueless about what’s happening because whenever we get to hang out, all we know is that she’s doing well, she enjoys being stay at home mom while supporting her then live-in partner’s business. We never knew that our lunch dates were her escape from the nightmares she experiences at home. Until one day, she finally got the courage to speak up. Her partner burned her belongings and physically assaulted her again. As soon as we found out, without hesitation we immediately came to rescue her. With the help of Lynuel who knows all legal procedures as she used to cater such cases in her office, we managed to process Lorena’s complaint under the Violence against Women and Childrens Act desk. We also filed a Temporary Restraining Order and blottered her partner since we’ve been receiving threats when he knew Lorena’s with us. We were the only people Lorena can lean on at that crucial time since her parents were also living far from the city. We provided her and her son with new clothes, a cellphone since her partner took her phone, we bought food and essentials she’ll be needing. We did our best to be able to send her immediately to Jolo where her sister resides so she could begin healing and start a new life far from her abuser.

It has been three years since that traumatic experience and we’re very happy, Lorena is now living her best life. She’s now happily married into someone we truly admire. Her now-husband personally travelled all the way to Dipolog from Jolo to meet us and Lorena’s parents.

It was a very heartwarming meet up because we were so touched when he asked for our approval not just as Lorena’s friends but people who stood by her when she was at her lowest. It was a beautiful gesture, and we were very happy for Lorena because she finally found someone with pure intentions and love.

Recently, Lorena came to visit us after almost three years of being away from us. It was a much-awaited reunion. Since she’s now a Muslim, we made sure to dine in a café that serves Halal foods so she could enjoy the meal with us with no worries. We talked about how life has been for the past three years. Our connection really proved that distance means little when friendship means so much. It’s like not seeing each other for so long but we were simply picking up from where we left off.

In this world where people come and go, I thank God that I finally found my constants. I also love the friends I made along the way like my HS friends, but growing up, we grew apart. This time, I know my group will stand the test of time. We are now deeply rooted in each other’s lives. If there ever comes a day when I need help, I know they’ll come running just as we’ve done for each other.

This friendship is more than just companionship, it’s **HOME. **

I hope in another life; I’d still be able to find a friendship like this.

A friendship I’ll forever call – a thread in my life’s tapestry.

This is my entry for the Community Challenger #158 by @asean.hive , @justinparke .