An Ode to that Arab-Looking Guy

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“Angas ng dating nung lalaking yun. Pa-bida pa. Sa gitna umupo, e late naman siya. Mukhang arabo pa.” I told Val, my seatmate and BS Math friend, on the opening day of our Educ 100 class. It was a freakishly hot summer afternoon in UP and the mere thought of going into class is just dragging. Well, had it been my way, I would have stayed home, watched all day and tired myself in doing nothing. But when you’re in “purgatory”, i.e., non-major status and needed to shift badly, you have no choice but to sacrifice your ultra elusive precious vacation.

Obviously, I was in my usual self then, being a brat, throwing grand tantrums, dishing out people and all. Well, blame it on the weather; or in my “hanging” academic status; or in my unstable, stressful “love life”; or in the fact that my batch mates are graduating and here I am sitting in this boring room instead of practicing my graduation march. There are obviously a lot of things going on in my life then and I was about to throw in the towel and quit. But I wouldn’t mind spending that one last chance of getting back at people I hate. And so this Arab-looking guy, a complete stranger, my first “potential” prey, had to experience my wrath of nastiness. Or so I thought.

Fast forward, almost a year has passed and here I am, practicum-shy of my long-delayed graduation (finally!), completing a degree in education (who would have thought?) and single yet contended (but that’s another issue!). And for that Arab-looking guy? He dropped out of the course because of “extreme emotional violence and trepidation” from a classmate. Haha!

Seriously, that guy is one of my best buddies in UP. We were reporting group mates in that class (di ko pa din na-gets yung game mo!), thus, became seat/activity/”bash” mates plus share a couple of friends and a professor. Also, we were shifting into Educ, thus spending much time chasing the notorious, ever powerful Ate Glo. Good thing, we were both accepted in Educ or else the story ended right there and then. And now, we are torturing ourselves in a Physics (his major and my minor) class.

In such a short time, I gained a friend worthy of two. (Oo, Lawi, dinelete ko sila. Haha). Enrolment pal, “Bash” mate, taxi friend, ka-alaskahan, Starbucks buddy (lugi na ko dahil nauubos allowance ko sa almusal natin). Haha!

Well, he may not fully experienced my wrath but I always make sure he gets a dose of it every once in a while.

Thanks, Andrell Adik, humanda ka sa Tuesday. Inuna ko pa tong pinapagawa mo kesa sa probset natin. Kokopya na lang ako sayo. Haha!

P.S. Di ko pwedeng apihin si he-who-must-not-be –named. Kawawa naman yung tao. Haha! Di naman siguro siya nang-aagaw ng friends e.