Happy Birthday Tics! Today, my batchmate Jerome, whom we affectionately call “Tics,” turns 22. He treated us to dinner & drinks & coffee last Friday night-slash-Saturday morning. The night began with Padoms* driving us (with Keso*, Bebe*, Tics* and me in the passenger seats) to Malate to have dinner in District, this restaurant that he and his girlfriend frequents. After having our fill of kare-kare, grilled squid, chopsuey, and sisig and some chit-chat, we were elated when Bebe said she’s go go with us to the videoke. Her strict traditional Chinese parents only allowed her to have dinner with us, you see.
We were off to Makati to fetch the overtimers Dina* and Richie Rich.* Only Dina was outside Petron Building, though, coz Richie had a date with his girlfriend. So we head for Jupiter Street, only to find that IOTV and Music 21 were both fully booked. We decided to go to The Fort instead. We parked our butts in Cucina, where Dina had dinner. Bebe and I split a banana split and a chocolate sundae while the others ordered buckets of San Mig Light. An hour later everyone is noisy. We are always this way, but I think the alcohol made them a wee bit louder. we began joking about how rambunctious we would act when Bebe introduced us to her parents when we brought her home. They would definitely prevent her from her ever leaving the house with us, for sure!
After polishing off 3 buckets, we head for Bebe’s home, but not before stopping at a gas station comfort room so we could brush our teeth and freshen up for our “meet the parents” session. Bebe’s mom had been calling her, demanding to know why she still wasn’t home at midnight. When we got there, Keso put on an award-winning act, profusely apologising to “Tita” for bringing her daughter home late. I’m sure “Tita” did not have an inkling of a suspicion that the pretty lady talking to her had just recently loaded 4 bottles of San Mig Lite. Back in the car, we receive a text message from Bebe thanking us, saying, “Di na ako napagalitan.” Woohoo!
The night was young, so we headed to Star Bucks near Bay View Hotel for coffee/frappes and a waffle (Padoms’ fave). We started talking about love lives and personalities and deeper things. At around 3am we brought Dina home, and the rest of us drove to a park near Greenbelt, Makati, and just sat in the car continuing our talk. At 4am Padoms brought the rest of us home.
That was surely a great night out, and Tics has this to say: “This is my best birthday ever!”
And oh, Janis, our batchmate who couldn’t make it, now lives up to her nickname, “Buntis.” The results just came in yesterday. Hip-hip hooray for the soon-to-be-mom!
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* – not their true names, but our nicknames for each other. Each has a long story. I am “Smiley,” by the way.
good to know you had a blast! 🙂