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When I was in college there were only few people
whom I easily got attached with and have considered as my bestfriends - Mac
Artur, Ariane, Ryan, Angela, Ocelyn and April. We called ourselves, "The
Tumba-Baso Gang" since we always hang out every week at Ryan's house to have fun
over a bottle of gin after group studying. We stayed closer together,
since then, just like what a typical "barkada" would do.
However, I was able to develop a deeper kind of
friendship with Mac and Ariane. Maybe, aside from our gender, the three of
us have something in common. We all fell in love and had our respective
girlfriends in the same year. Mac had Donnah on September 1999, I had
Roemi a month after, and Ariane got Betsy before the year ended. The three
of us would usually go out on a date with our respective girlfriends.
Unfortunately, my relationship with Roem only lasted for 2 years and only Ariane
and Mac were able to sustain their loving relationship with their respective
fiances upto the present.
Prenuptial. On January 26, I was on my on-call status when I left the
hospital. Thanks to Dr. Anacleto, my junior consultant on that day, for
allowing me to go home earlier to catch the last trip to Iloilo. When I
got home, I immediately packed my stuff and rushed to the port of Bacolod with
my sister. I didn't wanna miss the said trip and disappoint Mac who, by
the way, invited me to be one of the groom's men together with Ariane to
his wedding a year ago.
When we
finally arrived at Iloilo and have found a room to stay overnight at the Grand
Hotel, Ariane and Betsy fetched us up for dinner. After then, we went to
Hotel del Rio to visit Mac and Donnah before their wedding day. We had a
little chat and went back to our room to take a rest for the next day's affair.
The wedding
day. We arrived at the beautiful chapel of San Agustin in Sambag,
Iloilo on January 27, just 15 minutes before the wedding started. While
waiting for the ceremony, we had a small chit chat with some other friends
(Kate, Phenie, Sweetheart, April and Ocelyn), reminiscing our old college days.
At last, the
mass started. Everybody who has a role in the ceremony marched toward the
alter. Ariane, my "co-groom's man" walked on the isle with Betsy, who was
one of the bride's maids and I, on the other hand, with NeniZ, Mac's sister.
And then, it was finally Mac's turned to take Donnah from her parents.
Excitement and joy filled Mac's eyes as he gently held Donnah's hand and bring
her to the alter. It was a dream come true for both of them who have
survived the challenges over several years as couples.
And finally,
the mass ended after two hours and reception followed at Hotel del Rio. It
was the most memorable event not only in the lives of these two couples but for
all of us who have shared a different kind of friendship for almost a decade.
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