My BFF

I met my one and only bestfriend through a
painful punch in the stomach. I was five years old
then, a boyish, skinny, and hyperactive girl who
loved “fights” with other kids. One sunny afternoon, I
was walking along our neighborhood and saw
another boyish and skinny girl my age- she wasn’t
hyperactive ; in fact, she was very still, dreamy-eyed,
just standing at one corner looking at the nearby
playing kids.

Without heed, I quietly went near her and then
punched her at the stomach. It was a strong punch
but she didn’t budge and that “reaction” intrigued me,
prompting me to make friends with her. Gigi. That
was her name. Then we became friends since that
day and became as close as bread and butter.
Because we were of the same age and had almost
the same qualities, our friendship blossomed into one
that was similar to sisterhood. Aside from being
skinny and boyish, we were both fans of Sharon
Cuneta, we were both fond of playing takyan,
Chinese garter, toy guns, toy cars, and scrabble. We
both called each other parents’ as “tito” and “tita,” and
sleepovers were frequent.

The years passed.

We graduated from elementary, then high school. For
college, she had to go far away and the “parting” day
was very painful. I haven’t seen her since that tearful
goodbye because her family transferred to where she
was; we lost contact. She may not be physically
present now, but, she will always be my bestfriend. -ARV