Inevitable Partition

A pastor relayed this story during a church service.

He received a text message a week before that Sunday,

"Pare kamusta na? Kita naman tayo!"

Having soon discovered that this message was from his long lost childhood bestfriend, he felt a little nostalgic. Was it form the awkward "Pare" (which is the english counterpart of "dude" for some) or from the lost memories he had with his bestfriend. He vaguely remembers all their foolishness during juvenile years of car racing and horse back riding. Both their families own cattle ranches and you can say they really have the same wealthy family background.

He even remembered bringing his bestfriend in our church way back when he wasn't even pastor. During that time, he was in his third year taking up Veterinary Medicine and dropped it for Theological Studies. Some thought he was a joke and a few thought he cracked along the way. Came with that scenario, is the death of the pastor's father, his marriage to his wife, their being tight with money at times and his parting ways with his best friend.

He jovially replied almost showing through the text,

"Pare! Ikaw pala yan! Sige Pare! Kita tayo!"

Having twenty years to catch up, they met at a local resto.

"Kamusta ka na?", asked our pastor.

"Eto ayos naman! May bago ako chicks!". replied the best friend excitedly.

"Ano nangyari sa inyo nung asawa mo? Di ba may mga anak kayo?"

"Hiniwalayan nako nun! Nanay ko nag-aalaga sa mga anak ko."

Then with a quick follow up, the best friend asked, "

May alam ka bang nangangailangan ng driver? Kailangan ko lang tlga ng trabaho ngayon eh."

The pastor was dispirited. Although he avoided displaying this kind of emotion, avoided feeling pitiful, I sensed this or was it because this is what I would be,maybe, exacty feeling when I am in his situation.

But it wasn't pity afterall. He expressed his being down hearted by being torn from the fact that this person asking for a driver's job is his best friend, but also thinking that at one point in their lives they were at par, in the same level with each other. But at a certain junction, a fork in the road, they parted ways. The pastor chose the road less traveled and anchored his faith to God.

My reason is far from comparing lives, nor was the pastor's.

It's just that it made me think of my own set of friends.

That at one point in our lives we will have to part. At a certain junction, a fork in the road of life, the people we cling most tightly to must leave. Wh knows when will we meet again or in what situation we might be in when we meet, ten, twenty, thirty years from the day we part. Must it be for their careers, family or whatever reason fate can conjure, we might have to part ways. Is it really inevitable?

As I ponder on this question, I write a mental note of how I can reverse this phenomenon.

At the same time, it is a defense mechanism from not having been in touch with most of my friends. (And I'm not planning to defensively reason out)

I know I do my best to keep in touch with everyone, it just so happens that my time can't accomodate to such a large circle. Just the same, I heartily apologize.

I call for every friend, brother or family member who is reading this right now, no matter where you are or how long you haven't been keeping in touch to call or send a message to a person or persons whom you think you might be needing to call or send a message to.

Just keep in touch, because no matter how inevitable this partition may be, we must make it a point some way, some time, to make a detour for us to meet again. For our roads to cross again. Because we will never know what's fate got for us for another time and another place.

And with this, I end with a quote from Grey's Anatomy,

"For most of the time,

you won't remember

the last time you kissed

the one you love,

that's because

you

never

thought

it

would

be

the

last."