For Keeps

It took a while for the plans to pan out but eventually "the" day came and it was a reunion of sorts. A birthday celebrant comes down from the mountains to be with the land dwellers, a hermit comes out of a long seclusion, mother nature leaves her brood, a fighter leaves her gloves behind, a daughter taking a well deserved break.. while the rest have their own kingdoms to take care of. In one fateful weekend, we all come together. 

It wasn't long before old links were renewed and stories from the olden days were told and retold, relived and remembered. The travel alone was long by minute standards yet no one even noticed that hours have passed. Majority have never been to these parts of the woods, our tour leader breezing past the zigzags, twists and turns of the roads paved with greenery on both sides. Even at night time, there was that feeling of adventure that clung thickly on everyone. The two vehicles sped into the night trying to get to a destination by dusk. 

At dusk, the breaking lights of the sun started showing from the east. Breakfast, a good stretch, several puffs of smokes and we're off again. Most everyone enjoyed the scenery, the conversation, the jokes. Communication between two vehicles wasn't even cut, both keeping an eagle eye on each other at every curve, at every turn.

By the time we reached out destination, several hours have passed. We left in the darkest of night, arrived with the sun high in the horizon. Lunch. 

After which another couple of hours once more until we finally parked the cars in the paternal home of our host. Fresh air, fresh breeze. No pollution, except for the incessant Gangnam music playing from across the street in a nearby public school. All was well and the adventure wasn't even beginning.

Settling down, coffee, smokes, a tour of the grounds, a deep appreciation for the history that came with this family. A family valued by their neighbors, old school patronage and respect. The grounds were wide, trees everywhere. A tennis court that's open to the public on private grounds, a volleyball field on the opposite side. Two bamboo huts to converge at. And converge we did. The ambient weather was fresh, cool and a welcomed change from the pollution of the Metro. It made everyone bubbly, happy, talkative and eventually relaxed.

After dinner, the long hours traveling did nothing to put the energy of the group down. Drinks and good conversation. Eventually, the sand man came to visit and everyone retired to their assigned rooms. Waking up bright and early to proceed to a second destination. All information was kept at a minimum. After the morning coffee, we loaded up bedding and loaded up all the baggage once more and we were off.

Breakfast was at the city, our second host met us there. A down to earth man in white tees and loose denims and slippers. No one would even think that he owned the restaurant we were at, no one would even suspect. After the meal, we went on ahead, went to a sports complex, stayed for a bit and after a call, we went off again, this time, to the main reason we were all out in this new place far down south of the country.The road was a rough road. Literally. There were turns and curbs you'd pray to God above for because there was no boundary, no barrier, just foliage and clear blue sky up above. We were rattled, literally shaken, stirred and the vehicle moved to the rough bumps and sudden drops of the terrain. After several minutes of non stop shaking driving up and down a mountain side without barriers, we chanced up the first glimpse of the sea.. another turn, a fishing village.. another turn.. the house.

The house was nestled smack center of a well manicured lawn with fruit bearing trees around. It faced the beach. It was isolated. We were alone. Together and alone. It was the most pleasant of places one could ever find on the face of this earth, of this country. The host and hostess – impeccably gracious, the sort of people you rarely come across in one lifetime. They welcomed us like we were not strangers even if it was the first time we shook hands.

We stayed in that lovely piece of paradise for what felt like an eternity. I could finally hear myself think. But there would be no writing for me there. I was with friends and I listened to them, their thoughts, their words, their problems. Took everything in and I was myself. My thoughts were elsewhere during my minutes of solitude. Sometimes they would linger there and I would become deaf to the conversation.

 Looking out into the horizon, endless water.  A small patch of earth dotting the horizon, another islet, another beach. The moon was another thing. It was huge. It was orange and it lit up the two evenings spent outside, beside the sea just chatting the hours away. Distant music was playing from the house, everyone huddled in their own small groups. Everyone had fun, it was a test of endurance and tolerance for some. It was a test of friendship for most. Woke up beside friends, slept beside them. Some of us lingered in bed, talking while the others slept, most chattering at the ground floor beneath us. It was as if time never came between us. No one felt the years even if our stories were telling of them.

Looking back on those days I can very well say I made each day count and did not stop to count them. I was sad when we woke up on our final morning, staying in bed whispering and talking to a good friend about life, where we’d be in the next few years and how wonderful it was to be together as a group for a well deserved break. Most of the previous “reunions” were for wakes of someone’s parent or grandparent. This was a first in years that was spent with endless laughter, thoughts and opinions.

These are days you go back on when you grow old and have nothing but memories to keep you company. It gives you a warm fuzzy feeling being around people who are so much the same in different ways. I shall add this to my positive memory bank and will probably be looking into them every time I feel the negativity of the world outside suffocate me.  No matter what the fall out maybe, we all had our own take on the break that was. It made some ties stronger, some ties a little cracked, some ties very much renewed but the bottom line, these people are keepers. The ones who will hound you until you smile. The ones who will lift you up even without them knowing that they’re doing it. The ones who will be by your side no matter how obnoxious you may be. We mirror each other and we come full circle with one another. These are real friends, the ones I intend to keep for whatever days I have left. ........Unconditionally.