by Nadz Nagamos, Class
Reunion 2006
(info gathered from
batchmates)
But we needed to
move out of our comfort zones, cast our nets into deeper waters and discover
that there’s a whole new world out there. It’s a saddening note however that
since then, the leaves of our memories started to fall gently on the ground
year after year, after year. As I stood outside the gates of our school one
day, how I wished I were in high school again just to see my batchmates…oh how
I miss them so…yes, the school building is there, the grounds, the stage, the
corridors, but the time past could never ever be brought back to life again,
and things would never happen exactly the way they did before.
Don’t you think it’s
perfect time to pick up those fallen leaves again which may have been left
forgotten through time? Do you remember our first day of school... how we
searched for our names in every section? The morning rituals where we warmly
welcomed by that one big family of Marillans? Days, months, years rolled by and
we had created a “home” at Marillac Academy. Learning our lessons together
under one roof was pretty cool. Friendships and school activities made every
day a day to look forward to. Those acquaintance parties, that most
controversial Halloween Party, Feast Days, Sportsfests(3rd
yr-cheering competition champion, 4th year-cheering competition
& over all champion), our first cheering competition, (where we have to
endure wearing sack with coconut leaves as the greenhorn during our 1st
year. On our 2nd year, we
made everone sneeze because of our skylark costume made of sack and
cottons! On our 3rd year…we
improved a little…wearing an Indian costume made of sack. And I will never forget our ravens costume
during our 4th year…it was made of sack and blue plastics…it was all
over the school ground after the parade and the cheering!)
love notes read on air, that Speechfest when II-Justice won and
wore those sailor costumes, (II-Faith & II- Hope, what was the title of
their speech?) Retreat at St. clements
before the graduation where some of our batchmates had their alcoholic drinks
with them). Can you still remember how we strived to make our classrooms the
BEST ROOM among them all?
The Marian Choir,
Young Writers’ Guild, Drum and Bugle Corps, and the likes (what were other
groups?-dance troop, home economics) addressed our need to express ourselves
creatively while the religious orgs (SSVP, COM and Luisas) were instrumental in
cultivating our sense of spirituality and concern for the poor.
Leadership skills
were enhanced and our rights to vote were exercised with the SCB elections. How
about our first computer class?... of how excited we were then? Only to go
through the long and tedious process of touching “Control z” for delete,
“control c” for copy and “control v” for paste… and so much more commands to
memorize which we could hardly do… and oh, that oversized floppy diskette that
we were using. One mouse-click Windows and internet were never heard then and
we had to bear with Lotus 1-2-3 and Wordstar. It’s been such a long way since
then…
Who can forget the
ordeal of PMT aspirants?... how they endured the training under the scorching
heat of the sun, the insults, the squats
and push ups… and when they became officers, how they needed to shine their
swords and insignias religiously “nga daw sa mga into”.
We too had our share
of rebelliousness. Remember the time when III-Temperance wasn’t allowed to go
for an outing on their Feast Day – but some went off to Tobog Beach anyway and
had to be fetched by the Miagao Patrol car. Ma’am Flores’ blood pressure soared
high that day. Half of the section was suspended giving the class a funeral
gloom. For those who were left behind, it was equally sad. We missed the other
half of “our lives”. Some were grounded by their parents, some were made to
kneel on mongo beans but what the heck, it was fun anyway. We only pass high
school but once and now we have those funny adventures to look back to.
Many fell
head-over-heels in love too. Remember how we stole glances on our crushes, how
we behaved awkwardly towards the guy or girl we liked so much, how we took
stolen pictures of them, and giving our crushes silly codenames. We fell truly,
madly, deeply in love only to wake up one day realizing that young love is not
forever…or is it?
Then graduation day
came… each of us followed the paths we chose to take and tried to find our
place under the sun. So many things have changed through the years. Yes, we
have gone away from HOME… from those wide-eyed innocents and carefree teenagers
we once were. Educational and career opportunities, encounters with people of
diverse personalities, races and cultures, various trainings, travels, trials
and adversities in life --- all these have molded us into what we are now. By this
time, many have chosen to get married while some simply enjoy the sight of
their kids. Others are engaged and many are still single and searching…
searching for that someone to love and hold for the rest of their lives.
Searching for promising jobs and fulfillment in life. But no matter what we
have become and wherever we may be drifted by the winds of time, there is that
yearning in our innermost beings for those familiar faces whom we once played
with, shared our baons, homeworks, notes, thoughts, dreams and all the other
100 and 1 memories of those good ol’ high school days. We long for those
certain smiles and bursts of laughter, for that song that strike a certain
chord in our hearts that always uplifts and refreshes our tired and weary
spirits.
And now that special
moment has come. Tonight, after 10 years, all the roads of Marillans Batch 1996
converge once again…let’s make the most of this opportunity to relive
friendships, strengthen old ties and heal past wounds. After all, didn’t we
have four beautiful years together? We have come here not as SOMEBODY but just
to be that former classmate and friend we once were.
So why don’t we just
sit back, relax, enjoy as we say “Indeed, what a journey it has been!”
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