The August M&M Reunion
Excerpts from Notes by MAD

Hotel Intercontinental Manila
August 13, 1999

You may already have been sent updates from Garnet or Mil or Betty about  last night…it was a truly wonderful get together for class '68. (Garnet and Mil missed the good parts 'til past 2 am!). Wish you were all here.

Doris, Dolly, Marie and Girl---our link to the handsome priest, Gerry Orbos---did a good job of gathering more than 35 of us. Eppie (comptroller of the Intercontinental Manila) prepared such a wonderful spread of LOTS of GOOD FOOD. And we made it a point to sit beside someone we weren't that close to back in h.s. Patis walked in with Margie declaring they were late because Margie forced her to change her look---she had pink eyebrows and aubergine curls!

First, the Mass---it was so touching. Fr. Gerry (soooo guapo) spoke about three lines we should never forget daily and especially when we are near death: Thank you, I'm sorry, and I love you ---all to be addressed to God and family and friends dear to us. So true. ..

Then he asked us to bless each other, offer peace to one another, and declare our love for one another. We were all so moved by the experience---of course I could not hold back the tears.

Doris was eager to have this gathering also because she wanted it to be a time of "healing" as well among us girls.

On the lighter side

After dinner, each one was made to say something over the mike---the usual, married name, how many kids, etc. As usual, the laughter this portion generated was tremendous---One of us said she was (is) on her 3rd husband, another said that she was dying to have a lover, Peach Tinio said she's tried them all---16 to 60---and they're all the same, to which Olga said "Where do you live ba because I'm separated and I want to try them too!" and Marie said, "I'll go with you Olga." You girls would have enjoyed that and would have added to our laughter for sure.

Adelyn Lagman-Misa, one of our most wanted caterers, spent her b'day with us that Friday the 13th, and she was with us 'til past 2 am; i was banished to the corridor with Gracia Hocson at one point (we were smoking) and I mentioned I so wanted to have an apo, and she said "my God, here  Iam still trying to get my uterus y2k compliant and you're talking grandmotherhood!"; Kay Tinio-Atilano, one of our millionaires, announced she just had a miscarriage, but is bent on having another baby before any of her older kids gets married (brave soul there); Olive Sanvictores  has an 18-yr-old daughter who just recuperated recently from an accident---a dump truck ran over her and crushed her leg; Olga de Asis is doing so well with her "Tapa King" outlets and also owns the popular "sugarhouse" with yummy pastries; Marie, Mil, and Chi have discovered the joys of bowling every tuesday; Cynthia Alfonso-Arteficio put up her own her consultancy firm. Ruby Natividad-Gutierrez, forever sweet, has five sweet offsprings, too. I'm trying to remember more....will let you know when I recall other tidbits....

The night was not over for a few of us---Eppie, Ruby, Socorro Almanzor, Marie, Girl, Betty, Evelyn, Socorro Posadas, Doris, and myself. ..    So we promised to continue  again at another time soon.

Well, I guess it was my mom who, in her own little way, and because she went away, was the catalyst of some sort in bringing us all together this year. Undoubtedly, each person last night went home feeling good and thanking God---as I did---for having given her such wonderful classmates to enjoy in her 40s; and I wish you guys had been a part of that. It's great to have a small group of real buddies to share real intimate things/thoughts with and get that warm feeling in your heart; and sometimes you get that same warmth when you're in a larger group of people who've known you from way back and will always take you as you are. May I never lose that feeling….