We've known each other since high school. He was the star athlete. I wrote articles about him. Noong una, isa lamang akong taga-obserba ng mga laro niya. When the school paper had an opening for a new article writer, I jumped at the chance right away. It's because of two things: one, I love writing and two, I would love to write about him.
I was more of the 'poem of the week' kind of writer. Minsan, sumusulat din ako ng romance novels. Article writing is not my forte. And sports? My Achilles Heel. But I was fascinated with Ivan. That gave me strength to venture into the uncharted territories of writing.
And so our story began.
Tuwing may laro si Ivan, ako ang nag-i-interview sa kanya para may maisulat ako sa school paper namin. It was also kind of my audition piece on the paper. Dahil kapag nagandahan sa gawa ko ang editor, gagawin na ako regular at hindi lang contributor. And well, they loved it.
I became one of the writers of the school paper and Ivan became my friend. Mas sumikat siya dahil sa articles ko. His fame spread. Hanggang sa isang araw, may mga estudyante na galing ibang school ang nag-aabang sa labas ng gate namin.
Hindi pa doon natapos ang paglawak ng kasikatan ni Ivan. Some girls actually transferred to our school para lang mapalapit sila sa kanya.
Iyong minsanan naming pag-uusap, lalo pang dumalang. Nagkakausap lang kami kapag may game sila o kapag may event sa school at kailangan niyang maglaro. Kapag dumadayo rin sila sa ibang lugar, pinapagsulat ako ng article tungkol doon. Hindi nga lang ako kasama sa pag-alis. Pero sa pagbalik niya, ako kaagad ang una niyang hahanapin para kausapin.
But those blissful times ended so soon. He graduated. I was left there with one more year to study. But I endured.
