FOOT: It started with a Reply (How three friends started a New Year seven years ago)

               Ivy and Sunbird sandwiching me!

New year 2007. It was 1st of January when Rovil replied to the enticing text of Ivy, that is, to drop by the house of Nioly at Kilometrahe 34 in Tabao. He said YES, OKAY, FINE and disembarked SDL and emphasized that he had until 11am just in time for Nioly to prepare to go back to her work in Manila. Take note that when Rovil went out of his house that day, he had only two things to do that day: to bring his fiancée to the port and to sleep. Unfortunately, he replied to Ivy’s text.



We stayed at Nioly’s place until Nioly left at 1pm for the port in Bacolod while Virgil a.k.a. Sunbird a.k.a. Bob and I and Ivy and Rovil headed to the south since Ivy is city-allergic while Sunbird is a newbie to the South.

A ‘lapyang’ jeep passed by and we all embarked. Ivy and I were seated together while Sunbird and Rovil were standing near the door of the jeep. We were so concerned that Rovil would run away but fortunately, he did not. Ivy and I were planning while on our way, and I decided to go down in the plaza as it was there where we are going to wait for a tricycle going to the place where we would feast over basins of ‘talaba’ (oyster).

Suddenly, the ‘conductor’ of the jeep motioned us to go down as we were supposed to go down with our companions. Sunbird and Rovil went down. Above them is the signboard of the way to Paradiso. We hurriedly went down and headed to Paradiso, an elite and expensive beach and pool resort amid the inexpensive crowded beaches! We stayed for a while and left.

After some detour and misadventure on the road, we finally reached Sitio Pang-pang, Brgy. Nanunga, Hinigaran where we were served with basins of oysters fresh from the waters and steaming rice! After that, we had a 5-kilo sack for take home, too.

Sunbird is too lazy to carry the sack. Thanks God, Rovil had a coffee so that he had the energy to respond to our questions and carry the sack. Oh, while on the road discussing where to head, Ivy got a confirmation that there is no class the next day. So, destination B was made.

But before that, may I note that Sunbird and Rovil exercised their chivalry by offering the girl-passengers their seats, only to see the giraffe-long neck of Sunbird hit the jeep’s ceiling and Rovil (he’s fat now, very unlike in high school) to suffer the crowding inside jeep. They agreed that if one is standing, the road is long, and Banga Patyo is a long wait too.

We arrived home. I foraged anything that could be eaten. We headed to the house of Tita Tery, a family friend in Brgy. Haguimit. We brought along the video which features the situation of Ivy as a teacher, Ang Munting Tinig, a film about a teacher assigned in a remote place beseted by child labor, ignorance and insurgency.

We chatted, slept soundly and the next day, we raided the Tulo-tulo falls! We had a nice time climbing the rocks and lying in the stream of crystal clear waters. And so Sunbird defended his “secret” undies.

We proved once again that nothing beats the excitement of an unplanned ‘Great Raid.’ So, it started with a reply, and this was how we started our 2007!