Victor and I had been good friends since the 1st grade, and I took pleasure of our friendship because I learn a lot from him. Victor was smart, he was neat, prim and proper, and most of all, I enjoy reading his children’s books.
On our 2nd grade, Victor’s audiences grow and he already had his regular “customers”. I remember, one time I tried to count them but failed to number them all because I run short of fingers and toes.
Then one day, I notice a skinny tall boy - who was a bit aloof from the rest of us – watching us from afar. He never joined our group nor did he show interest with the stories that Victor said. I asked him to join, free of charge, but I was surprise when he replied, “I knew more stories than that”.
The boy was Laser James Galang, a son of a prominent family in our town. He was very polite, behave, also prim and proper, good looking, and smart. I guess he was smarter than Victor was but he just did not have the audacity of Victor. Yet, James was an interesting boy. He shared me no fairy tale stories, but told me stories about Superman, Batman, and Six Million Dollar Man. This was indeed different and more exciting.
To make the story short, James became my friend.
* * *
That was the 70’s. When insurgency erupted in Central Mindanao, it took a toll on our finances. My parents made a painful decision of moving us to a public school, and I had no choice, I left my two friends and started a new life in an unknown territory - the Kidapawan Pilot Elementary School.
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