Camp Aguinaldo, February 16, 1999
dear
classmates,
we
are celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary on tuesday, feb 16,
1999.
we will renew our vows at the same church where we were wed and
will
have a reception at the nearby officers' club in camp aguinaldo.
we
wanted to share this happy occasion with all of you but it pains us
to
have to say that we are not able to do so. instead, we have chosen
some
of you to represent our class at the reception and at our renewal
of
vows. this way, some of you will be able to share their experience
at
witnessing a marriage filled with love and respect ; a marriage
filled
with adventure and excitement and a marriage so fulfilling that
it
needed to be celebrated despite the economic crunch and our lack of
funds.
we hope and pray that you will be with us in spirit that day and
that
you offer your day on tuesday for us and countless more years of
blissful
togetherness. we are both lucky that you have all touched our
lives
in the best way possible. thank you for your love, laughter and
concern
all these years. frank and pat mangonon
Pat and Franklin celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary
last night.
Ericson summarized the event as:
"Everything is a repetition of what happened 25 years
ago, except what will
happen tonight. Because nothing will happen tonight!"
Go figure!
Arlette and Eddie Umali were there. Sabi ko nga kay Arlette,
nagtatampo ako
sa kanya, kasi pag prep66 affair, nandoon siya, pero
pag prep65, absent,
kaya nga di na siya makilalala ng ibang classmates!
Sixto Salumbides is here, too (came a day late after
Ericson's birthday) so
there are plans for a dinner on Friday, Feb 19, at Takayama
in St Francis
Square.
May I know who can make it and who cannot? Please reply
asap. Thank you.
Binigyan kami ng problema ni Ria Mangonon sa party. Mag-song
number daw ang
Prep65! Sus, ano ang kakantahin?
Dapat yung masaya, Hector insisted. Nag-decide
kami at nag-practice sa
restroom ng 'Push on UP', pagbalik namin sa table e 'Let
Me Call you
Sweetheart' daw para maikli lang, sabi ni Ericson. Ayun
na!
Ana B. Urbina
-------
Tinanong ko pala si Hector kagabi (sa anniversary nina
Pat and Franklin)
kung sino yung 4 beauties sa list niya: Agnes, Mila,
Tessie and Loida raw.
Sabi ni Arlette, we should see Elizabeth Plana raw, who is as beautiful as ever!
Maganda rin ang kuwento ni Tessie about Vic Yenko! Tumirik
daw yung Mustang
ni Vic at si Tessie ang good samaritan na tumigil at
nagpahiram ng celfone.
Si Vic daw ang nakakilala sa kanya.
Si Dexter, hanggang ngayon ay di pa ma-reconcile yung
Ana B. na promdi na
studious na seatmate niya sa Sampaguita na nag-degenerate
into the tsismosa
that I am now. Siya kasi ang ubod nang daldal noon (at
in character pa rin
hanggang ngayon!)
------
Dear Ana B.
I'm sorry I
don't have Sixto's number. Please call Emmeline or Pat.
I'm sure alam nila dahil na-invite si Sixto to Pat's
and Franklin's silver
wedding anniversary. What I know is that he is staying
in San Juan.
We left the
party at quarter to twelve, Emmeline, Sixto and I. Sina
Dexter, Tessie, Hector and Albert ay nag-night-out pa.
Niyaya nila si Sixto.
I think he went with them pero narinig ko hanggang twelve
thirty lang siya.
O, ano, tuloy
ba sa Friday. Ruth is asking me to confirm with her
tonight kasi daw hindi siya nagbubukas ng e-mail niya.
so please let me know
ASAP. Kami ni Ruth sigurado na.
Girlie
Dapat nang mabuo ito, masyadong kalat na ang kuwento nito.
Mag-isa lang akong nag-commute to Camp Aguinaldo at nakarating on time (medyo napasubo nga lang ng lakad na several blocks to the church).
Aba, wala akong makitang familiar face e 6 pm na, so nagduda konti na baka wrong church ako. Pero blue naman yung motif nung mga nandoon nang attendants, so siguro tama. Pagpasok ko sa church, wala pa ring familiar faces, until may kumaway sa other side, sa gilid ng church.
Sina Zeny K. Eto ang binata naming kaklase, introduce niya sa akin kay Leslie, husband niya. (Hit na yun, better na sa 'one of the boys'.)
Sa umpukang ito ko na rin nabanatan si Arlette sa hindi pag-attend sa ating reunions.
Na-join pa kami doon nina Ella, Ched, Maripaz,at Wilma. Late sina Pat (as usual daw iyon).
Naghanap ng restroom, sa module pa ng priest nakakita.
Datingan na sina Girlie, Ruth, Ericson, Emmeline. Nagyayaan na ring maupo na sa pews, nangawit na rin sa pagtayo.
It took a while for the wedding party to assemble.
Nandito daw si Sixto, sabi ni Girlie. Sinabi raw sa kanya
ni Pat. Tayo ako, inusyoso lahat ng tao, hindi ko makita si Sixto.
Maya-maya, eto na siya, tumabi kina Ericson.
Dumating na rin sina Dexter at Tessie. Sinadya niyo ba iyan, tanong ko sa kanilang respective black and white outfits.
By the way, formal affair ito. Dressed and made up ang ladies, at coat and tie ang gentlemen. (Ling, ang inaasam-asam mong dressy occasion, puedeng mangyari kung invited kami sa wedding anniversary mo!)
Nagsimula ang wedding march. Uy, ang cute ng mga little attendants! (Limang anak daw iyon ng original flower girl nila 25 years ago!) The teenage attendants came in all sizes, shapes and levels of shyness (mga various pamangkins). An original ninang marched among the sponsors.
Pat was a radiant bride, Franklin a happy and proud groom. Mukhang kilig na kilig sila! Kilig na kilig rin naman lahat ng nag-attend!
Personalized yung ceremonies for them. (I kept my copy.)
Wilma pointed out Brenda's sister to me sa communion line.
Hindi ako lumuluhod, at baka hindi makatayo.
Natapos ang seremonyas. Nakita namin sina Hector at Albert sa likod, kinawayan para sumama na sa grupo.
Katakut-takot na picture taking! Aba tinawag ang prep 65 to pose with the couple. Pakipot pero puntahan rin. Tumabi ako kay Pat. Hinawi ako ni Ruth na nasa likod ko, hindi raw siya makita. Palit na tayo. Exchange places kami. Magulo ang posing. Lingunan nang lingunan kaya di makatiempo ang photographers. Siguradong mahihirapan ang mag-e-edit nung video.
Recessional na. They were showered with flower petals. Everyone had big smiles!
I went with Maripaz to the reception.
We signed their propped up big photo outside the ballroom.
Uy, may system pala. You get your table number from the
attendants at the secretariat table. Each table had a collage of photos
as decor, at may names ang places. Natural, pinag-palit-palit ang
names para magkatabi-tabi ang may gusto.
I ended up with Arlette and Ed, Tesie and Dexter, Albert
and Hector, and Maripaz.
Yung barkada was in another table, at yung couples in
a third table for prep65.
PMA tables yata yung katabi namin.
Katabi rin namin yung buffet table. Pinauna kami ng mga
Magonon relatives dun sa queue. Doon ko rin nadinig ang pangalang Boy Bustos.
May relative pala doon si Felix, by affinity.
Sinabihan ako ni Ria na mag-prepare daw ng song number
ang Prep '65. Una, sabi ko, 'Maalaala Mo Kaya?'. "Dapat yung masaya ",
pilit ni Hector. Nung mag-restroom kami sabay-sabay, aba, na-practice nga
yung 'Push on UP'. Pagbalik, vetoed ni Ericson. 'Let Me Call You Sweetheart'
daw, para maikli lang.
Ang gulo namin bago nakakanta! Nakantiyawan pa nga kami
na baka Class '56 daw, kasi lumang-lumang kanta yung 'Let Me Call
You Sweetheart'. Oo nga naman, fixture nga iyon sa high school reunions
ng Tatay kong Class '32!
Nagpalabas ng video ng Mangonons through the years. At
may clips din ng wishes ang family and friends.
Sabi doon ni Ericson, dapat daw ang ipapangalan sa magiging
apo nila Pat e 'Preppie' (yay!)
Nag-toast kami for the couple.
Dancing na! Tig-i-i-sang DI ang barkada.
Nag-distribute pala sila ng souvenirs, yung "Sentiments",
a printed collection of prayers, poems and prose. (We will be able to put
this online later, I think.)
Umalis kami after nakapanood ng dancing for a while.
Humihirit pa si Pat, iwanan na raw ako ni Maripaz at siya na ang bahalang
maghatid sa akin. Takas na kami habang nagpapa-picture siya with relatives.
Sabi ni Girlie, nag-stay pa sila until si Hector na raw
ang pinanonood ng mga DI.
Sabi ni Tessie, pumunta pa sila ng mga balikbayan sa
Tia Maria in Timog at nag-stay till 1 am.
Hay . . .
O ayan, ha, Florante, wakasan ito. Isang puyat lang.