A Friend Behind a Stranger’s Face

             “A friend may be waiting behind a stranger’s face.” 
                
               I read as I stared at my Tumblr blog. I thought of Czarina out of nowhere. Then for a moment my summer memories went back. White and black pictures of me and my summer friend appeared in my mind playing in a slideshow motion like my mind had suddenly become a mini-theatre house. And I remembered myself standing next to her whispering the word that’s the last thing I’d love to say- Goodbye. Every memory went fast until it stopped where everything had started. Alas! I found myself reminiscing the moment when I had first looked at the girl that changed my life forever.

                It was April 1, 2012- my first night in Davao. I was a participant of the four-day 2012 National Youth Science, Technology and Environment Summer Camp. We were housed at Malagos Garden Resort, a sprawling 12 hectare nature theme garden with a rich diversity of flora and fauna. After the dinner, we proceeded to the hall for the Opening Program. It had been spectacular with jaw-dropping performances of college students and graduates from University of the Philippines (UP), University of Sto. Tomas (UST) and Ateneo de Manila University(ADMU). I can see the effort and time they have put into it so everything will be perfect.

                The 1,254 high school students (including me) and 54 teachers nationwide were grouped as the Sub-camp Congregation started. I ended up in Sub-camp Two-MomenTWO with Ate Shami as the facilitator. Like last year, I had no schoolmate at all. I began to expect that the camp will turn out like the other one-boring, little fun and adventure and that’s one thing I didn’t knew I’d be wrong about.

We introduced ourselves and then played games so we could socialize and get to know each other. In one game, Ate Shami grouped as into two. Each member of one group has to guess the person from the other group who will tell another name after him. If he happens to guess it right, that person after him will be eliminated. The group winner will be declared after all the members of the other group have been removed.

                  In that game, I met her. Her name is Czarina. She is taller than me and has a long hair. She is neither someone who stands out from the crowd nor a drop dead gorgeous lad. But there’s something about this girl that pulled me to her. (Hold on! I’m not talking about a love-at-first sight moment. I’m not a lesbian. I thank you.) There’s something that makes me befriend and be close with her. It must be her charisma or her simplicity. Whichever is, I introduced myself to her. She did the same with a friendly smile on her face. She is from Agusan del Sur. She is an upcoming senior student like me.

For the next days, Czarina and I got closer. We were seatmates during lectures. We were both active during workshops. During leisure hours, we talked and laughed with Camil, Ate Shobe, Kyle and Samantha. The six of us were like the closest in our subcamp. Camil is simply pretty but she’s true. She even told us that she has a boyfriend. Some people tried to hide the fact that they’re taken so they won’t be misjudged but not Camil. That’s what I love best about her. She is proud that she loves someone and despite of her young age, she is already in a relationship with that guy. She just smiled when she learned that she is the only person who is not single anymore in the group. Ate Shobe is hilarious, on the other hand. She seems to has a big heart with her size. (Aye. I knew you got the idea. Yes, she’s fat.) Kyle is the closest guy friend that I had in my sub-camp. He’s intelligent and has a fashion sense. Samantha is younger but she seems to be more matured than me. We got along well since like me, she is a Wattpad reader and a bookworm, too. She was the one who narrated to me the Hunger Games. For two days, they had been my dinner buddies. After exhausting ourselves to the workshops, dinner with them always relieves me. Their jokes cracked me up. I never thought I could meet people like them. Imagine- 7,107 islands and I had the chance to meet these five crackheads but awesome persons. “No friendship is an accident,” they say. Then that means they are really destined be my acquaintances.

Third day came so fast. Since the Field Trip will be on the next day, we had to find a buddy already. I thought of asking Czarina if she could be my buddy but shyness overtook me. What if she rejects me? Czarina called me and I found her behind me. She did what I was supposed to do. My heart leaped. I smiled really wide and said yes to her.

                    Time flew fast and it was last day of camp already. The field trip will be in the morning until in the afternoon. The Pledge Night and Awarding Ceremonies will follow after. Unfortunately, I had to miss the last two so I can go back home in time before the Black Saturday. Czarina was somehow disappointed with the news. I smiled with the thought.

                   During the Field Trip, we took pictures of the places we visited. She took pictures of the both of us. During roadtrips, we talked and talked nonstop. She taught me Visayan terms while I taught her Bicol words. We also promised to return to Davao sometime in the future. Oh how I wish we could both keep that promise.

                    
                     When we returned to Malagos, we separated from the group because I’d be leaving soon in the next hours.  We ate Cornetto Disc in the canteen. It was my first time-first time to eat that kind of ice cream and first time to escape from the group to have an “alone” time with a close friend I just met three days ago. Everything’s first time yet indeed, it felt so great. Truly, that moment was a memory worth keeping.

                     We went back to our rooms and I packed-up my things. Before I rode the van to the airport, I hugged her and bade goodbye. It was hard to do, I swear. In that moment, I wished time would stop so I don’t have to leave her yet.  I wanted an extension so I could be with her longer, eat more Cornetto Disc’s with her and chat with her more. But my wish was not granted. Everything ends. I just thought that maybe we would part ways but the memories we have made together will be in our hearts and minds wherever we go.

                       In the car, I reminisced again the moments I had with Czarina. I thought of her smiles, her laughter, her simplicity and her truthfulness. I thought of how she made me smile at random moments. She had been my best friend back in the camp. Czar had treated me like she knew me long enough. She is not pretentious. She shows her true self to others. When I did the same, she wholly accepted me. Two minutes of getting acquainted on the first day and instantly, we clicked. It was like our friendship was born at that moment when one person says to another: “What! You too? I thought I was the only one.” I had been right when I guessed that a friend is waiting in that stranger’s face of her that very moment I saw her.

I knew then that the best thing about the camp is not that I had visited Davao for the first time, not that I had seen eagles with my own eyes for the first time or that I ate Cornetto Disc for the first time. It was meeting a friend and doing those things mentioned with her. It is knowing that a person you never knew you would meet suddenly became your Buddy and now that you parted ways, you will miss her and she will miss you back. It is knowing that in one summer camp, you happened to meet a girl so true to herself and to others, someone worth admiring and someone you could keep as a friend.

                         I came back to my old self. My phone beeped suddenly. I smiled. It was a message from Czarina. It says “Hi Buddy! Kumusta na?” Friendly and alive so ever, that was the Czarina I met two months ago and the Czarina I am looking forward to meeting again.