Almost Reunited & Almost Surprised (The Sendoff Party for Sheena)
Saturday, July 21st, 2007 Last night I realized that no matter how many different groups
or sets of people I hang out with, nothing would compare to the level of ease
and amount of happiness I have when I am with my college friends.
It was supposed to be a sad night because we were gathered
for a sendoff party for my cousin/friend Sheena. Last Thursday morning(just
a day after Dad returned to work abroad), I read a message from her informing me
that her flight to Dubai for work has been moved earlier than August. She’s actually leaving next week
but she said she won’t have any ‘despedida’ because she no longer could afford
to put up one. So I connived with my college friends to give her a surprise
sendoff party at our house and to my own surprise everyone seems to be all up
for it.
Glads agreed to accompany Sheena to
go to her previous office to say a short farewell there and right after go to
our house where I have told her I invited just the two of them for dinner.
Little did Sheena know that all of us were assembled at hour house and waiting
to surprise her. Around 6:30 pm, Jhoy,
Wewe, Jane, Judie, Jayson, and Jhing
were already present, the food was already placed in our dining table with
small name tents that read “Good luck Sheena we will miss you!” and some good
music is playing on the background. I got the signal text from Glads that they
are already near and I started to feel anxious while my mom was our sort of
watcher in our terrace while the rest of my friends are quiet(except Jayson) in
our sala. Then Sheena and Glads appeared and when I opened the door,
“Surprise!” was the word that filled the room. Sheena looked less surprised
though, first because she heard Jayson’s voice before she even came inside and
second, bummer, Sheena already was half expecting this surprise after she came
across Emong the other night and heard about this for some apparent information
leakage. After all, it didn’t turn out to be too much of a surprise. Rodel
finally came, late as most of the time he is, but just in time before everyone could
have our first spoonful of food.
It was my first time to formally invite everyone at our
house, the first instance that I am hosting a party (although I wasn’t really
the one who cooked the food, everything that we ate were ordered and everyone
contributed), and it is only then that I realized that when you are the host you get to be the last to sit and eat, and you
never really get to enjoy your meal compared to when you are the regular
visitor. Nonetheless, I felt satisfied to see everyone present (although Lauro is already in Dubai and Anne is not present) and enjoying their meal even with the absence
of a regular booze.
I did prepare an activity for this party, which was purely
intended for our celebrant, Sheena. I called it Isang Pagsusulit Para Kay Sheena Cadua, wherein all the guests are
given a sheet of ‘test paper’ consisting of two parts. The first is a five-item
complete-the-sentence type of quiz wherein answers should be as humorous as
possible. The second and final part is where the examinee is given a space to
write in their message for Sheena. After several minutes of answering, because
some took the exam too seriously, it was time to read the answers aloud and we
all shared a good amount of laugh. Something I really missed about my friends
because it’s been along time I shared laughter with them. For a while, we seem
to have forgotten that we were saying goodbye to a dear friend that we might
not see again for two straight years. Sheena, herself didn’t want to be too mushy
as well, and even if I showed them a boxful of treasured memorabilia, even that
was not enough to make anyone of us cry. I guess the fact that Sheena will be
working abroad hasn’t really sank in too much on us yet. Besides, the event
turned out to be more of a reunion among a group of friends more than a
farewell party for Sheena although in reality, this might be our last complete
reunion with her.
It was past 9 that we wrapped up the activity, and Sheena offered everyone to drop by at their
new house before they leave. We hanged out for some more minutes at their
balcony at the third floor; it will probably take more than two years before we
could return to that place since Sheena’s contract in Dubai is for two straight years.
Almost 10pm, we returned to our house to get my friends’
belongings, before we finally called it a night and said our final reminders to
Sheena (“keep in touch!”). She said her thank you’s but nothing to wordy
because I guess she was trying to be less emotional. Back home, alone now, no
more guests, food served on the dining table and house/trance music on the
background, I felt too tired when I lied on my bed that my tears are suppressed
and I can no longer put my mind to think how this event could change my life.
After all, Sheena is my best cousin although by blood
relation we are only related on second degree. She is a super friend, I never had
a best friend, but I know she can save my day and will always look after my
welfare. But soon, I would have to accept the fact that she will not be around
physically for a long while. Cous, this one’s for you…
“In
our hearts we feel you won’t be away
In
our minds we know you will come back
In
unison, this is what we want to say,
We’ll
miss you and we wish you good luck!”
