If

—————–
Sad thoughts…
They never left me…
Especially these past few months…
So I preferred not to think…

Just live life…
Let life be…
Live…
And live more…
—————–
All those time…
I left myself excessively sentimental…
Until something enlightened me…
When I remembered something…
Something that happened way back then…

It’s about ten years now…
Ten years…

Something struck my mind…
Probabilities…
And What-might-be’s that never occurred…
—————–
If…
Just if…

Imagine the circumstances…

What if… we never met each other?
You never knew me…
And I never knew you…
How will our world’s turn?
Will it still be the same?
—————–
It was 1999 when we moved here from Makati…
I was 7 years old then…
Young and innocent…

Before we moved here…
Everything feels right…
It was a perfect childhood, they say…
And now, whenever, I think of it…
I can’t help but agree…

They’re right…
It was perfect…
—————–
I was six when I first met real friends…
My childhood friends, to say the least…
They never left me…
And I never left them…
We’re always together…
Best friends…

But it never lasted long…

When we moved, I have no choice but to leave them…
I never even had the chance to say goodbye…
Somehow, I believe I’ll be able to go back and see them again someday…
I was a kid, and optimistic…
—————–
And so the sun set…
And rose again…
And set…and rose…and set…
And the rest was history…

I was able to survive a decade barely thinking of them…
I never forgot their name, however…
Their faces…
And a picture or two…
Of little kids I never forgot, and someone else…
A boy, age of six, who looked like me…
But undeniably, a lot better…
—————–
Last week…
While doing the script for our upcoming class presentation,
As well as organizing my friendster photos…
Another idea struck me…

I’ve never realized this before…
Why not try to look for them on the web?
It took me years to figure things out…
Silly me…

After a couple of tries, then another…
I succeeded…

I was overwhelmed when I saw a familiar face…
It was him…
My friend…
My first best friend…

I didn’t know if he can still remember me…
But without thinking twice, I did what I have to…

I also sent him a message…
Just trying to give him a hint…
And hoping he does remember…
—————–
It took only a day for him to reply…
Just a possibility…
But I believed he will remember…

Once again, it was what I expected…
I was right…

He never forgot about me…

I was relieved…
At least…

When I checked out his account, I saw pictures of him and my old school…
His new friends…
And their laughter…

But it’s alright…
That’s how things should go…
—————–
Today is his birthday…
I had just found out a while ago…
Coincidence?
Maybe yes…
Maybe no…

Happy birthday, old friend!
—————–
Now let me ask you again…

What if I never met you?
And me and them never got separated?
Which would be better?
Spending all these ten years with them or with you?
—————–
Never mind…
I know the answer anyway…

Either way, I know I’ll be happy…
I’m glad we had moved…
I was happy and lucky…
Lucky to have met them…
And to meet you as well…

Now I’m alright…
And I’ve never felt better…

This time….
All I have to do is choose…
Again…
And hope that whatever road I choose will be what’s right…

To strive for a dream or to keep on dreaming?
To keep on moving or just let life be?
I think I know the answer, do you?