(A Short Story – Fourth of 6 Parts)

Mario got out of his car, carrying a plastic bag. He was also wearing a long-sleeve shirt, just like Jay, but without a tie.

“Bro, finally, we’re all together again,” Mario said, his voice a little choked up as he hugged each of us one by one.

“Damn, bro, you’re still so dramatic,” Chris said.

“No, he’s just missed us,” Jay replied.

“Wait, let’s sit first. Wow, I think these are the same rocks we used to sit on when we used to hang out here,” Mario said.

Mario opened the plastic bag he was carrying.

“This is for you, Jay. It’s a perfume. I know how much you love fragrances. And Mon, I got you a new phone—it’s a Galaxy S25 Ultra, the latest from Samsung.”

“Wow, bro, this is too much. This is expensive,” I said.

“It’s fine, Mon. Don’t worry about it. Jay told me yesterday when I called him that your phone looks old,” Mario replied.

Jay and I both hugged Mario and thanked him sincerely.

“Perfect timing! I should make a Facebook account for you, bro,” Chris said. “And what’s this? What’s in here?”

“It’s Viagra.”

We all laughed at what Mario had said.

“Hey, just so you know, I don’t need Viagra. Mine is always standing at attention whenever I command it. It tends to get excited whenever I see pretty women.”

“Is that so?” Jay challenged, raising an eyebrow. “What I learned in psychology is that guys who boast about their prowess are the ones suffering from ED.”

“ED? As in Echo Delta? What does that mean?” Chris asked.

“Erectile dysfunction,” I clarified, keeping the mood light.

Another round of laughter ensued

“As if you don’t know me, boys.”

“Come on, Chris, we know you too well,” Jay teased.

“It’s not Viagra; it’s a watch. A G-Shock,” Mario interjected.

What Jay and Chris said about Mario was true. He must have a good job in Saudi Arabia. I was happy for my friends; they had achieved their dreams. It’s tough to predict what will happen in a person’s future. You can never be sure what will become of your classmates and friends when you all go your separate ways after high school or college. It’s not necessarily true that only those who top the class—the valedictorians and honorees—will have the best future. No one can say for sure if the best students from the past will be the ones who succeed and prosper, as seen in the cases of Chris and Mario.

Truth be told, they were lazy students and considered the class slackers, often absent from school. Jay was the smartest of our group, while Mario was the weakest academically; however, out of the three of us, he was the wealthiest. He had the nicest car and treated the gifts he brought for us as if they were nothing special.

“Hey, Mon, I think I’m going to melt from your gaze. Stop staring at me like that,” Mario said.

“Sorry bro. You’re just truly impressive.” I responded, admiring his enthusiasm.

“Wait, wait… now that we’re all here, let’s take some pictures. It’s groupie time, guys!” Chris exclaimed.

The three of them took turns snapping pictures of the group. We acted like kids, scrambling to get into position.

“Great news! The pictures are live on Facebook,” Jay announced with a grin. “Don’t worry, Mon, I’ll get your account set up soon, and you can check them out. By the way, check out my profile pic! Still looking sharp, right?”

“Hold on, though. I’m getting pretty hungry. Can we grab a snack first?” Mario chimed in.

“Aren’t we supposed to hit the basketball court?” Chris teased, raising an eyebrow.

“Let’s do that next time. I didn’t bring my jerseys.” Jay suggested.

“Hey, Mon, I think I’m going to melt from your gaze. Stop staring at me!”

“Yeah, I’m hungry too,” Chris agreed. “Hey, Mon, where’s a good restaurant around here? You probably know a lot since you drive here every day.”

“Actually, I want LTB, Chris. Why venture far when Mang Isko’s lugawan is just a stone’s throw away?” Mario pointed to the familiar lugawan we used to frequent.”Wow, how cheap… lugaw, tokwa, baboy.”

“Alright, Chris, if you have your heart set on a restaurant, go ahead. But I’m all for Mang Isko’s lugawan, Mario. Mon, let’s indulge in some delicious LTB!”

Jay started walking toward the lugawan, and Mario and I followed.

“Hey, wait, I’m coming too! LTB sounds great,” Chris said.

We had the lugawan to ourselves, and it was sad to find out that Nanay Mameng and Mang Isko had passed away. Their children were now running the store and lugawan.

As the three of them sat down, I waited for our LTB order. I watched my friends happily chatting. Among the three, Jay looked the oldest, with a lot of gray hair. He was probably stressed from all the work and studying he did, which made his hair turn gray quickly. I checked the mirror hanging by the door of the lugawan to see if I had any gray hairs yet. Thankfully, I didn’t. Mario and Chris each had a few gray hairs, but Mario’s forehead had also become wider, possibly due to the heat in Saudi Arabia that caused his hair to fall out.

Chris stood up and took a selfie, showing his playful side. He even got one with me. He is taller than all of us. He always played center whenever our section formed teams in high school. Although Jay was the shortest of the four of us, he was also the most handsome, with a mestizo appearance. Mario and I were about the same height.

With the lugawan’s self-service setup, I stepped up to fetch our orders when they were finally ready, eager to enjoy and strengthen our bond over good food and great company.

“Wow, it’s been ages since I last had LTB,” Mario exclaimed. “But wait, Mon… are you just having lugaw with egg?”I nodded in response.

“Are you on a diet?” Chris inquired. “That’s probably the reason your belly isn’t bulging like mine, which makes me look like I’m pregnant.”

“Yeah, right,” Jay interjected. “And have you noticed, Chris? Mon’s chest and arms are getting bigger.”

“I’m just buff from driving and working in the fields, brothers,” I replied with a smile.

“What about you, Jay? Why do you look like you’ve lost weight?” Mario asked.

“Well… I think it’s probably due to lack of sleep. I’ve been buried in paperwork. The life of a school administrator is tough,” Jay admitted.

Though we had simple food, our spirits were high. They even ordered another round of LTB, but I was fine with just one. While we ate, we reminisced about all the crazy things we did back in high school. It was a fun conversation filled with laughter and teasing.

After we finished eating, Chris and Mario suggested going out for a drink.

“I know a karaoke bar in the next town that’s open from 3:00 PM until dawn. Let’s make it a night to remember—come on, we’ve got cars!” Chris said, his excitement infectious.

“Let’s not go there, bro. The trip is long, and it would be a waste of time. It would be better if we just bought some beer at the store and drank inside Mon’s jeep. It’s more refreshing, and the experience will be unique,” Jay suggested.

“Yeah, you’re right, Jay. Let’s not go far so we can keep chatting,” Mario agreed.

“Okay, okay, of course, the majority wins. Here’s Mon. He won’t vote; he’s always neutral. Alright, I’ll go buy the beer so we can start right away.”

So, as Jay suggested, we ended up drinking inside my jeep. He was right; it was indeed a unique experience—drinking inside a jeep. Chris bought the beer, and I picked up some peanuts and chicharrón to go with it. Thankfully, I had cleaned the jeep after my last trip. We were delighted when Mario also took out his Chivas Regal and imported cheddar from his car. He even had a shot glass! Chris grabbed a case of beer.

“Well, just like before, no one leaves until this is finished… and Mario’s Chivas too. I also bought plastic cups and ice cubes in case you want it cold,” Chris said as he passed us the open beer.

“To our reunion of handsome guys… CHEERS!” Jay said.

That’s how our drinking started, and our never-ending conversation continued.

“Why did we only think about meeting up now?” Mario asked. “Let’s make this a regular thing. Otherwise, it’ll probably take another 25 years before we do it again. How should we do it? What about every two years, whenever I’m on vacation? Or maybe every four years?”

“Not every four years… I might not make it!” Jay said.

We suddenly went quiet.

To be continued…

What Matters – Part 3

What Matters – Part 1

What Matters – Part 2