December 12 - 17, 1961

December 12 - Tuesday


Oooooh, how I hate getting up in the morning to go to school. Anywhere else I’d gladly get up at 4 am to go but classes – ugh. Never mind, there are just 2 miserable months left and it’ll be all over. (And I’d give anything to roll back time and go back to December 1961 AND school, now!) If I get through Physics, of course. I’m going to miss my classmates though. I didn’t go to school this afternoon I helped mommy in making her fancy matchboxes. I called Inger to wish her a happy birthday (a little late). I also called up Margotin and Marimil. Marimil says we have caroling practice on Saturday at 2 pm for his royal highness - Fritz Infante wants us there at 2 sharp. Also this Dee-Dee something from the Manila Times called Magu and wants us (the Hi-Gayles) to sing at UST on Saturday. No thanks, not at UST. Everyone is going to Mil’s house on Saturday. The Black Kats (some), Squares, Whirlpools, Hi-Gayles, Loony Tuners. I hope with all my heart CG goes.



December 13 - Wednesday

Same dull routine in school. This afternoon Sr. Angela tried some of us girls out for the coming High School play - “Seven Mirrors.” I get a whole scene in which I play the part of Kay - a girl who is lying in a stretcher somewhere in the war torn island of Leyte. It takes place in WWII. It might be very exciting. Sister also placed me in charge of securing the records for sound effects. This evening I went over to Mercy’s house to get the pictures we took on the boat, the day that Cos left - they developed quite good. There’s 2 of Cos which are quite terrific. One of him shaking hands with Mari and another of Cuisia looking at the pictures. I suddenly missed Cos a lot. I miss him a lot. I wish he were back here. Honey spent some time with us this evening. When he’s a good mood and teases me, I love it! But when he’s in a bad mood, well, skip the subject. I think he dislikes me immensely then.



December 14 - Thursday

This am at recess, everyone was talking about dreamy Bob Conrad on TV last night. Also, Teresa Carballo is very nice and so are all of my classmates. I love all of them. I just hate school because of those darned quizzes, tests, homework, lectures, themes, book reports, research etc. Tagalog, Physics (ugh). I like the teachers too but, oh skip it. This afternoon I didn’t go to school. Mom and I went shopping with Tita Marianne who gave me a Christmas card from Arlette and Monica. I worked on Mom’s matchboxes all afternoon. This evening I watched the NCAA championship games - Ateneo vs. Mapua. Ateneo won - yay! Those Mapuans started a fight but the game resumed and Ateneo won by 1 point - 81-80. Dad and I had a fight at dinner. Tita Pacita ate with us. Honestly, sometimes parents can get so unreasonable. I mean, just because I got mistaken about something or other - poof, he blows up in a minute. I saw Peps for a minute on the TV screen. Called Lita and told her. She mentioned Spik Loinaz again and that combo concert at the Rizal Coliseum on December 21st. I’m not counting my chickens till they hatch. Cosme finally wrote to Mercy. Now he thinks Mercy has a crush on Carlos Garcia. Man, is he mixed up! He thinks I like Mari and Louie and Mercy, Carlos, when actually its vice-versa. Somebody will have to straighten the poor guy out or else he may get us all in a mess. Gee, I’m sleepy....



December 15 - Friday

I didn’t go to school today. I can just hear Mrs. Buencamino, Miss Zacharias and Sister Angela and oh, Marina. All trying to speculate whether I made lakuacha or not (Well, duh, child, if you ain’t in school, what else would I be doing...) Anyway, I went to the dressmakers with Mom. Mom also got a letter today from Tito Carlos in Spain. Abuelita is gravely ill and this made Mom’s spirits hit the low z mark. I hope, please God, that nothing happens to Abuelita. This will completely unnerve Mom who already has jittery nerves. Not on Christmas. Last year Dad got sick and this year Abuelita gets sick. Our luck in this Bowie family is not a lady. Well, God knows what He’s doing. Mom and I went to RCA for a moment this evening. I talked with Mercy over the phone, also Magu and Lita. I’m faced with a problem - Lita wants to take me to Mil’s house and Magu said she’ll pick me up with Fritz tomorrow. Oh well, bahala na. Carlos might be there!



December 16 - Saturday

This morning I went to Alemars to buy Christmas cards with Mom. This afternoon Lita picked me up and she, Maricar, Vicky Perez, Vita and I all went to Mil’s house together. We had a lot of fun. We were all in all 23 girls and boys - namely Betina, Vita, Magu, Susan, Margot P., Marina, Lita, Marimil, Vicky, Maricar and I. The boys were Fritz, Mon, Jay, Spik, Peps, Luisito and brother, Joe, Boy, Danny, Rafy, Freddy Hernandez. As soon as I came in Fritz began teasing me about Carlos. We started to practice “Oh Holy Night” with Susan at the guitar but the boys sort of fouled things up. Then Fritz played “Jingle Bells” and that was sort of distorted too. Anyway, Fritz finally began to play the guitar, singing songs and we followed. He also did an imitation of Carlos singing and I’m sure my heart skipped a beat or two namely because I was reminded of Carlos and second because Fritz looked real dippy doing it. Jay and Ramon also took turns playing the new electric guitar. Fritz really sends me. Many times while he was singing, he’d look straight at me. I also got self-conscious because while I was singing I saw Peps and Spik looking at me. Oh well. Later Fritz and the rest of the Hi-Gayles left and Maricar, Lita and I stayed behind with Mom, Betina and Jay. When Freddy Hernandez and Spik came back we asked if Spik could take us home. He said yes. We dropped Betina and Jay off first and then I sat in the front of the car (In Spik’s gorgeous Impala!), while Lita, Mon and Maricar were in back. We dropped Maricar first, then Lita. I was the last. When Lita left I was alone in the front seat with Mon and Spik. Spike is a very nice guy polite, soft spoken and well mannered - (first impression, anyway).

He asked me about Thursday again and I said I could go provided we were with the gang. His last words as I left the car were “Te vere...” I talked with Marina over the phone as I got home. She says she dislikes all Ateneans and La Sallites. Well, she can go back to her good old Italy for all I care! She said she was bored at Mil’s house. Next time, she can stay home. I ate dinner at D’Marks. Uncle Johnny Oppenheimer and Tita Nenuca were there. They gave me a 20.00 Christmas gift. Yipee! Now I can buy myself a sweater. It’s been a very nice day. All the people at Mil’s house are great.



December 17 - Sunday

Went to Mass at 11 AM. Tito Javier Ponce de Leon visited Mom this morning, I went to the ANC after Mass. Lita, Conchita, Luli, Marina...who is bugging me these days - always harping about me missing school, etc. what business is it of hers?! Arno was with us later and when the rest left he stayed with me. I showed him my wallet since he asked to see it. Yipes, he must have seen his picture. Oh well, anyway Beli’s ring popped out of his finger first then and he said it wouldn’t come off. He said that Carlos might sing on Thursday. I kept a straight face when he said this. I ate lunch at the ANC and Luli picked me up. Arno came with us. Beli wasn’t there today. I owe him a movie but I won’t invite him till he breaks with Beli. Spik, Peps, Mon, Fred, Jay, etc. were at the movie. Skip said hello and offered me the ice cream cone he was eating. I laughed and said no thanks. I saw Annie, Elsie and Vicky outside, said hello too. After the movie, Luli dropped Conchita, Lita and I off at the ANC. We sat in the Sunset Lounge and chatted mostly about Spik and Peps. Conchita is crazy over this handsome guy - Santi something. Pichuco joined us later and Conchita went home. We had a lot of laughs. Pichuco invited Lita and I to go to a movie with him but sorry na lang. We dropped Lita home. Spik called me up tonight but I couldn’t talk very long on account of my ever-loving parents and supper. So I asked him to call back tomorrow. He asked me about Thursday evening again and I gave him the same answer. Tomorrow rambulan in class. BIG sermon from all teachers.