Thursday, October 29, 2009

November 19 - 28, 1961

November 19 - Sunday


I went to Mass at 11:45 am at Ermita and then to the ANC. Conchita, Marina, Luli and Arno were there. Arno was busy talking to Beli over the phone. I ate lunch in Conchita’s house then we picked up Lita and went to see “Bachelor’s Flat” with Tuesday Weld and Dick Beymer, at the Rizal. As we sat down I noticed Carlos was sitting in front of me and I nearly died. He looked back twice and then he went out for a moment. When he came back as he slid into his seat he said a soft “Hi.” There went my pulse again. Later, Ginny, Beli came and he sat beside Ginny. Then we saw Linggoy and he left. We chatted with Cynthia for a while then we started to walk to Marina’s house. It was then I noticed Carlos and Arno walking behind us. My knees were slowly turning to jelly. Also while we walked a big black car stops near us and it was the Whirlpools! They offered us a ride but we declined. Freddy was there! I got more excited than ever with Freddy in front of me and Carlos and Arno behind us. We found a taxi finally on Pasay Road and we went to the ANC. Later in the afternoon, Pichuco Berenguer and Ditoy Atayde joined us girls. We just chatted and listened to the radio. Pichuco is very nice. Dad brought me home. Talked to Mercy over the phone.



November 20 - Monday

We had our sale in school this morning. I contributed a jar of guava jelly, and a jar of pickles. We sold sandwiches and halo-halo. This pm my stomach was acting up again and I skipped Tagalog classes to go to the clinic. I talked to Mercy over the phone - she is real worried since she got 4 failures in her report card. Marina also called me up. Arno is also failing but in 7 subjects. Tsk, tsk, if they keep this up where will they end up? Well, I’d better not talk since my Physics is way out too. Mercy tells me that Tessie Mapua doesn’t think Carlos is handsome or anything . Well, if she’d look at herself in the mirror once in a while she wouldn’t talk so much.



November 21 - Tuesday

The usual boring day in school. I despise homework and the only thing that keeps me from being absent the whole week is the fact that I can’t afford to miss another lecture in Physics. To think I have 79 more regular days of school makes me sick. I mean I love my classmates and teachers and I like to learn but that darned homework, tests, exams, quizzes, memorizing, solving....etc. UGH This afternoon the Hi-Gayles came home and we had to decide which songs we are going to sing on Sunday. I do hope the Strads play. The Looney Tunes might sing so the competition is really up. I hope Salvador is there. He is a very nice guy and the Whirlpools might come – Freddy Infante! Mary Ann said that Mari (her brother) might come with you-know-who. Carlos won’t be able to sing but just his presence will do it for me. Funny how every time I mention Carlos, I seem to see Ginny’s face. Pocholo B. Asked Magu to La Salle’s J-S Prom. Lucky her! There’s one dream I know won’t come true. Can you imagine me going with Carlos?! Wake up girl. But I think I’d be the happiest girl in the word if I could walk into the prom with Carlos. I’d give anything...oh well, dream....I got to thinking about Arno and I think I know why he’s changed from the charming sweet person he was to an aloof, sarcastic person.



November 22 - Wednesday

It was very cold this morning with this typhoon and all. It was very colorful to see everyone with different colored sweaters in school. Miss Jusi and Mrs. Patag were absent this pm. The Hi-Gayles practiced at home this evening. Mercy called up and read me Cosme’s letter to her. Now I realize that Cosme just thinks of me as a friend. Not even a special one like Margie (Oh, spare me!) or Mercy (who he loves still). I’m just a closed chapter in his life. He’s much closer to Margie and Mercy as I see by his letters. Face it Lea, you never meant anything to him. Louie Mac has invited Mercy to the prom.



November 23 - Thursday

We went to a friend of my father’s for Thanksgiving this noon. This afternoon Mom and I went to see “Elephant Walk” with Liz Taylor and Peter Finch at the Rizal. Then we went to the ANC for a while. I looked in the Teen Den and Ramon Faustman and Arno were playing the piano. I was so happy to see Arno (???) My heart beat a teeny bit faster. I talked with him for a while and tonight he was his old self. I like him and Freddy Infante best. I talked with Mercy for hours tonight. We talked about Carlos, Cosme, Louie, Tony O., etc., etc., etc. mercy likes Tony a lot and I was right about one thing - if Cosme came back now, she’d go steady with him without a second thought. Mercy admitted it. We talked until 10:45 pm. Everyone it seems is going to the La Salle prom.



November 24 - Friday

Mrs. Patag said I wasn’t doing as good in class as I have before and that I’ve changed in the past 2 months etc. Well, the plain truth is that I’m fed up with school. I mean I get so restless in a classroom all day. There are times when I feel like screaming in the middle of a class. I hate it! But, I’ll try to do better these coming months. This morning we went to the Science Exhibit with Mrs. Buencamino and the class. The Hi-Gayles stuck together all the time. There was the handsomest American guy there. Tall, with blue eyes and sandy hair. I nearly flipped. This afternoon the Hi-Gayles practiced at home. Margot Pimentel and I got into an argument again. Its just that sometimes she wants her way - result - we ended up by NOT singing “Devoted to You” I knew it all along. Tomorrow I’m going with Lita, Maricar, Marimil etc to the Assumption Mission Day. I hope, I hope I see Carlos.



November 25 - Saturday

This morning I went to the ANC. The Hi-Gayles practiced for a while. Mari Olbes was asking me about the combo. Lita was with us in the Teen Den and Arno, Beli, and Nena Barratta were there too. This pm, Lita picked me up to go to the Assumption Mission Day Fair. Conchita looked so pretty today. I talked with Emma. We almost had 2 or 3 free rides in every thing. Carlos was there and I saw Ginny too but she wasn’t with him. When we were in the auditorium I was talking to Marina and Carlos was standing right next to me! Today we didn’t greet each other. My fault I think. I was talking to Annie and Vicky Aboitiz is very nice. Joe Assad gave Marimil a gold ID bracelet. I was so tired when I got home.



November 26 - Sunday

Went to Mass early this morning with Mom and then to the ANC. We sat by the pool a while. Nacho, Gonzalo and Pichuco were there. Also Arno. Later Conchita, Arno and I sat in the Sunset Lounge and talked. Paul Tenny gave us free cokes. Arno, Conchita and Lita were making plans about the Prom - the one I’d like to be asked to go to but lets face it Lea - who’d ask??!! I’d like to go with Carlos or Arno but like the song goes...dream....I ate lunch at the ANC with Mom and Pop. This pm we went to school at 5:30 for the jazz concert. The Whirlpools were there with us. I like Freddy and Ramon an awful, awful lot. We were teasing Freddy about Pinky and Marimil (whom he calls ‘my pet’) and Ramon to Maricar. Jay is nice too but I like Mon and Freddy better. Tomorrow is Marimil’s feast day. I wish I could go to her house and see Freddy and Mon again.



November 27 - Monday

Study, study, study. I’m sick of it. I can’t stand Physics, History (ancient and medieval), English Grammar and Tagalog. We took up Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning in Lit today. Her poem of “How Do I Love Thee” is so beautiful, I feel like crying when I read it. As I think of that poem only one name comes into my mind - Carlos! (The usual Carlos stuff follows for a couple of sentences...) My poor dad’s problems are worrying me a lot too.



November 28 - Tuesday

I read my entry in here of yesterday and it’s a little childish. I got my answer from Cosme today to the letter I wrote him. Man, he’s way out. He thinks I like Mari and Louie, of all people. (Even Cosme had to know that I couldn’t possibly have liked Louie Mac! He knew Agustin and Leo were high up there on my creep scale so I think Cosme, was, as usual, pulling my chain.) They don’t appeal to me very much. Also that Mari is the most conceited yet. You’d think he was some sort of hero or something. He wrote Cos telling him that Margie and I were offended that he didn’t sit with us at the table at Boy Blue’s party. Honestly!! Some people can really have their noses out of place. Talked to Mercy over the phone and she was furious about Mari too. Honey calls him a backbiter. I went to Bingo this evening and Luli was there with her parents and Pilina. They brought us home. Mr. Charter died last Sunday.