January 11 - 20, 1962

January 11 - Thursday


Margotin and Susan are honestly the nicest! We stick together like glue and when Nanette and Margot join us that’s when the bedlam starts. All we talk about is the graduation ball. My conversation any minute of the day always leads to the same person – Carlos Garcia. Marina saw him today walking to La Salle with Nacho. I do hope Nacho puts in a good word for me now and then. Magu says she’ll talk to him on Saturday and casually ask him what he thinks of me asking him to the ball. Oh, I hope everything turns out alright - just this once! I received a letter from Cosme today.



January 12 - Friday

Magu was all starry eyed this morning because it seems that it has been confirmed that Fritz is really crazy over her. Magu cut her hair and she looks younger and so cute. Talked with Mers over the phone for hours. George Gallent was there today and he asked Mercy if I told her anything about Tuesday night. Thank goodness Mercy said no. (I believed anything then, didn’t I?!!!)



January 13 - Saturday

I went to play practice from 8 - 10 am. Later I went to the ANC. Conch, Marina were there. Mitch was there too with George. Later Arno arrived and sat with us. He’s grown a little stouter and cut his hair and looked real cute. We started talking about the prom and Arno gave hints about me asking him and I kept insisting that he’s going steady with Beli. Finally he suggested I ask Carlos. I thought he was joking but he said “Carlos is game for anything” (And I fell for this too?! My brain truly was mush then.) Anyway, Arno says he will ask Carlos and if Carlos says yes then Arno will go to the ball too. Oh, I hope, hope, hope with all my heart that just this once - pleeeeeez! This noon I ate lunch with Mom at the ANC. I couldn’t go to the movies with the girls - darn it. Anyway, Nena was at the ANC and she and I wrote a crazy letter to Maribel Franco. Luli and Conch came back from the movie all excited because they had seen Carlos and that he looked positively out of this world in black pants and white shirt. (And, what great friends I had, too, didn’t I!!!!) Tomorrow I hope I see him at the Rizal. I’ll die if I don’t. This evening, Susan, Magu, and I went to this party of a boy named ????? I danced every dance except 4. Everyone said I dance very well. Nonoy Bayot dances divinely and Bobby Ng danced with me too. They even clapped! I felt like diving under the chair. My feet are killing me. Tomorrow Mass at school at 7:30 am - oh no!!



January 14 - Sunday

Mass at 7:30 in school and later went to the ANC. I wrote a letter to Nana so those parents of mine could let me go the Rizal. Arno was so sweet today. I could fall for that guy (I thought I had, in fact didn’t we go “steady” in 1960? Too bad I burned the diary of that year - well, maybe not too bad.) at the drop of a hat. I went to the Rizal with Lita, Conch and Luli and I FINALLY SAW CARLOS! That month and a half of not seeing him was well worth it. When he came down the aisle with those white pants and black shirt, well actually, dark navy blue, my pulse went 3 times faster. I never saw anyone look better. When we were coming out of the movie he was outside sitting near the ticket booth. His eyes met mine for a split second and then I hurried out. I could feel his eyes on us as we scurried out. Arno who was by him gave me a big wink. We walked to Marina’s house. I saw Carlos walking the other way with Arno. Mitch drove by in his car. He smiled and waved to us. Mercy told me he’s broken with Pilar - yeba!! Marimil came to play practice with me, from 5 - 7 pm. She met Joe and was in seventh heaven. She ate supper here at home and she’s a riot! She tells me Vicky Aboitiz will invite Carlos to her prom, and that he had invited her to the La Salle prom but she couldn’t go. Wala na jake, there go my dreams..



January 15 - Monday

This has been a tiring frustrating day. I hate Physics and school. This afternoon I did not go to school but slept for 3 hours (That’s one way to not face a pet peeve) I had a headache when I woke up and I have a test in Physics tomorrow and I don’t feel like studying (I think it took a miracle (of both St. Jude and St. Anthony) that I actually graduated at all!)Dad’s in a bad mood and came home after 8 pm. Mom’s got these perpetual headaches that make her in an even worse mood so when she and Dad get into another senseless argument I can’t stand it any more. This continual tension is making me cranky. (What an insensitive spoiled brat I was - wait, I forget, I was a teenager!) I still haven’t shown them my report card and wait till Dad sees that I went down in Religion, Composition and Conduct. The other subjects didn’t go up nor down except of course a 75 in Physics and 79 in History. What a blue day and to top it all, I know Carlos won’t be going to the ball with me.



January 16 - Tuesday

Poor Mommy still has these terrific migraine headaches and they’re beginning to worry me. Nothing interesting happened in school except I had a wonderful time during Spanish class and play rehearsals. Also had a test in Physics which was so-so and Marina was starry eyed because she got a letter from Charles (Who, Charles?) This evening I went to Bingo. Mitch and George were there with two girls. Tita Pacita came with us to Bingo. Mom won 60.00 and she gave me 5.00. Luli and Pichuco were at Bingo too. Lita is getting operated on her appendix tomorrow.



January 17 - Wednesday

My classmates are a bunch of crazy but wonderful girls. What characters! I am going to miss them so much when high school is over. I forgot to mention earlier that shy Maripi Gomez eloped with Greg Martin a few days ago. It’s the Big Talk Around School. Who would have thought?! This evening I tried to get Mercy over the phone but couldn’t. Mommy’s headache was gone this evening and she was all excited about her painting class which she goes with Tita Marianne. She’s very good at it too and I’m so glad she’s getting interested is something. Sometimes Dad makes me so mad. He can be so disheartening and such a wet blanket. “Route 66" was pretty cool this evening. I can’t wait to talk to Arno. I just hope with all my heart he and Carlos can go to the prom with me. Same old routine in school. I’m not writing much except that I’ll die till Saturday which is when Arno tells me Carlos’s answer. I washed my hair tonight and talked with Mercy over the phone. Nothing else very exciting.



January 18 - Thursday

If Marimil doesn’t hurry up and bring my Religion book back my grades in that subject won’t be worth mentioning. (The binding in this diary is awful. There goes this page). I got punished in Spanish for speaking out of turn. We had play practice this evening and Sister Mary Angela was in an awful mood. It’s a crummy play without boys playing the boys’ part and with sister directing it, even worse. Marina and I went to the ANC after classes. Conchita was there and she asked if I wanted to go and see Lita so I went with her. She looked fine though a bit tired and sleepy. Marina saw Carlos this morning. She said he was driving his car.



January 19 - Friday

Today was a nice day in school since we didn’t have much of classes. This pm I practiced the “Leyte” scene from the play with Miss Ocampo. This evening Marina and I went to the hospital to see Lita. Marina left at 5:30 and I stayed. Conchita and Luli came later. Conch said she saw Carlos pass by Assumption today. Which means he must have passed by SPCM, too. (I was truly blinded by (teenage) love or just plain stupid - didn’t Diane Lane say in some movie something about love making you stupid?) Tomorrow I see Arno and the answer. Conchita brought me home at 8. Lita’s pop gave Conch, Lita and I cute pocket diaries with quotations.



January 20 - Saturday

I went to the hospital at 8:30 am and Lita was glad to see me. We played cards and chatted. Later, Mon Infante and Boy Legarda, Jay Herrero came too. Jay is so nice and he said Betina told them I had a nice voice. Arno came at about 10:30 am and when I asked him what Carlos’s response was he said no but a minute later he said he was only joking and that Carlos said YES! I was so excited and happy I wanted to hug dear, wonderful Arno. Maricar was there too. Later the boys left and I left 10 minutes later at about 11:15. I went to the ANC and Arno was there with Marina. He was teasing me and he says he isn’t sure about going to the ball. Well, he is if I have to drag him there myself. I hope I see Carlos tomorrow. I went to school for play practice. Now they’ve decided to have a crummy curtain call so this will probably make me late for Maripaz’s party next Saturday. Sr. Angela also said that we were trying to attract attention during the practice for curtain calls just because Joe Avelino was there.