June 21 - July 1, 1962

June 21 - Thursday


This has been a blue Thursday. Dad has problems with some income tax pressures. Mom criticizes everything I do and says that if I don’t watch out and change I’ll turn out to be just like Dad. She nags every day and I get so tired of it. I love Daddy so I don’t care what Mom says. (Though, she was right about everything!!) I love her too but...I went to the ANC this afternoon. We’re giving Arno a party on Friday at the ANC. Cynthia Carreon was at the ANC. She tells me that Carlos likes Ginny. So, what’s new? I am so blue tonight.



June 22 - Friday

I was elected leader of the CSSI Class together with Betsy Arrastia. I am secretly pleased. I’m beginning to think more about Tony Ortigas. Come to think of it, he never fails to say hello and at a party, whenever he sees me sitting alone, he comes and sits by me and talks for a while and he’s always so nice and polite, not to mention that he’s so handsome. I went to the ANC after school with Mercy. Talked to Lita and Luli about Arno’s party. Went to Mercy’s house this evening. We were with George and Honey all night. (Now, that sounds like a perfect evening!) Honey is so very, very comfortable to be with. Every time I’m with him he gets nicer. And George Gallent is irresistible. He’s very frank and open and really something. He has a very disturbing way of looking at you and I think he’d be fun to go out with. (Mercy, if you ever read this, you’ll think this all a hoot! Ay, querida amiga, aquellos fueron los tiempos. Now, I know why Tita Tina always insisted that I liked George.) I’m beginning to feel older every day.



June 23 - Saturday

Same dull day as yesterday. Sure, school’s ok but my moods are so blue these days. Everything seems to go wrong. Even Dad didn’t like my hairdo. Honey is so considerate. He’s so sweet and kind to me. No other boy is so nice and I appreciate him so much for it. Cookie left for the US today. Tomorrow I might see Tony at the Rizal. In some way I hope I don’t see Carlos. What’s the use. I only realize how much I love him and how little he likes me.



June 24 - Sunday

Mercy and I went to Mass in school today at 7:30 then later we went to the ANC. Found out Pilina is engaged to Johnny Rocha. Lovely engagement ring! We went to the Rizal to see “The Inspector” with Stephen Boyd and Dolores Hart. Lovely but sad picture. Arno looked right by me and said hello to Lita. One of two things - either he really hates me or he didn’t recognize me. (I was pathetic at times....) I also learned something else (that I’ve been dreading to hear), Carlos not only is not interested in me but he thinks I’m not even worth thinking about. Mercy also wanted to tell me something that he told Tita Marina but I told her to skip it or I’d be even more hurt. Well, that’s what I get for falling for someone who’s never cared at all for me and me making a fool of myself. I’m not even mad at him, I’ll just try to forget it. What really hurts me is Arno - what on earth as gotten into him? Tonight Mom screamed at me again for some thing or other - I also had the worst stomach ache I’ve ever had. Lita and Mercy ate supper here. Lita and I cleared up some misunderstandings about Morris. At least, something’s cleared up. Funny, the only sweet, kind, wonderful guy I can think of at the moment is Honey.



June 25 - Monday

Sister Andrea (I adore her) went on a hem-ripping rampage this morning. Mercy and Betsy ran away from her but she caught them this afternoon. But, she didn’t rip their hems. She’s the greatest - strict but still the greatest. This afternoon I went to Mercy’s house to copy problems from Honey’s accounting book. Honey is so sweet and considerate. (They’re playing “Look For A Star” over the radio. I wonder where Bill is now?) He is the only guy who treats me civilly. A real great guy. Ditas told me that she saw Morris twice today and so did Honey.



June 26 - Tuesday - Arno’s birthday

I love Dramatics class. Miss Martinez is a good and interesting teacher and besides, I think the study of ancient plays of Greek and Rome is terribly fascinating. Danny Cruz, our steno instructor, makes my head spin. I get pretty confused every time he enters the classroom. Every time he says my name he makes it sound like music. (This is truly the corniest thing I’ve written in here! And, earlier, I called Danny Cruz brilliant. Good grief!) Once he sat on the edge of his desk which was right in front of mine and I got so rattled I couldn’t remember a single sign. (Another moment in time I remember distinctly and he did rattle me!) I think he’s terribly interesting. Mercy, Lita, Marina, Luli and I went to see “Gone With the Wind” (again!). It’s the best motion picture ever. I went to Bingo tonight with Lita, Luli, etc. We sat with Yan, his mother, his sister and Mitch. Mitch sat beside me and treated me to a pie-a-la-mode. (I remember this too! The pie-a-la-modes at the ANC were out of this world. I can almost taste them still!) He’s so much fun to be with. He’s never boring and so nice.



June 27 - Wednesday

We had Mass in the auditorium today as it was Mother Socorro’s feast day. We had no classes this afternoon. Mercy and I went to the ANC. Elisa, Ditas, and Mary Ann were there. Luli and Lita arrived later but they sat at another table with Marina. Ditas and I talked about Morris etc. Lita and Luli said that Mitch’s mother and Mrs. Carpenter were watching me closely last night when I was talking with Mitch. I do hope Honey, Mitch and George go on Saturday. I called Fritz and told him about it tonight. I wonder how it will all turn out.



June 28 - Thursday

Tonight is one of those I hate myself nights. (So, I won’t repeat it here because its actually boring.) Tomorrow is the party Luli, Lita, Mercy and I are giving for Arno. We baked the cake and talked with Mr. Duchstein this afternoon. I just hope it doesn’t rain. Sister Andrea is just wonderful. I love her. When I entered Steno class this morning, my knees were weak and my hands were shaking - gosh I said to myself. This is only Danny Cruz, your steno teacher, but every time he says my name and our eyes meet and I get more rattled than ever. Its weird how distracted and nervous I get anytime he’s near. Oh well, it must be some reaction to having a young male (not bad looking) teaching us. First time for us convent school girls. I’d better pass the class. I have to sing during Initiation and to think that he’ll be there looking at me - geez! Pichuco and Gerardo were acting pretty nuts this afternoon. Lita is so sweet at times. I hope Mitch goes tomorrow.



June 29 - Friday

I went to Mass with Mercy at 9 and then we went to the ANC. The other L’s were there. Arno arrived later and we knew he suspected something about the party. I like him so much.....We placed the icing on the cake this afternoon but it didn’t turn out so well so we didn’t bring it. The party this evening was sweet. I kissed Arno happy birthday and thank God he didn’t hear my heart then. He didn’t dance with me once (Ooooh, the ungrateful wretch!) I’m not going to pretend I don’t care because I do. One little dance would have made me so happy. My intuition again.....I kept saying I hoped that Mitch, Honey, George and Butch would come and they did. If it hadn’t been for them, the party would have been a flop for me. I wish Mitch wasn’t so sweet and kind and just plain wonderful. (If Mitch ever reads this, I will hear him howling with laughter all the way from Manila to Brooklyn!) I danced with him once and he was going to ask me again but Yan stepped in and beat him to it. Mitch is nuts about Nadia. Honey, George and Butch are great cheerer-uppers and even greater guys. Maricar broke with Freddie Franco. Everyone was so sweet tonight but Arno just lives on hurting me and does it intentionally. Mom scolded me again when I got home.



June 30 - Saturday

Our Initiation Day went very nicely. We had games, dancing and all sorts of other stuff. Mr. Cruz was the only eligible young male around and boy didn’t he know it!! We went to Gerardo Lanuza’s surprise party this evening. It was very pleasant and enjoyable. Arno danced with me 3 times. He’s still the best dancer I know and he knows it. Tony was his old teasing self. He made me laugh till my sides almost split. He danced with me twice. One boogie and one slow. The moment he danced with me, Arno started that meaningful teasing and joking. Tony brought us home in his car. Tony said he thought Mitch was my boyfriend. (I can hear Mitch laughing even louder.)





July 1 - Sunday

It’s been a pretty dull Sunday. After Mass I went to the ANC. The gang was there. Arno was so much nicer this morning. He has a way of looking at me as if he knows exactly what I’m thinking and knows that I know what he’s thinking. He can make me so furious at times and then he can make me so happy. Yan, Lita, Luli, Jan, Ditas and I went to Diary Queen. Paqui was at the ANC for a few minutes this afternoon. Jessica, Lesley, Jan and other members of his fan club were on cloud nine. Maricar insists on making her gathering on the 14th when we’ve already planned A. & M. party. (What the heck was an “A & M” party???)