Mimi.

Mimi (Jeramae Amadeo Gacho) had been my best friend since I was 16.
When I was a junior in high school, her classroom was next to mine. I see her everyday but we weren't classmates until the senior year.

I remember then when there was someone who sat between us in class.
It was September Angel.
But because Mimi and I talk more than we ever did with others, she exchanged her seat for mine. That was when we sat next to each other in class for that whole year.
I could never forget the last row.

We were inseparable.












(High school graduation. Something to laugh about. Yes, I meant the photo.)


Ten years = 1 fight

One day in computer class, my classmates were bugging me to help them with the final project. Any program that will run using MS DOS. I haven't even finished my own. In the midst of all the confusion, she tried to convince me to finish my project first before I do theirs.
I yelled at her to go back to our classroom.

That was the fight.















(Me, Mimi in their kitchen. Our favorite spot.)

We had our times apart. Like when I left for Manila to process my travel documents. We both thought that was it. While waiting, I worked there for 4 months.
We wrote letters instead of e-mails. I still have it.

















(We were heartbroken most of the time.)

I couldn't explain the formula to a friendship that works.
All I know is that what we did for each other was a remarkable thing.
If you want to know the secret, I wouldn't keep it from you.

It would probably the funniest thing to reveal and will make you say "you're kidding!"
But actually all we did was...

WE MADE EACH OTHER LAUGH.

(When the boys made us depressed, we wore makeup.. and skirts. It was so funny it worked.)

When one of us is sad, the other takes the job of making her laugh.
We must be doing this subconsciously but this is the part where we look forward to be with each other whether we're happy or in a rut.














(Beauty takes time. LOL)

There is happiness to look forward to.
Then there is love.
And forgiveness.
And kindness.
And trust.

All substantial.

It's not a formula unless you put it all together.





And joy is not the answer to life's problems but merely the reason to keep on living despite life's painful truths.




And that joy is best shared with a friend.

Advance happy ten years mi! haha!