least expectations

It wasn't even in my list of least expected events.

I expected a hearty meal to celebrate the Society's feastday. I expected to enjoy the night conversing with friends. I expected to be entertained by the different performances.

That is why I was taken aback when one of the novices (whom i later found out was named Bryan) approached me and handed me something:

"Bro, may kilala ba kayong Ana?"--awkward moment--"may ipinaabot po kasing sulat."

I've known several people named "Ana" in my lifetime and none of them would have had any motivation at all to send me a letter on new year's day.

"Ahh," I said, faking some semblance of recognition. "Taga-saan nga?"

"Taga-RC, bro," said the novice. "Basta kasama nyo raw sila pag nag-iikot kayo sa RC."

RC was a purok in Area G in Sapang Palay. That I knew.

I also remembered that several little children would accompany me as I immersed myself in our Sunday Apostolate in Area G. But that was several years ago and I have been to many places and have met many people since then.

To spare us both the awkwardness of my futile attempt at recalling, I just admitted to the novice that I seemed to have forgotten who "Ana" was. So I pocketed the letter--still inside its envelope--and told him to extend my thanks to "Ana".

After a while, I curiously opened the envelope. The letter itself was written on a Winnie-the-Pooh stationery that seemed to have been torn off from a notebook.

It read:

Dear Brother Ogie!

Hello po Brother Ogie! Kumusta po kayo? Its been a long time nang magkita po tayo. At siguro po hindi mo na po ako kilala--"I am [sic] almost seven years old nang makilala ko po kayo nila Brother J-jay and Brother Onemig and Brother Aldrin...At hanggang ngayon po hindi ko pa po kayo nakakalimutan. Kasi po, ang saya-saya ko po nung mga panahong kasama ko kayo...actually marami nga po kaming mga bata na napalapit sa inyo eh! Natatandaan mo pa po ba sila Tintin, Nene, at Rachel? Yung mga makukulit pong bata na tuwing linggo'y nangungulit sa inyo? Kasama po ako sa kanila...

Ako po si Ana. After 22 [sic] years ngayon lang po ako nagkaroon ng chance na makumusta ko kayo. Alam nyo po, nung mabalitaan ko pong wala na kayo sa simbahan, nalungkot po ako at nagtampo po ako sa inyo...kasi po hindi ko po alam na aalis kayo. Hindi man lang po ako nakapagpaalam sa inyo. Pero hindi ko po pala dapat maramdaman sa inyo yon. Kasi po kailangan nyo po pala talagang umalis...Nuon ko lang po yun nalaman nung mag choir ako sa simbahan at nakita ko pong kailangan po pala talaga ninyong iwan ang kapilya kahit na marami po kayong masasayang ala-alang maiiwan dito para po idistino kayo sa ibang lugar.

Alam mo po Bro. Ogie, ngayon miyembro na po ako ng kabataan sa simbahan. Ansaya nga po eh! Ah, bro. congrats nga po pala...sabi po kasi ni Bro.Bryan magpa-pari kana po. Natutuwa po ako para sa inyo. Alam mo po Brother, nami-miss ko na po talaga kayo! Ano na po kayang itsura nyo? Nga po pala Brother Ogie, ikaw na lang po ang bahalang kumamusta kela Bro. Jay-jay, Bro. Onemig & Bro. Aldrin kapag nagkita po kayo paki-sabi na lang pong kinukumusta po namin sila.

Hanggang dito na lang po! Mag-iingat po kayo palagi. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

I folded the letter after reading it. I smiled.

Then I began to remember once more how little children would always tag along during Sunday Apostolate.

But I still could not recall who "Ana" was.

Yet I continued to smile even after I had already pocketed the letter.

I kept smiling!

Now, I didn't expect that.