chance encounter

Have you ever sworn to yourself that you'll never ever talk to a particular person again? You pray that you'll never ever meet that person again because just looking at that person's face makes you seethe?

Or that when you ever meet the person again, you'll simply ignore the person, walk away, or perhaps grab the opportunity to ask the questions that were left hanging when you parted ways?

So I had this friend once. From my perspective, I severed our ties without any anger. I was happy for that friend because things in his life finally fell into place. I knew then that it was what he wanted, and I'd have no problem walking away. Right from the start, we've established that the moment he finds his grapefruit (that's what he calls a GF), we'll part ways. I've mentioned that unloading his concerns to a friend of the opposite sex and not to the grapefruit could sabotage his relationship, and I wouldn't be part of that. What saddened me was, every time I ask if he's found his grapefruit, he never said anything. So I was surprised when he suddenly got angry with me day after I supposedly ruined his date with someone. Wow, ha! We're only friends, remember? In any case, true to that promise, I gave him a parting gift to express my gratitude for our friendship and the assurance that I'd be the least of his problems even after he didn't show to the appointment he himself set. So yeah, we stopped talking after that. Life happened. Then new information reached me, and I was hurt. I was hurt because that friend never corrected the wrong impression another person had of me. If he acted like my real friend, then that third person would feel secure and won't dare spread lies about me. This happened years ago, maybe eight or seven years, and I'd stop thinking about it---and life went on. Then last Friday, as I was walking from our office in Banilad to IT park, a guy suddenly walked side by side with me. As I wasn't wearing my glasses, it took a few minutes before I recognized who it was.

Kid: Dugaya na nato wala ni nabuhat oi---lakaw-lakaw lang.

Me: *gasp* <<mentioned his name>>. Kumusta? What are you doing here?...I don't want to be seen with you kay magkaproblema na pud. bye!~

Kid: vetlongwalks ******[inaudible as I walked away as fast as I could]

Realization: as it turns out, I'm never a person to hold a grudge. When you're a friend to me once, I'll always see you as one. I will always choose to walk away though. Darn, I regretted not pausing to ask the unasked questions (like why didn't you show up to set things straight? You were the one who asked for the appointment, yet you were a no-show.) But then I also remembered that he'd rather take things to his grave than discuss some matters. On the other hand, there's also that bit of regret that I wish I had said this before walking away: "Stay away from me. Have you forgotten how angry you were at me for something I didn't do? So I'm confused why you're even talking to me right now. Really, I don't want to be seen with you because your wife may see us. She was mean to me (told lies about me) when she was just your girlfriend, how much more now when she's your wife?"

Those were the things running in my head, but as you've read, they weren't the same things that came out when I opened my mouth. I was glad that I didn't choose to say it though. For really? What's the point of digging the past? I'm only chronicling it here because I'm selfish, and I considered the incident funny. It's funny how we web action plans and never get to carry them out when presented with the real situation. I'm just glad because one of the WHAT IFs---meeting him again---has just been ticked off. Now I know what my reaction was seeing a ghost of my past on the road again. I wonder how other people would fare in a similar incident.