In lieu of a father and a brother, I have 8 [boy]friends instead

I honestly do not know how someone who likes make up, girly things, who "becky-speak" can be called one of the boys and literally be treated like one.

The night after my dad was buried, I was dropping off my nephew at his house, car on hazard lights, when 10 minutes later, this tricycle driver coming from nowhere at nine o'clock at night, drunk, went on full stop, almost smashing himself behind the lamp post at the back of the car, near where I was tentatively parked. He then challenged me to get out and made a huge scene about the positioning of my parking. My sister, got out of the car and to settle whatever misunderstanding since no one died, no one crashed, this drunk, ass-of-a-man was just scared out of his skull that he thought he was almost killed.

He actually asked my sister if it was her husband who's driving. Her husband?! He had been screaming his guts at me for a good whole 5 minutes at my window ( I did not get out of the car)  and did not know even recognize that all along, he's been shouting at a FEMALE. When he learned that I am a female driver, he mellowed down and everything was settled. I thought it was such a complete waste of energy. I just said my scripted sorry because 1) Don't bother because he was obviously drunk, 2) Anger is a useless emotion 3) Never argue with an idiot because he will surely drag me down and beat me with experience.

I still drove all the way home, semi-shaken, because I'm thinking how it would be like had it been my father who's driving. My father's been driving for 35 years with professional driver's license, and his license was never ever confiscated. I don't know how he settled whatever mishap he went through whenever we're in Manila, because I've always been aware that I got my temper from him.

Now, out of necessity, I really have to clean up my act when driving. My dad's not around to drive for me anymore and I do not have a brother to ask if he can play chauffeur for me. It would've been easy if I'm driving an automatic car, but no, my Dad prefers stick shift, so I always have to be attentive to the car's engine.

Today, my friend from grad school BBM'd me out of nowhere:

BBM screencap with permission

 I just remembered you, I'm thinking, you still have a "guy" in your life in the presence of your guy friends even though your dad is no longer here.

 

 My 8 [boy] friends Rogus, Ellis, Jim, Yay, Poch, Jan, Dodi and Marco (photo shown at the photo booth print out)

I've been friends with these guys since high school, and they were my welcome bandwagon when I went home two years ago. They were with me the first time I shed a tear from my broken heart, when I just want someone to hang out with, when I didn't have any female friends yet in graduate school, they went medicine hunting with me on a good Friday night when my Dad needs medicine that can't be bought at  the country's main drugstore, and they were full support from the moment my Dad was first transferred to the resurrection chapel and finally to his grave at the memorial park where he was finally laid to rest.

I don't know how I have learned to decode their inside-male-only jokes that I paid for the price of being one of the boys that they pick on me like a little sister. I don't mind, I don't have a brother, so these silly bickering and banters were actually the highlight of my days.

 

Photoboth experience with these guys always seem like a death defying experience. It was so much fun and undeniably noisy that people near the booth at the parties where we went to, stop by and watch us make fun of each other in front of the camera. 

Then we all get out of the booth, laughing and all sweaty.

When we get visitors at the hospital, my mom would introduce my guy friends to her guests as her "sons" a.k.a. Kristine's friends. So in lieu of a father and a brother, I am thankful and blessed that I have 8 wonderful [boy] friends, who, as per Rogus' exact words: "We go as a Team!"