Buddy

Buddy

I have met my best buddy in my third year high school. A cousin of my classmate in the Special Science Class, This guy was the one who hands the lunch box of his two female cousins.  I met this guy wearing a cap. One day one of the things he said during the times he requested me to call his cousin in the room was to list up his name in the list of players of the intramurals in high school. I was shocked, in my mind and said “Who is this guy?” then as I heard the surname I wasn’t familiar of it. Then days passed by the same routine were done. It was not until around January 2008 that I played on the basketball court in the gym of our school. Suddenly as I had received the ball I was like beast mode in offense. I was on fire. I had never seen like this before in my life then.

in our JS Prom this guy leaned closer to me when I tried to rest in socializing with my classmates. It was far better feeling than interacting with my classmates in the Special Section. That time I had a distaste of the group I had on that section. They weren’t as exciting, vibrant and heart-warming as I have expected. As a result I had resorted to be friends to my neighbours risking negative peer pressure and influence. But this guy that I have mentioned was different in every angle you looked in. Despite the time we did not see each other often, that time. It wasn’t until the Brigada Eskwela and enrolment on the same day that we saw each other again. It was the turning point in my life that I was assigned in the general section and met one of the people who offered real friendship in my life.  Though not having the scholarship needed for college, I have found the grace of God in that situation. That was the time my mother reminded me to have a relationship with Jesus Christ back then, and the first verse I had remembered is Romans 6:23 which is “for the wages of sin is death and the gift of God is eternal life.” He reminded me that friends are temporary and only God is permanent. Colossians 3:2 says “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

As classmates I can sense that God would use this guy for His intended purpose. It is like anointing of God is in this guy to have a purpose in my life, although there were also times where I cannot understand his peculiarities then. We made a noise in the room just to make the room alive, and others didn’t appreciate it. All throughout in High School we ate together with his group of friends and at first I felt uncomfortable with their company, but both of us adjusted each other. We had played in our court in free time and this is my first ball is life experience when our teacher would not enter class.  He almost had friends in other sections and most people knew him them. We would go to parties, play basketball in other courts in Davao. This is where I knew that in basketball “No one started great, they started from nothing” This guy knew how to handle a hot headed person like me and would always be there if there is some confrontations with other players in the court wherever we go. In high school we always went to GSIS and find someone to bet with and in Puan when we join a tournament. I had found a group who eased out my frustrations in finding friends and teammates in basketball. It did not end there in High School.

I had tasted my first trophy and championship in our tournament in Bangkal where he was still residing in Bangkal. With him on my side I had felt being accepted. Not being taken advantage of and belittled on my condition. I had slowly had friends also left and right coming from both public and private school and that was the start of having opportunities to make friends in playing basketball. During my college days where I was being culture shocked and very naive in my surrounding, he would be there like a security blanket and escape the social pressure. It was like wagging a dog for me. We would go to several internet shops and play DoTA together before and continue to play basketball elsewhere, we had seen concerts in San Pedro where we would be wet by the rain. In addition to that, he would become a buddy who would act as if he were coaching me what to do with my classmates in college. This guy was something special because not only he would pacify me when I have negative emotions but to know wit in dealing with people. He even included me in installing CCTV cameras and finding clients in Mindanao through referring me to his uncle. My parents supported me in my decisions in life as well and encourage me to keep our friendship and to focus on building for the future. God orchestrated all this.

God made a drastic change in us and I had impart the Gospel to him bit by bit. He would listen because he heard this from his Grandpa and uncles who were pastors but the actions are different from his faith back then. It wasn’t until he would have a child in 2014 where he had his purpose here on earth where God would mold his character that is how he grew up and most of his mindset changed back then. Forgiveness is a process and that time I had difficulty erasing bad memories in the past for people hurting me but God had used an instrument to manifest on how to move on and start anew in life.

My lesson in this experience was that I had see God working mysteriously in our lives and it proved that God has planned things for the better and for His purpose. People may not appreciate this person at first but as years will pass by you will see that God would manifest his grace, mercy and love even on difficult people.  He also demonstrate grace in our weaknesses and He would equip us in everything we do. Though not the perfect buddy to begin with Jesus became the center of what we have done. (Matthew 5:34-58) Say that we should learn to love unconditionally and pray for the person who had misused you. Despite our misunderstanding sometimes we would always forgive.

Hoping to more narratives on playing basketball in Davao City with our crew.