One of Us, Forever in Our Hearts — Farewell, Kenji

I was shocked when my husband told me that our high school friend died. We were solid friends, I was a transferie student in my 8th grade. Me and my husband are batch mates. But we are not classmates, just only in our 10th grade. I don't actually remember how I became close to them! But they are the ones who first noticed me, maybe because my husband was supposed to graduate but stopped his studies because of many complicated reasons.

His seven years older than me but we are batch mates. He said that he has no more reason to finish his studies. But I gave him the courage and helped him finish high school. It became a good help because his working in Manila for a decade.

High school life wouldn't be happy without friends and a group of friends. Our group is one of the groups that calls attention whenever we walk in the hallway. I admit that we cut class, we drink and smoke but we never cheated. This is the way we became close to one another. It may look bad for the others but we were born real not to be perfect.

The pictures were taken in 2012 or 2013 that was our reunion after we graduated in 2006. We are the typical kind of friends that even though we live in the same place we don't often see each other. Unlike the others that when it's fiesta they don't need an invitation to come they will just directly go to see each other.

After that it took seven long years again to see each other. I was 8 months recovering from my cesarean section and tubal ligation, when they suddenly visited. They saw my husbands motorcycle and my husband. So they instantly set-up a get together on that day. It's better to be spontaneous than planned. These rare gatherings made us more comfortable with each other. One of them is the godparent of @katsuki29, we rarely visit them because their lives were suddenly turned from rugs to riches! She became a gold digger just to change their lives.

We can't interfere in other people's lives. But sometimes I just thought that our lives were the hardest, I'm just denying it myself. After these get together, our friend died last June 25. After 37 years of serving the Lord he returned to his salvation.

I noticed that his posts and updates are not the usual. His a gay, a gay is as cheerful as ever! So she suddenly said that Lord, please stop the pain! I'm struggling too much. May 30 I messaged her and couldn't help but ask. I didn't know that he was already in the critical stage of his life. Because I was busy with my other personal problems I didn't see that my former classmates already posted that Kenjie is already gone. My husband was the one who told me.

Two days before his funeral, me and my husband went on his wake. I was alone on the first night, my friends told me that they need to rest. Kenji was on the fifth night when I came to visit him. I posted something for him before I went there.

Hi Kenji Yambao 🥺🕊️
I know we are the group that you don't spend much time with. But I'm happy we became a part of your life 💖🙏🏻. Being friends doesn't make a lot of memories, for me a "sometimes" that we're together is already a great opportunity. I'll repeat your caption "After so Many Years I saw you again" but not in the way that you're gone 🥺💔.
But we know, you're at peace at that place, you're not sick, no more pain. You gave yourself a good fight, even though you're struggling, you fought a good battle.
Fly high Ken, till we meet again 🙏🏻 Thank you for everything.
On behalf of "Twin Hearts" And Batch 2005-2006...

We Love you Kenjie,

You are always remembered ❤️