Lucky 13

Last night I had a date with my hubby. It was our monthsary. We were supposed to watch a movie but there were no more tickets so we decided to go have a sing

-a-long challenge at Timezone. After 1.5 hours of singing ala Ate Regine and Mariah, we decided to have din din and then coffee.

Earlier that day, I messaged my friends and asked them to go out and meet up. My first group of gay friends. I also messaged a few pozzies to join us (Baby China and Little Jenny).

So... hubby went off to work, I waited for my friends at a coffee shop. After 1 hour of waiting, they arrived. Then... we went to Malate.

It was Malate's White Party. I was never a Malate baby. I'm a Makati girl. So the thought of partying in the streets of Malate is not my cup of tea. We decided to go to Bed.

So there, sort of a reunion with good friends. Saw familiar faces here and there that I haven't seen for months/years. Oo na, ang taba ko. Pero not really. I was 120lbs back then. I'm 130lbs now. So yeah, ang taba ko.

I drank. I smoke. Not exactly the model pozzie. But I told myself, this will be my cheat day.

I received an sms message from a newbie pozzie. He said he was in Bed as well. So we met up. Actually, he found me. We hugged and he said, in a slurry way, that I'm an inspiration. Hmmmm. Hahaha. I'm not good with compliments so I told him that he was just drunk.

Another sms message from a pozzie, Red. I met up with him outside of Bed.

At around 4ish, I told my friends that I'm going home. Back then, I'm usually the person who's drugged and wasted til 6am. Things changed. Time to go home. They said that they will go home as well. I was happy that all of us grew up from our old habits.

R: Kanino bang idea 'tong mag Malate? (Who's idea was it to go to Malate?)

Me: Mine. Why?

R: Sakit ng ulo ko, na-leng-leng lang ako, haggard! (Headache, drunk, haggard)

Me: That's the idea.

Me: This is to re-affirm what we stopped doing. This is to remind us of what we usually get after partying and dancing all night. This does not mean that we will do this every week again.

R: Hahahaha. Correct.

Me: We are getting old noh?

R: Yeah. Fun times. I'm glad you set this one up.

Me: Me too.

R: The habit is dead. But the friendship is what we still have.

Me: BOOM!

Fun times with good friends and great company. Life goes on. It's been almost 2 years since my diagnosis. And I'm still here. Life is good. Life is great. My life before was like a shiny disco ball, it just goes round and round all night until everyone decides to go home, until the club music fades. I will have the memories of my shiny disco balls and will cherish them. But I am getting older. My decision to cut down my partying was not just because of my HIV status, but because of a change that needs to happen.