40

Moses stayed on Mt. Sinai for forty days to receive the Ten Commandments.

It took the Jews forty years in the wilderness to reach Canaan, God's Promised Land.

Jesus fasted in the desert for forty days.

I found my true love after forty years....

I wasn't a numerology fanatic. I don't even believe in divination through numbers. It's just that number 40 coincided with the most important event in my life.

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"Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends leave footprints in your heart." - Eleanor Roosevelt,

I first read that quote from a frame hanging on a wall in a cafe where my friends and i frequent during weekends. It wasn't there before, about a week ago, but the owner somehow did a slight renovation. So there it was for all coffee-drinkers and chocolate lovers to see. Well, actually not all coffee-drinkers and chocolate lovers of that cafe can read it, because my friends and I practically hugged that four person table beneath that frame for many hours. If not for the owner, who happened to be Brenda's uncle, we would have long been chased away by the manager.

We could have bought that coffee-stained-riddled table, to mark that corner of the cafe as our personal property but, what could four seventeen-year-old senior high school students without enough money do. We couldn't even afford to buy four donuts for each one of us, much less for a deposit for that cozy space. Anyway, Uncle Tom said that that cafe corner was not up for sale, especially to us, four giggling noisy girls.

Since we were already inside Tom's Cafe, we ordered our usual hot chocolate drink and one slice of mocha cake. Of course, we took turns buying the cake to share with the four of us. Today is Lizzie's turn. It seemed that she doesn't have enough money to buy that cake. She has been taking out all her coins from her purse.

"Let me pay for the cake, Lizzie," I volunteered, even though my turn was still next week. It was agonizing watching her count the coins in one and five denominations. I was also feeling embarrassed when i realized the queue behind us was getting long.

"I got it. I got it." insisted Lizzie. After all the coins have added up to 50 pesos, she shoved them to the cashier on the counter with a triumphant smile, then whispered in my ear. "I just want to get rid of these coins. It's distorting the shape of my wallet."

That retort silenced me. How could she have that much coin in her purse. It would be so heavy to carry around.

When we got to our usual table, we made ourselves comfortable. I sat facing the floor to ceiling window. Brenda was beside me while Lizzie and Molly sat opposite us. We started sipping our piping hot chocolate leisurely.

Sometimes, real friends need not speak with each other. Just being present was enough. And so we were quiet for a long time. It seemed like we already ran out of gossip and topics to talk about after having exhausted all our materials in homeroom class yesterday. And so the vessel of thoughts, which was our minds, were peculiarly empty. Maybe because it was just the start of classes and there were no classmates to pick on, or so we thought.

Just outside the cafe, from the the window right before us, we saw the ever-so-beautiful, prim and proper Rosemary Santos, elegantly walking through the door. Her long wavy hair was bouncing as she strutted like a supermodel. No strand of hair was ever displaced as her thick glorious mane was held in place by a gold headband. All heads, without prejudice to gender, turned to look at her. Amazing! The synchronicity of the head movements.

"There she goes, Proud Mary, keep on turning," spoke Brenda nonchalantly as if singing a verse from the song Proud Mary. "I. Hate. her." She made a long side glance at Rosemary then smirked.

As Brenda spoke, Max suddenly appeared behind the counter, gave Rosemary his sweetest smile and took her order. Rosemary was about to pay for her coffee latte but Max didn't take her money. He shoved it gently inside her purse then went around the counter and lead her to seat at a table behind the west wall. Then he left to prepare her latte.

For some reason, we all watched Max in amazement. How different he was when in front of this lovely lady! In contrast, he was rude and thoughtless when he was with us. What a boor!

"What's up with her again, Brenda?" Molly asked, reminding our good friend about her remark awhile back. She has always been the innocent one in our group. Bless her pure heart.

"Well, it was about the carnival this summer. She had all the boys following her wherever she goes. They even helped her win the games though she never payed for them. But, man, she got all the good prizes," complained Brenda.

"It has always been like that, what's new?" Lizzie thought that Brenda's whining was ridiculous. Everyone knows how the boys in every grade level likes Rosemary. And every insecure girl couldn't do anything about it. It was a given for a popular girl like her, rich, smart and beautiful.

"Well the thing is, even Max, who just came to visit from City L, followed her around like a puppy. He even left me for her. He didn't help me win the giant teddy bear I was eyeing in the shooting gallery but he got a voucher for her when he topped the score at the Hi-Striker. It was the first time he showed-off is abilities." Brenda spilled a litany of grievances.

Brenda has been the prettiest among our group. She has never been without a suitor. And in class, she was the second popular girl in terms of beauty. Whatever annoyed her this time made us wonder.

"In other words, you were jealous," the three of us spoke simultaneously, looked at each other then giggled at the thought of it.

"Actually, I am not!" Brenda said casually as she inspected her fingernails. They were painted with the latest color. "Let's just say I am so pleased."

"Eh? Come again?" Molly's face looked shocked. What is this girl talking about?

"Come to think of it," Brenda leaned over with her arms resting on the table as she looked us in the eye. Somehow I still felt a hidden mischief in her faint smile. We leaned over towards her in anticipation. "Tomorrow, Max is going back home to City L. Rosemary thought she hooked up with a lover. The truth is, Max is also a player."

I pondered at her words for a moment and asked, "Is he going to break her heart?"

Brenda nodded then leaned back on her chair.

"So you mean, Max will dump her like a hot potato?" Molly asked worriedly.

"Watch and see," Brenda pointed towards the table where Max and Rosemary were both seated, then looked at her watch. She slowly counted from one to ten, then raised her head to look at her cousin and his lover quarreling. Though we could hardly hear what they were saying, we already had an idea what was happening. They just broke up. Rosemary stood up, slapped Max's cheek then stormed out of the cafe raging mad. So mad her nostrils flared and there was fire in her eyes.

We were so shocked that we were left speechless.

Max just grinned at us while rubbing the hurt face with his hand. Then came over to say something to Brenda. "There, you got your revenge."

Brenda, "..."

As for me, everything happened so fast, I felt dizzy. I held my head with both hands then leaned both elbows on the table What is this? Is this even love? How could people just play with the other's feelings? Truly there are scheming people and people taking revenge on scheming people.

All of a sudden I felt I was enrolled in Relationship 101 with the lesson: How to Break-up with a Fling.

Thanks to Brenda, the scene just left an imprint in my mind. Now I am becoming wary of boys like Max, and careful not to become a girl like Rosemary.

Friends. Everything you needed to know about love, ahem, you learn from them.