Aileen

At the stage when most of us were worrying about pimples, boyfriends and gossip, the more enlightened of us was already reading Andrew Matthews. I first thought she was immune to boys and to backbiting. She really couldn't care less.

She first became an angel to me when I complained to her over and over about my father. I did not realize how much I was talking about him to her. And she said this very profound thing that was almost a slap on my face, "You know, for someone who hates her father so much, you do admire him so much." I hated my father less after that. Spared me trips to the shrink. My papa has to thank her for that.

She became my partner in crime when she became the director of this high school play and I became the stage manager. She was perceptive of my laziness. But was respectful too of my "brilliance". Hehehehehe. She complimented me so much, I never did bury my passion for theater, despite how impractical it seems.

She was also the one who accompanied me to trips to bible studies and worships. Found my first taste of true spirituality after that. I know Farrah was envious of her because of the emotional ties Aileen and I had during that time. Farrah wrote me a letter once saying, "since I do not know you as well as I do anymore and I don't expect to know what makes you feel better, but I know you're in good company...."

She gave me a chance to prove myself in college. She took the challenge of directing a play again with me. And even sat beside me when I cried my heart out when the second play we planned did not get enough support.

I never did tell her, but I think, deep down inside she feels that, for me, she has become my second best friend, nonjudgmental and supportive.

We lost touch after college. But I could never forget the handmade card she gave me when I graduated. Big, but was full of everything she had to say. I think she wanted to say more. She help me found myself again after that. She said she always believed I was strong. I still have that card. And it still moves me everytime I read it.

Found her again. I can't exactly remember how we got to see each other again. I remember her responding to this email of mine with questions about me. I still have that email. I remember that coffee date we had at Bo's. I still remember where we sat. I still remember my dinner with her at Dessert Factory. And how open I was to her then. I could still remember assuring here tha I do not feel like a victim under the circumstances that I was in. She simply said, "You don't sound and look like a victim to me, Em."

I still remember the book she gave me. The Og Mandino book that she got from RSO. I still have that book. I still remember her message.

I still remember having dinner with her at Persian Palate and talking about being young and childlike. We could almost not believe ourselves over the coincidence. It looks like circumstances gave us another opportunity to work on our passions again. Apparently, she and a common friend was already planning to stage "The Little Prince" and out of the blue, I remembered the story too, even before she could utter a word about it.

Aileen was the one who showed me tolerance, acceptance, understanding and calmness. Never did I remember her being mean against anybody. And she always had the right questions to ask me to help me be introspective.

And months from now, I will never see her everyday again. But I know, when one of us needs the other again, the universe will find a way for us to find each other again. And that won't be like as if we parted.