Farewell

When we were young, there are more hellos than goodbyes. As we mature, there are more goodbyes than hellos. Maybe because youth gives us the freedom to establish the friends that we want to have; while age gives us the prerogative to choose who we want to keep.

Farewell is a part of life, so it’s not unusual to say goodbye to someone who has been nice or somebody you had a good chat with. But it’s not common that one gets to bid adios to four different people in a matter of four days.

His last day at the office was Thursday. He is an engineer and was one of my colleagues. Maybe a bit arrogant as first impressions might dictate but quite a funny and nice guy. He was one of the founders of the Friday Club, where most of the office staff would meet every Friday and have a drink or two. A player by reputation; but not the type who takes advantage on someone else’s weakness. He had been waiting for years to be enlightened on his future at work. But the hopes cannot be too high, so he had to go off shore to earn a living. On his last day at work, the Friday Club went out on a Thursday, leaving us Friday with one-less member. And there goes my first goodbye.

Everyone was so excited on Friday. See, it’s our boss who’s leaving. It’s the last day of his monthly US-Pi routine where he would stay in the Philippines for almost a month and leave for the US, stay there for yet another month. It would then be a sin not to read the emails whenever he’s not around. He’s in the usual irritable, cramming mood where he snaps at almost everyone and paranoid that everyone relaxes whenever he’s gone. On this day, before he said “Bye guys, see you later”, he met with me and handed over a lot of things to do but almost nothing to start with, except some scribbles which he called plans. Anything to keep my hands off Facebook while he was away. Not that it matters (I’m gonna access Facebook anyway). Well, that’s the second and maybe the only goodbye that I wouldn’t mind.

With the boss leaving, everyone in the office took off early. It was a good opportunity for me to do the laundry that I eluded from for two weeks. Little did I know that I’m gearing towards another adieu.
She was a German vet student who stayed in the same vet staff house that I’m in. She started eight weeks ago as intern to the vet clinic. Surely anyone would agree that eight weeks is not enough to get to know a person completely but it definitely is more than enough to get acquainted. Together with other lodgers, we had regular dinners where we would chat (though I just listened most of the time).
While I was doing my laundry, she cooked for what seems to be the thing that bonded us for eight weeks; dinner. It was a little different though, for it was a send off party. There were lots of food, drink, people and photos. After seeing all the visitors off and it’s time to retire to bed, we hugged goodbye as we won’t see each other Saturday, the day she flies. So there’s the third goodbye.

Sunday was time to prepare for the fourth ciao. He’s a big American guy whom I’ve worked with weeks before he came to the Philippines and before we even met. He was very nice that even if he often says that it was only in this country that he doesn’t get easily pissed off, I could hardly get convinced. He often talks too much, even if he’s not being listened to. FYI, he knows. He stayed in the country for nine months as superintendent for a contractor in one of our projects. I helped him find the materials he needs (only a few of these he didn’t whine over). As the project is nearing completion, he had to leave.
With two other colleagues, I went to the house he stayed for nine months for a rummage. He gave us all of the things he wouldn’t bring back to the States, from A/C’s to dishes and pillows. The next day, he just dropped by to the office to say goodbye as he flies that night. Thus, the fourth goodbye.

Two Americans, a Filipino and a German. One I will definitely see some time soon, one I would see again in a few months, one I am not sure if I will see again, and one I am certain I won’t see anymore.

Sooner, there will be more, if not three goodbyes, one of them a person I love to talk sense to. I will definitely miss him, but as I’ve said, farewell is a part of life. It may be harder to let go than to say goodbye, but everything should be overcame and friendship shall remain the same.