Misa de Gallo

Many years ago, I had a friend (basketball teammate) who had a crush on our neighbor. She is from Mangaldan, fair and pretty. My friend is dark but not really that dark but he felt he is really dark and so conscious about it. That's why they call him "Beggang" which means "ember." He gets irritable when he was reminded of his darkness. Anyway, I sometimes accompany him to the boarding house where the girl stayed. I can't remember her face now but I do remember they have a stuffed piranha in their sala. Anyway, my friend is getting desperate so he went into a desperate mission: attend the Misa de Gallo till the end and hoped that he gets the girl. In other words, I attended the mass with him. Not really bad because the SLU chapel is so very near and back then they had a loud speaker to hark the people one and all to go to mass by blaring Christmas songs before the start. It starts at 5 AM so imagine the irritation on all of us. So we attended every freaking MDG that year and then every student had to go home to their provinces usually a week before Christmas but he had to stay and finish the whole Misa de Gallo. He stayed in Aringay, La Union so it's very near Baguio and had to concoct a school project so his parents wouldn't nag him. He and I finished the mass. Merry Christmas. Happy New Year. A week before Valentines, he got the answer: No way. Then the clincher: But I think I like your friend. We didn't talk or play basketball for a month and I didn't take advantage of the girl's offer because that's how basketball friendship was. Respect and all that crap. Three years ago, I got a Christmas card from my friend. I think it was one of the last cards I ever received. SLU didn't bother to blare Christmas songs anymore and I don't know anyone in the neighborhood who go to MDG anymore.