When Yes Means Never Again

Saturday was the supposed debut date of my high school classmate, Nats. Came the date and I received word that it was to be postponed to the following day - Sunday due to the fact that the venue of the party was flooded that time. She asked me if I was still available even at the short notice of change of plans. I calmly said yes.

I said yes because:

•  First and foremost I am a person who is very committed especially towards affairs involving friends. I may whine (for a while) at the demands of debutantes but thinking that it is in service of a friend that may one day be of service to me, this thought would always have greater bearing. Also, I do appreciate the fact that I am invited that goes to show that the debutante and I share a good friendship.
• I said yes because I went to all the trouble of arranging a special dance number at her request. I got a little help from Honey in choosing the songs, sound effects in between and more importantly, the choreography. We spent a day making the choreography and another day in teaching it to our two friends: Inah and Kat.
•   I said yes because I requested Nats to be the second guest of my TV production class wherein we had to record a talk show and have guests invited over. She was to sing and answer two questions about her talent after her performance. The date of which was two days after her debut so I had to suck up to her and attend her debut.

I said yes because I felt bad about her parents and her as well for they went through all the trouble of organizing her debut. She even dropped by my house just to hand me the invitation. It wasn’t their fault that they hadn’t perceived that a storm was to come and was to flood the venue after all their arrangements


I said yes even though:

·         Of all the debuts that I have attended she was the one who was the most demanding by far. She originally set her debut date to June 11. She called me up and said she was going to move the date to June 25 because she wanted to lose weight so that, according to her she’ll look prettier and sexier.

·         Even if she kept changing the color of the dresses we were required to wear. She first said it was anything black with red or black and/or red. Five days before her debut she informed me that participants of the 18 candles where I am part of would need to wear any dress that has violet or pink on it.

·         I said yes even though she requested the most absurd thing ever which thankfully didn’t materialize. She told me over the phone that she wants a cotillion. The more absurd thing she told me was those who will be part of the dance were us, her high school friends and some of her college friends. The most exciting thing is, she said that all of us well the high school friends at least will be partnered to the ones whom we were linked to back in high school. The very reason for this is her long desire to be paired with Kester, her high school crush who did not ask to dance with him on prom night but asked me instead which she very distinctly remembers. In other words, she wanted to relive her not so glorious moments of high school.

·         I said yes even if she failed to foresee that June is the start of classes. Everyone is going to be busy already. Had she scheduled her debut earlier or even stuck to her original date- June 11, it would have been better. You see her birthday is actually June 2. The start of my class is at June 8. Most schools started June 14. Hadn't she thought that it would have been better if she scheduled it a month before? Saving her and all of us the trouble?  Two months of vacation - everyone I presume were more available and willing then. Lastly, the weather was to her advantage had she scheduled it in Summer.

·         I said yes even though when I think of her, what I remember is high school drama and immaturity.

I said yes nonetheless.