on his way to Singapore, what a great way to fly...

Like Beth said in Little Women, why is everybody always going away?

Remember when I talked about meeting people in my old college org that I bonded with and got close to right away? Well, one of those people was Mayo. I got close to him right away, hated him for a year after that, and then got close to him again, in fact got closer. We make subaybay each other's lovelives like it were the current hot telenovela, sometimes (okay, most of the time) butting in with an air of authority that's mostly because "Hey, I dated you, I know of what I speak..." We generally think of each other as amazing people.

He had a book of poetry published recently. He handed me my copy and said with a laugh, "Ha! You're going to be forced to read an entire book in Filipino!" I said, "But I have. I read Allan's."

He wrote a poem for the book at first about whirling dervishes, but put in other dancing, such as clubbing and ballet. Most of the ballet, he researched from me - his jump-off point was Giselle, because she drove herself nuts from a love spurned. Later, when he found out that Giselle whirls in an arabesque as soon as she steps out of her crypt, he was so pleased about its tie-up with his dervishes theme. I read the poem while he was busy eating mushroom dip and embarassed him by gushing out loud in mid-verse. But truly, the poem is remarkable. If I would have one complaint, I think I should have told him that Baryshnikov's nickname is Misha.

I had danced Giselle, I've been told it was the role that was tailor made for me. Not because I'm the kind of girl who goes nuts and dies of a broken heart, but because of how I've approached the role. It was like I had become Giselle - my movements were soft and languid, delicate, ethereal (well, Lucas said stuff to that effect, I just supplied the prettier, wordier words) and I made Lucas cry when my Giselle went mad. Anyway, believe me, I was stellar.

I wish Mayo had seen me dance Giselle. As it happens, I don't think he's seen me dance, not really. He saw me do improv once or twice, but that doesn't really count. Of course, I'm hoping he will, more hopefully in Singapore. It's like a coming together of sorts.

More than anything, I wish Mayo all the luck in the world. For the friend he has been to me, I can't give him anything less.