See You in Chicago (Part 3 of 3 parts)

See You in Chicago
(Part 3 of 3 parts)
For a decade, Chicago has been a good host to my business partners and friends…




Reunion with Friends in Chicago

I didn’t expect that in the Summer of 2003, exactly 15 years after singing our “farewell, goodbye, adieu …” song in High School, I will be reunited with Gerimel, Rey and Marjorie in Chicago.

Back then, Gerimel and Rey were all single and were sharing an apartment, while Marjorie was already married and was living with a Jewish guy. Gerimel was already engaged that time to a girl from Cebu. Rey I suppose, had no time for love because it seemed to me that he was so busy trying to become rich if not richer sooner.

On my most recent visit in 2007, Marjorie has already become a mommy with a lovely white daughter named Parin. Gerimel and Rey had given up their apartment because they both now have their own places to stay.

Gerimel chose to live outside Chicago because he wanted it peace and quiet once home, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Ray and I drove to his place. It was more than an hour's drive past wheat fields and a golf course. He lives in the suburbs, an ideal place for him to raise a family. I should say that he is a lucky guy. He has a grand, well-appointed house. I can't help but imagine how much time his wife spent filling the house with appropriate and lovely furniture, frames and art pieces. Gerimel is now a daddy. I can see the contentment in his face, especially now that he has a beautiful child to raise. Congratulations my friend!

Meanwhile, I could claim that Rey and I share a lot of things in common. For one thing, he likes living in the city to being near with the hospital where he works and with the city’s attractions. Another, he is still single and a workaholic. He reports at St. Joseph Hospital at the ICU/CCU unit, which is just a few minute drive from downtown Chicago. He never wastes his time for time is indeed gold. In his days-off, he works part-time in some health agencies.

No wonder, he’s now got a 1500sq ft pad in North Rockwell, built a two-storey 5 bedroom house for his parents in the Philippines, drives a silver Pioneer Exterra and is currently amortizing a two-storey commercial building in the city.

Rey is a good son and a very good friend. He’s been living a selfless life, supporting his family and helping some friends. He just laments on how people close to him could abuse his goodness. He complains, to date, two or three persons owe him a total of USD80,000 with no assurance or guaranty that he will ever get paid as some of them have already left or have since then made themselves scarce.

In his flat, I saw a big Balik-Bayan box full to the brim of canned goods, clothing, oversized shampoo, toothpaste, lotion, vitamins, bars of soap and other household necessities, being readied for ship-out to Manila.

He makes it a point to have a day-off when I visit him and the rest in Chicago, so he could drive me around and take me to interesting places or dine in cool restos. Though in one occasion, I have to stay for over two hours in his office in a healthcare company where he works part time as he can not go on leave. One time, he took me to a lawn tennis court where I met his Filipino friend working as a Physical Therapist. We had a lengthy discussion on the pros and cons of working outside the Philippines, bottom line I guess is, “ the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.”

But I already made a resolution years ago, that I would never leave Manila and work abroad as long as my business is doing good. Home is where the heart is. My heart is in Manila. Amen!

Looking back 20 years ago, my and Rey’s life was not that easy. We were not born privileged. It was a continuous uphill climb to success for both of us. His success is an inspiration to me.

I only maintain a handful of friends. Chicago will always be my destination once I’m in North America for people like Gerimel, Rey and Marjorie make my stop-over worthwhile. They are my good friends. They are the kind of friends worth keeping.

So when we sometimes see each other in cyberia, I would always say to them, “See you in Chicago.”

(Part 3 of 3 parts)