Mike and Mon

I have a neighbor who is Mike's highschool batchmate. Mike's stories of Mon included playing together on the Playstation in Mike's house, girl-chasing, gala and going college-hunting together. On the other end, I grew up having him as a kuya-playmate (I am a year older than his younger sister, though I was a nasty child - I remember closing shut our gate while her hand was still in the gate and she cried like crazy), the guy I call when my desktop computer crashes back in college (he is a computer technician) and the guy who my mom wishes to be my boyfriend when I was in my early teens.

Mike and Mon were both born '83, Mike older by a few months. While his girlfriend and I were both born '87, me older by a few months. Mon and his girlfriend have been together for 8 years already. So when news came that he died last Monday - Election Day and his girlfriend's birthday, I was pretty shaken. Especially since his last Facebook activity was traced 2 hours before he was seen dead, I happened to be online the same time, sporadically seeing his posts and updates - especially the bit on greeting his girlfriend midnight.

Based on the stories circulating about his death, he was depressed. Mainly about his work, that he wasn't able to pass certain exams to be granted entry abroad and news of fights with his girlfriend. We came to his wake earlier - it was his 27th birthday supposedly. And though Mike and him weren't as close lately for we are all busy with our lives, and that I never always greeted him when I see him on the streets, it was sad knowing that someone so young died. He had the world ahead of him, people were rooting for him.

So rest in peace Mon. You turned 27 within your wake, you qualify to be part of the Forever 27 Club. In the words of Kurt Cobain, "It's better to burn out than fade away".You'll be remembered.