I woke up today just like any other. Turned off my alarm, said hi to Julian (who was already on the laptop, watching Mr. Bean videos), and checked my phone for any notifications.

Was typing something, a greeting for today's holiday when I checked out my facebook and there it was:

happy anniversary daday!!!!!! ikailang taon na mula nung mawala ka sa luneta grandstand? he he he.....

My mom's wall post (not even a PM!) for me. It says: Happy anniversary Daday (that's me)! How many years has it been since you got lost at the Luneta Grandstand? (I will omit the "hehehehehehe" please?).

It's really something when you're still friends (and relatives!) with the same people when you were 9 years old. Either you be thankful or hate it.

So here's the quick history about the 17th anniversary:

I wasn't really born to be a Judoka. I was small, frail, and whiny so I tried gymnastics. I had a promising career since my body could bend and twist gymnast style. June 12, 1995, Muntinlupa's gymnastics team performed at the Quirino Grandstand on that day while other sports teams' delegation went there and witnessed the event so my Mom and Dad and the rest of the Judo club were there also.

Quirino Grandstand Photo from: Manila Labyrinth

I was wearing my leotards, white Advan sneakers, my hair in a high bun, and my rope tied to my hips. I'm not sure how many buses carried all of us to the venue but I was with my parents in one of these buses to the Grandstand. I don't know how long our performance lasted or what else happened after that.

We were leaving the venue and I heard that we're supposed to head to Ayala Alabang Town Center to eat. I grabbed my stuff and followed the rest. I saw some of my buddies head to a Tamarraw FX (Sir Chito and family) but they were already full in front so I went to the back but there was no space for me left. I decided to head to the buses.

The other athletes wore a blue and white uniform so I followed the swarm of people with "Team Muntinlupa" on their backs.

Next thing I know I was walking aimlessly and crying out loud while in my leotards and carrying a gigantic fairy tale book.

I walked and cried and walked and cried until I got tired and stopped on the sidewalk. A guy noticed me and asked why I am crying and told him, "Nawawala po yung mama at papa ko po." He led me inside their office, asked for my name, what I'm doing there, who I was with, etc. After writing down my full name, my parents' name, and our address, they asked if I could still remember where I was last with my parents. So we walked back right to the spot. Nada.

We went back to their office and when I told them that my parents' both work for the Bureau of Corrections, one guy said that his brother works for FOD. Luckily, he knows how to go to Bilibid and so they brought me home.

I was an instant star when I got home. Then I had a fever shortly after. When I woke up, my mom looked like she cried or something. I couldn't really recall but she was talking to someone explaining what happened to them.

They were already at ATC when they noticed I was gone.

Yep, I find it funny until now that they both went to sleep right after getting in the bus and completely forgot about me. Maybe it's just Ate Karen's joke but knowing them, it's probably 90% true.

Kidding aside. I got scared then but I never blamed them for not looking for me right away. They thought I was already with sir Chito's family that's why they didn't make any fuss about it anymore. I cried because I didn't know how the heck I'm gonna get home. Not because my folks were gone. Maybe if I knew which bus to take, I would've went home myself. I got mad at myself for buying that big fairy tale book, I could have used the money to take a cab.

Anyway, I'm sharing this story now so that my troll mom and those who know my story would stop trolling!

So, happy 17th anniversary Daday!

June 12 will be forever memorable to me. What's June 12 to you?