Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Pakners: Bin and Kuting

He calls me "Kuting"; I call him "Bin". We sometimes call each other "Pakner" as in partner.

My friendship with Bin started in 1988 when I was 5 and collecting Matchbox is already becoming a habit almost impossible to knock into pieces (which explains why I have 183 Matchbox cars today). Bin was the only boy in our school service who has the same passion for collecting Matchbox, Transformers and GI Joe. I loved him for that.

Growing up, we had this secret place - that only him, his 2 cousins and me can enter (or so we all thought). I cried, laughed, tuned, wrote, drew and daydreamed there. That was the place we all lovingly called our H2 (as in Home 2). When we have these "fights" with our parents, H2 was the place to be.

We've been friends for 18 long years - more than half of my life. And like any other friendships/relationships, ours was never perfect but our own little world seemed like it is. When my boyfriend from college and I broke up, he was there by my side even if all I wanted was some space to be alone. I was a complete wreck - bulging eyes and red nose. What can I say, I was brokenhearted. Bin forced me to get out of my room, get a warm shower, eat and drink lots of water "to compensate for all the buckets of tears you've shed". He forced me to face life again. He said that "Its a waste of time to cry over a cheater." I stopped crying after that.

Bin was the only man I know who values me like no other. Although we fought a good number of times and how much we can make each other's day miserable, he never called me names and has accepted me for all that I am and meant to be.

November 2006, I lost Bin to a warm-blooded hoodlum in Cubao where he parked his Dad's car (it is still a puzzle to me why he was using his Dad's car instead of his). The heartless hoodlum tried to getaway with the car but knowing Bin - he will always try not to give in to something beyond his principles. He was stabbed, which later on led to his demise. He was 25.

If Bin's still here, he'd be delighted to see Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles and Transformers on the big screen. I can imagine the smile on his face. Oh, I just know he'd be more than happy to see these! But he's all gone now and I am left daydreaming whatever keeps him busy up there.