Girls' Talk

My throat is still sore. I blame it not on a virus but on my XX chromosomes.

Sugarhouse Megamall, August 4; 6 pm. I take the table by the glass wall and wait patiently for one of my closest friends since college whom I’ll identify as Girl 1. She arrives after several minutes and the talkathon officially starts. She is still as cute and as effusive as I remember her to be. A working mom, she tells me how she has been looking forward to this long-delayed get-together. I think I haven't seen her in a year! Only after seeing her did I realize how much I missed her too.

Her husband follows her shortly. We exchanged how-are-yous and the husband-and-wife team tells me how family life is. I tell them a little about my life but keep from talking about myself too much. Between spoonfuls of our rice meals, we talk about career and health issues. Other friends and each others’ parents and siblings.

After the husband reached his quota of 200 words, he excused himself and let his wife and me use our remaining 2,250 (a conservative estimate, really). By 8 pm, the third member of our 4-member peer group, whom I’ll identify as Girl 2, shows up. She was initially non-committal about the meeting but decided to surprise us by dropping by. Halfway through her mango torte, she laments about her LQ with her boyfriend. We listen and give not-so-few unsolicited advice.

We could have put Boy Abunda and Kris Aquino to shame with our endless chatter. In fact, the other diners have already left! The waiters putting up the chairs and clearing the tables give us the cue that we should be going. And so we stand and leave. But not yet for home.

From Sugarhouse, we turn left and walk towards the parking area. When we get there, the three of us search for Girl 1’s silver car. After five minutes, which seemed like eternity, the case of the missing car remains unsolved.

Girl 2: "Saan ka ba nagpark?"
Girl 1: "Mega A. Mega A ito, di ba?"
Beng: "Hmmm...Di ko sure."
(The three of us go back inside the mall to consider the situation.)
Girl 2 to security guard: "Manong, ano po ba ito, Mega A or Mega B?"
Security guard: "Mega B po."
Girl 1: "Sure kayo?"
Beng: "Malamang sure siya. Dito siya nagtratrabaho eh.:-)"

We just laugh the whole thing off. We take easy strides from Mega B to Mega A while, yes, talking. After finally finding the car, we speed off to Racks in El Pueblo. Over fried chicken and potato wedges, our talk turns to relationships and expectations, boundaries and friendships. Funny experiences and beauty tips.

It’s fun being a girl and having the excuse to talk non-stop with friends. Good for the heart but bad for the throat. :-)