For most young professionals, the Halloween weekend could only mean one thing: partying in costumes you spent about three months deciding on. While others choose to let loose, there are also people who are choosing to reflect the year that was and loved ones who have gone before us.
As I write this entry, my mind travels back to my first ever soul sister, KC De Venecia. I was about to turn eleven when I first met her in the halls of Colegio San Agustin. A new student from an exclusive girls’ school, I found the co-ed environment quite jarring and found solace in the quiet girl at the back of the classroom who always had her nose buried in a book. We quickly bonded over our love for Sweet Valley books, Full House reruns, movies we weren’t allowed to watch yet, Freddie Prinze Jr., Sixpence None the Richer, and good food.
KC was the epitome of the girl who was humble to the core. It took me months to figure out that KC was indeed part of a popular, influential clan. She never spoke about it and even had a phase where she refused to wear anything but three shirts that included a grey Beauty and the Beast shirt. KC was always on the lookout for “fun” things to do although as dorky fifth graders the boldest thing we have ever done was riding a taxi unsupervised from school to Glorietta to play in Timezone (shocking, I know). Hanging out usually meant binging on Full House marathons while trying to find new ways to diet (in our eleven year old minds, we needed to look like Britney Spears). One of my favorite memories of her was when we carved our names (along with our large group of friends) into one of the side tables in her room. KC was boisterous and wasn’t afraid to laugh and be silly. At eleven years old, she had a strong sense of self and was unafraid to be herself. She was strong willed and often reminded me to not sweat the small stuff.
To this day, I recall her telling me in her trademark KC face, “Bianx, it’s not a big deal” whenever I mentioned dramatic stories about our “clique.” KC also largely influenced my love for caffeine, being the first person to introduce me to Starbucks and often reminded me to live life to the fullest during the times we passed autograph books in class.
It has been fifteen years since I met KC and almost ten years since the fire that took her away too soon.
A lot has happened since then and yet I still find myself smiling over the memories of the friend who stayed loyal till the very end. In one of our last text conversations, KC was giddy about prom and even sent me this message, “Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.” It was the perfect example of our friendship.
Today, I remember KC and celebrate her life. It has been ten years and yet her impact in my life hasn’t lessened. Wherever you are Kace, I hope you know that you are still in my heart and everyday I thank God for allowing me to know someone like you. You continue to inspire me to live life to the fullest and most importantly, not take myself too seriously. You are still missed and never forgotten.
