Last year, my very good friend Jayvee married his life partner, Chie.  The garden setting had the backdrop of the famous and beautiful Ruins in Bacolod.  I almost didn’t make that trip but by grace, I was there to witness and support the wonderful ceremony.  

Here’s a video snippet and some excerpts from the speech. 

Ignore the shaking voice and stumbles please. 

Including the part where I almost swallowed a mosquito.

“Jayvee told me 4 months ago that I have to make a short speech on his wedding day.  I thought he said it in passing.  Since he only confirmed a few hours ago that I am really going to have to say something, I didn’t come prepared.”

[Excuse me] I motioned for CW to walk towards me and he retrieved a piece of paper from his coat pocket.  He handed it to me swiftly and I thanked him.

“Okay, maybe just a tiny little bit.  I’m allowed a cheat sheet.  [Ok, good that that sounded right, I thought I’d be too nervous and say, cheat sh*t.] 

I met Jayvee I think in 2005 when he was still with Hinge, the magazine publication of Inquirer and I was doing marketing for a Korean company.  We worked on a project or two.  I heard then that Jayvee was sort of a ladies man.  Well, who believes stories?  I’ve come to know Jayvee more being friends and affirmed that was probably sort of true.

I moved on to work for SKY and met Chie through CW, since CW works for ABS-CBN.  For some odd reason, maybe a divine one, I felt a nudge to introduce Jayvee to Chie.  Set both up on a date.  Jayvee, faster than a speeding bullet, went ahead and checked Chie’s online profile, (was it still Friendster that time?), liked what he saw and went ahead and messaged her… YES, before I even got a chance to prepare slash warn Chie for what’s to come.

 Photo Source: Jayvee’s FB

The two goes on a date… a 2^nd date… then a 3^rd… then a friendly date.  Jayvee told me a few months after that he thinks Chie only sees him as a friend and wants to be just that.  I thought to myself, “uh-oh, friend zone.”  But he didn’t let up, he pursued that friendship and both of them continued to hang out, over wine, good food, beer and never-ending bonding moments. 

A year or so passed.  I got to talk to Jayvee again and he told me that he feels there is more connection brewing between the two of them… Chie’s likely found a soft spot for Jayvee and I can imagine Chie’s heart and a possible tiny opening.  Chie probably agreed to dating exclusively after that… and soon after became a couple.  The next time I talked to Jayvee… he couldn’t stop talking about Chie and how he’s totally fallen in love with her, how she’s different from all the women he’s ever met… her quirky ways, how her presence affects him. My friend was totally smitten.  And he had that faraway loving look on his eyes when he talked about Chie, like he was just talking to himself and I wasn’t even there.  I saw in him a growing appreciation of who Chie has become in his life.

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