Missing Charles

I have a good friend named Charles. He’s a wonderful person. He is quiet but gets along with anyone pretty easily. I knew we’d be good friends the first time he said “Hi.”

Charles wants to be called PC. It’s short for Pastor Charles. Yes, he’s a Pastor. I used to call him Pastor and/or Pastor Charlie for the longest time til I finally trained my tongue to say PC. He likes it that way. I believe it makes him more comfortable especially with friends.

I remembered when the four of us (with Grandma and Apples) took a walk in the mall one Sunday afternoon. We went inside a video store to look for my “Oscar De la Hoya” album. I couldn’t find it there so we decided to check another stall. He was lost in the shelves so I cried, “Pastor!” He readily came to me and whispered, “Don’t call me Pastor here.” We went to the next store and again, he was out of sight. I stopped for a while, took a breath, and then blurted, “Charles!” He came out. He smirked and looked satisfied. Then I whispered back, “It doesn’t sound right.” My culture convicts me for being rude to call an elder by the first name. I will never forget that day.

PC is a very gifted person. Besides the anointing of leading a flock to Christ, he is blessed with skills that I always “wish I had” since a child. He loves photography and the art loves him back. He is excellent in this field. He would send me a couple or more of his recent photos every now and then. All the photos are awesome. I told him a few times to publish his work. He is very down to earth. He’s contented with preserving the beauty in his camera.

PC played the violin. If you’d been reading my blog for a while, you have an idea how this got me. I’m totally sold out to becoming a violinist. At least learn how to play it. I believe that this violin-cravings is inscribed in my bones. I guess I never had an opportunity to do that yet. So, learning that this man could actually fiddle was the coolest thing for me. Plus, he has a pair of blue eyes and looks handsome in barong. That's a rare combination. Having said that, he is my favorite character.

The PC that I know of is someone jolly and slightly naughty. Yes, he can be quiet, but believe me, he’s a frustrated comedian. He is very natural. However, everybody says that he is shy. It never occurred to me until that one instance when Apples and myself told him that (we sensed!) his lady guest was “interested” in him. In a split second, his face turned into an overripe tomato! No joke. It was a surprise. He was red all over. His transformation was so cute especially in his white skin. It happened again when a gal friend gave him a compliment in public. He instantly excused himself. I saw his ears start to turn red. When he returned from his untimely hiatus, he came to me and said sheepishly that they “did it” again to him. Probably he was really shy after all.

What I like best about my friend PC is that he owns a true spirit. Perhaps the right word to use is “pure” like what the Bible says. He loves the Lord. I see him as a man of integrity and compassion. He is serious and playful at the same time. He’s a gentle, sweet man, with so much warmth and care—which reminds me of my own Pastor-brother. PC is also an academic, that, I personally enjoy. I’m learning every time we exchange ideas.

I praise the Lord for PC. He’s both my correspondent and confidant. Though we agreed not to communicate in the mean while, he’s just a letter away.