I Get It Now

*A True Story*
Once upon a time, in 1982, there was a boy, let's name him Keem, and a girl, who we shall call Irma. They went to the same school, Garner Primary in Alameda, CA, from the ages of 6-8 and were in the same 1st and 2nd grade classes together. Irma, along with another little girl, Denise, were the first ones to make Keem realize his Filipino heritage. Anyway, Denise moved away and so Irma and Keem became the only Filipino kids in the class.

They were good friends too. On field trips, when kids are supposed to pick their field trip 'buddy' the girls usually stick to girls and the boys usually stick to boys. But Irma and Keem sometimes partnered up, and they didn't feel weird being the only boy/girl buddies in the class. After 2nd grade, their school closed down, so Irma went to school in her city and Keem stayed in Alameda.

Fast forward 10 years. It is now 1993, the summer before Keem's senior year in high school. That summer, Keem staffs a Filipino youth retreat with Herb. Herb shows Keem his yearbook, that of a catholic high school in Hayward, CA. As Keem is looking through the pics he sees Irma [who is now quite pretty.] Herb doesn't believe that Keem knows her, he thinks Keem is only trying to get at her. It turns out Herb knows Denise too, so he gives me, I mean Keem, Denise's number and Keem calls Denise. After catching up, Denise calls Irma, and 2 days later, Irma calls Keem. Keem and Irma get together a few times to hang out and stuff. Irma tells Keem, "We should always keep in touch because it's not often people can be friends for as long as we've been! Let's not lose touch again!"

Fast forward a couple more years. It is now 1995, and Irma is at yet another catholic school, this time a college in San Francisco. Keem goes out to hang out with Irma and Geo [her now X] at her school. But after that one time, every time Keem calls her, she never returns his calls. Keem even goes by her house to drop off Xmas cards and stuff, and yet no response. Keem doesn't get why all of a sudden there's a big cold shoulder but he doesn't let it worry him.

Then in 2000, Keem meets L [who goes out with someone very close to Voodoo] through his friend Christine, and finds out that L knows Irma. After finding out that they were going to hang out soon, Keem tells L, "Hey, tell Irma I say hi and pass her along my number so she can call me!" The next week Keem is talking to Christine. Christine says, "L told Irma she met and you and passed her your number. But Irma told L, 'Keem? He's hella ghetto!'"

Now if anyone knows Keem it's that even if he tried to be GHETTO he'd fail miserably at it. Anyway, just last Saturday, Keem was hanging out at Thirsty Bear in San Francisco, and Irma was there. She looked right at him for about 10 seconds, and then turned her head and walked away. If she had taken even one step toward him he would have gone and said hi. But she didn't. She probably looked at him about 3 more times that night but said nothing.

Wherever Irma got this 'Keem is ghetto' idea is beyond him. What's even more beyond is why she acts like she's better than him now. Things that make you go hmmmmmm.

(The preceding is based on true accounts. The names of the people within have been *cough* altered to protect the innocent.)
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Dude, I totally get why girls have a hard time staying close friends with other girls. It used to always make me wonder why a lot of the girls I know have more guy friends.

I get it now.