Graduation arrived, college days ended, and not long after so did TOSS. Not only because the shop had closed, but also because the members of the Coffee Club found themselves scattered all over the globe.

Or, more accurately, it feels that way. We’re all so far away from home, far from each other, trying to make a living in a world where hard work no longer guarantees success, only survival. The young man who reflected over these words surveyed the faces around the table outside Starbucks in Alabang Town Center, where the Coffee Club was now waiting; an hour hence was Kaye’s wedding in the nearby church. He mused over the fact that the years had not been good to them, yet they were not that harsh either; the fact was, however, that the years had changed all of them.

Chase had become a secretary in an international school, as employment for engineers was scarce and the competition stiff. Emon now had his own construction company, begun with a few classmates, a large step from being the COO – “child of the owner” – of his father’s firm. Rod, his fiery temper now mellowed down, now worked in sales for a cable company. James, like Eric, worked as an engineer in a manufacturing firm in Cavite; he had finally gotten over Scarlett and had begun seeing other people. Eric, on the other hand, had found a true friend in Joy and had completely forgotten his attraction to her (as the Coffee Club expected, Eric hadn’t bothered to tell Joy about his thing for her after not winning in the Palanca awards). Benny now was working for a surveying outfit based in Singapore; he and AJ had finally called it quits shortly after graduation. The rancor between them was absent between Sheila and Denise, who had stopped being an item three months earlier, after Denise decided to leave permanently for Adelaide. Ali, now a doctor, was leaving soon for a practice in the US.

His thoughts turned to those not present. Allen was in Taiwan, where he had accepted a job as a communications technician for a cellular company. Ray was in Taiwan as well; after cheating on Chase shortly after their third year anniversary as a couple and getting the other woman pregnant, he was never heard from since. Mel and Izzy were happily married and the proud parents of a daughter, whom they had named Larenne.

And me? The young yet not-so-young man though, his amusement meditative. Math teacher in Adamson, still trying to make sense of the world. Sam’s back in England; we’ve parted in friendship. The TOSStados don’t meet so often now, but nothing’s changed between all of us. The friendship hasn’t changed through the years, despite the changes we’ve all gone through; who we are to each other is still who we are to each other. Strange yet not so strange.

“Laren? So pensive,” Sheila said. “What are you thinking?”

“The truth that the more things change, the more things remain the same,” Laren replied. “We’re here, we still love coffee, and we’ve still got our friendship.”

“Alien,” said Rod, “pero, pare, di naman tayo nagbago masyado.”

“Or maybe it’s just the world around us that’s changed a lot,” Ali offered, “and that’s why things seem so different.”

“Even our coffee’s changed, pare – mahal na, tsong,” Benny laughed. “Remember that we’d never be caught dead in Biscotti? Now we’re in Starbucks, and it’s much more expensive. Coñoland pati, pare.”

“At least it’s not Rockwell. Hey, this is the closest coffee place nearest Kaye’s wedding. Besides, kape latta, kabsat. Who cares if the place is crawling with coños?” James replied. “We know who we are, TOSStados, not Biscottis.”

“That’s true,” Emon agreed. “Nothing’s really changed – basta magkasama ang dalawang TOSStado, nand’on resurrected ang tambayan.” At this, the friends had a hearty laugh.

“Pare, the terms! Back from the dead, ba?” Chase teased.

“Dehins, mare. While there’s a chance for us to have coffee and conversation together, the Coffee Club will never die,” Emon grinned. “We’ll always be who we are.”

“I’ll drink to that. Here’s to us, the Coffee Club that was, is, and shall always be, world without end, alien!” Eric said, raising his paper cup. Laughing, everyone followed suit, warmed by the time-tested true friendship they still felt for each other.


The hour went by with the Coffee Club indulging in nostalgic banter, reminiscing about stories past and sharing new ones about the present. As soon as they heard the pealing of church bells, they strolled to the church together. Watching the shadows on the ground, Laren reflected, Nothing really has changed. The Coffee Club is still the Coffee Club; we TOSStados are still Los TOSStados. Like Emon says, when even just two of us meet for coffee anywhere, the spirit of the tambayan comes alive there.

Well, I guess I’m still the storyteller of the tambayan.