It was early morning yesterday when I heard the devastating news. Carlo “Coyki” Pabalan, one of my closest friends in high school, died of complications from dengue fever at age 23. He had been in a coma for more than 24 hours, and last I heard, he was in dire need of a blood transfusion. But in the blink of an eye, he’s gone.
Coyki’s untimely passing couldn’t have come in a more depressing period. Just barely a month ago, we also lost another former batchmate Ramon “Monchu” Ordoveza, to sleep apnea. Two lives. Gone too soon.
In many ways, I considered Coyki my first high school best friend. He was one of my first textmates, and we had a blast talking about bad horror movies and absurd music videos. He also used to get me in a trouble a lot for making me laugh like a lunatic during class. Coyki was a walking gag show.
It’s hard to fathom how someone bursting with so much energy would leave this soon. Coyki has touched so many lives with his humor and his carefree disposition, in the same manner that he has touched mine. And even if we’ve grown out of touch over the years, I still thank him for providing me some of my best high school memories. Coyki may not have been aware, but he taught me not to take things too seriously all the time, and that the solutions to some of life’s seemingly biggest problems are often just a mere chuckle away.
So, see you next lifetime, Coyki. And thanks. For everything.
Carlo Javier De Guia Pabalan
November 10, 1985 – August 27, 2009
Planet Chuckie 