What goes 'round comes 'round

It was in the afternoon of Holy Thursday when I received a text message: “TO ALL FRIENDS OF MR. X (Name withheld to protect privacy). WE ARE SORRY TO INFORM U THAT MR. X PASSED AWAY EARLY IN THE MORNING DUE TO A MOTOR ACCIDENT. PLS PRAY FOR HIS SOUL.”

The message was sent through the cellphone number of Mr. X, my friend. Distraught by the news, I thought at that moment that someone cared to use my friend’s cellphone to inform his relatives and friends about what happened.

I asked in reply: “Is this true?”

The texter briefly answered: “YES.”

I dialed the number twice from a different cellphone to confirm the news but my calls were not taken. I surmised the person at the other end was hesitant to take the call.

Mr. X is a childhood friend. We grew up in a neighborhood in Sta. Mesa. While he has not been to our old place for a long time since he found a job to keep, I still frequently go there to visit my mother, sister, nieces, nephew, and recently an apo (from a niece).

Since I planned to go to Sta. Mesa that Holy Thursday to while away time, I thought I should also ask around if the news already reached my friend’s relatives who still live in the area. I sent my sister as an emissary. It turned out they had no contact with my friend and they were very shocked to hear what happened. My friend’s uncle, who was taking an afternoon nap when my sister came knocking at their door, immediately went up to me to check the story. I showed him the text message and even tried calling my friend’s number in his presence. When no one answered again, I just gave him my friend’s number so he can try to contact it himself.

A few hours later, I received a text from my friend’s number: “Sorry pre, Happy April Fool’s Day. Langya ka, ang dami nag-text sa akin. Hindi ko na uulitin ‘to next year.”

“Pusang Gala,” I blurted out as I read the message. I shook my head in disbelief – not because I was fooled but because it was foolish for someone to joke about his own death.  I also felt bad – not because I worried too much but because I made my friend’s relatives worry over nothing.

I gave my friend a subtle tongue-lashing for his awful prank. I told him I was about to collect donations for his funeral; that I would have been richer by a few hundreds had he not revealed the joke in time.

I don’t know how the others reacted to his prank text. Maybe he would never hear the end of it from his relatives.

What I certainly know is that he learned something important on a Fool’s Day: Choose your prank wisely.