Letters to Ataboy: 1997

Ataboy is Aurora 'Rory' Asperilla-Santiago who is based in Wash DC.


 The Sound of Music    Lunch with Miss Cruz


The Sound of Music
 
>Date: Wed, 03 Dec 1997 15:07:18 +0800
>>X-Sender: abu@nfaco
>>To: nvsantiago@aol.com
>>From: "Ana B. Urbina" <abu@nfa.gov.ph>
>>Subject: The Sound of Music last Saturday
>>
>>Dear Ataboy,
>>        Because President Ramos was away on a long trip, Operation Lily was
>>active. That meant a 24 hour Operations Center duty in all government
>>departments. Ako ang na-assign ng boss kong may weekend appointment yata, to
>>do the 8am-8pm slot last Saturday. Inis na inis nga ako because he made me
>>believe na puedeng wala ako physically sa office, basta available lang on
>>the phone (he asked for my celfone and home phone numbers, which I gave).
>>Thursday ko lang nalaman na delikado pala kung di physically present sa
>>office. Too late na to back out. Nangako pa naman ako kay Ruth na maagang
>>darating at tutulong pa sa pagbenta ng ticket doon sa Meralco Theatre.
>>        So, I was here at the office from 8 am. Hindi naman up ang server
>>namin, kaya walang internet at e-mail. Sayang!
>>        Natawagan ko si Mommy from here, at nasabi niya na lalabas daw sila
>>for Daddy's birthday, di niya pa alam kung saan. (Found out Sunday that they
>>checked out the new Robinson's Mall in Malate.)
>>        Nag-ayos ako ng mga things ko dito, at nag-decorate na for Christmas.
>>        Restless na ako by 6 pm. Nag-dinner na nga sa nearby Banawe St
>>(maraming Chinese restaurants doon). Nagpalit na ng damit by 7 pm. At
>>nag-risk nang umalis by 7:15 pm para makaabot sa 8 pm show sa Meralco Theatre.
>>        Umabot, very cooperative ang taxi driver! Nakita ko pa sina Ruth,
>>Dennis, Wilma at Maria Paz sa lobby. Pero siempre, wala nang kuwentuhan,
>>which should have been the nice thing sana kung maagang nakarating.
>>        Wow, ang lapit ng seat ko, Row J sa orchestra.
>>        Nagpapasakalye pa lang ng tunes ang orchestra, nagkakantahan na yung
>>nasa likod kong row. Magagaya ka.
>>        Kumbento ang unang scene. Aba, okay ang set.  Ang entrance ng ibang
>>madre ay from the side doors ng orchestra, bukod pa dun sa nag-enter through
>>the side door ng stage. Nice. Mas malapit sa audience.
>>        Sa hills ang next scene. Ang ganda ng set! Kumanta na ng "The hills
>>are alive . . . "
>>        "Hindi maganda", bulong nung nasa likod ko sa katabi niya. "Kulang
>>sa feeling", dagdag pa. Well, somehow, you get to imagine Julie Andrews
>>doing it, e sino ba naman ang aabot doon? Hindi innocent looking yung Maria.
>>        Balik uli sa kumbento. Ang galing ng choreography! Magandang
>>tumalon-talon ang mga madre. Loved the "How do you hold a moonbeam . . . "
>>song and dance.
>>        Dumating si Maria from her lakwatsa in the hills. Nag-duet sila ni
>>Mother Superior sa "Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens . . "
>>Favorite ko yung kantang  "My Favorite Things",  kaya biased opinion siguro
>>ang maganda iyon, pero feel ko, warmed up na si Maria at may feeling na ang
>>kanta niya.
>>        Na-assign na si Maria na mag-governess. Maganda siya mag-emote ng
>>humor kahit dun pa lang sa "I have confidence in confidence alone . . ."
>>        Opps! Von Trapp household na. Enter na si Chinggoy Alonzo  as
>>Captain Von Trapp. Iba talaga ang stage presence ni Chinggoy!
>>        The children were adorable!  Ang ganda talaga ng choreography, at
>>husto ang drama. They were well-rounded players.
>>        I found Liesl not quite naive, and too giggly. Hindi na sweet
>>sixteen. Siguro, updated to suit the times. Baka ganoon na ang convent-bred
>>girls ngayon. Mas aggressive pa nga siya dun sa 17 year old who will take
>>care of her.
>>        Na-develop na si Maria and Capt Von Trapp. Ang cute ng "So long,
>>farewell" rendition ng mga bata.
>>        Umalis na nang walang paalam si Maria sa Von Trapp household at
>>bumalik sa Abbey.
>>        Intermission na muna.
>>        Nakasabay ko sa aisle palabas si Felice at si Andy. She thanked me
>>again for letting them know about Miss Cruz through e-mail. (Hindi na sila
>>bumalik, siguro, may iba pang appointment.)
>>        Nung intermission ko na nakita si Ericson, si Pat, si Girlie at si
>>Ella. Pinalilipat na kami dun sa tabi-tabi nilang upuan sa center, but I
>>stuck to my side seat, gusto ko yung mga nasa likod kong critics na
>>magka-holding hands pang nanonood. Siguro, they courted during that time of
>>the movie, and were reminiscing.
>>        Curtain up. The Von Trapp household without   Maria. The children
>>were dejected.
>>        Siempre, pinabalik si Maria. Break sa engagement kay Baroness, tapos
>>wedding na.
>>Ang walking down the aisle ay hindi sa stage, kundi doon sa orchestra aisle.
>>Again, I found that a nice touch.
>>        Nag-invade na ang mga Nazis sa Austria, kaya tumakas na ang Von
>>Trapp family. Sa audience aisle din sila dumaan pagtakas. Nakaka-iyak ang
>>mga kanta sa segment na ito, "Eidelweiss" saka "Climb Every Mountain".
>>        Ilang curtain calls din sila, and the audience was an appreciative one.
>>        I thoroughly enjoyed it. Hanggang ngayon nga, kumakanta pa ako pag
>>lumalakad sa City Hall on my way home. At saka sa banyo, siempre.
>>        Nung uwian, eto na ang problema ko. He, he, he! First time manood sa
>>Meralco Theatre, di ko alam kung saan ako lalabas. Nang tanungin ko si
>>Ericson, isinabay na lang nila ako till Megamall.
>>        Hinihingian ko ng article si Ericson about himself na puede ilagay
>>sa webpage, isulat ko na lang daw na he is the one with the most beautiful
>wife.
>>        That was it for The Sound of Music. Kaya lang, hindi pala
>>ma-fu-fulfill ng ganoon ang desire na mag-sort of reunion, kasi hiwa-hiwalay
>>ang panood(depende sa kinuhang tickets, at saka walang yayaan for coffee or
>>a nightcap afterwards kasi kasama ang mga pamilya. Besides, late na natapos.
>>         I don't know if we earned. Maraming returned tickets at the last
>>days yata.
>>
>>Sincerely,
                                                                       
>>    Urbs
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Lunch with  Miss Cruz

Nov 25, 1997
Dear Ataboy,
        Today, nayaya  ako ni Ruth at Girlie to visit Miss Cruz at the UP Integrated School. I am glad I went with them. Kahit una ay nag-hesitate ako dahil 10:30 am daw ang target time, which would make me practically absent from the office. Nang ma-move to 11:30 am, at magbibitbit daw ng pagkain at doon na kakain, umoo na ako.
        I left the office at 10:45 am at suwerte naman, nakakuha ng taxi! Nauna pa ako by 5 minutes sa kanila! Nasalubong ko si Miss Cruz sa corridor outside the Principal's office, at dinala niya ako where Mrs. Thelma Garcia-Abiva was.
        Sus, hindi pala alam ni Miss Cruz na kami ang darating! Akala niya si Mrs Esguerra, mother ni Girlie.At may lunch date pala sila ni Mrs Abiva.
        Ang nangyari, kaming lima ang nag-lunch out at iniwan ang pagkain (spaghetti and pastries) dun sa UPIS.
        Sa EDSA Plaza Japanese Restaurant natuloy at 'type' daw ni Miss Cruz ang Japanese food.
        Kalbo na si Miss Cruz, pati eyebrows halos wala na. Naka-bandana to hide the baldness. Nag-i-internal hemorrhage na raw, sabi ni Mrs Abiva. Tinanong ko kung masakit, pagkatapos daw ng chemotherapy, one week na parang binugbog ang buong katawan. (She goes for chemo this weekend.)
        Ruth and Girlie decided to give her money, P5,000 from our funds and P5,000 of their own, with the verses quoted from Philippians 4:6-7. Mrs Abiva had a card with a check enclosed. She is such a good friend.
        Hindi naman umabot sa iyakan, but Miss Cruz said that now she is reaping the fruits of her labor from teaching. Her students have helped sustain her in her fight against cancer.
        There was nothing morbid about our lunch date, in fact it was a fun lunch. We reminisced about Prep days. Parang reunion natin.
        Naalala pa ni Miss Cruz na pinalabas daw niya ng room si Kagitingan dahil ubod nang gulo!
        She regretted losing homeroom advisorship when her duties became more administrative as asst principal. Felt she was detached from the students.
        But she was surprised daw when even her students of later years gave he 'Chicken Soup fro the Suviving Soul' when they learned of her struggle with cancer.
        Nagbigay ng greetings sina Ruth at Girlie on behalf of their barkada and our batch, and I gave same on behalf of the boys.
        If you would like to send her a note, her address is:
         Miss Flora Cruz  181 Shoe Ave Sta Elena City of Marikina , or e-mail at upis@info.com.ph
        Naku, I told both Noel Plana and Leni Lontok-Quirit about the appointment, so if they showed up at UPIS, na-indiyan namin sila.
        Napagod na si Miss Cruz sa lakad naming iyon, humihingal na raw siya sa busog! But she commented na buti raw at malakas siya ngayon. Last week daw e hindi, at lahat ng kinakain e inilalabas agad.
        Maganda siyang magdala ng sakit niya. I am sure it hurts. Quite. Hopefully, last chemo na raw niya yung sa weekend. (I don't know what last means!!)
                                                                                                                                Sincerely,
                                                                                                                                    Urbs
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These are really a pleasure to recall!


 
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