Sharing My Nu Moments

Aaah, those Nu moments. My UPCC days would have been less colorful without my friend Noel.

Noel was the most flamboyant (and makapal!) of all the new UPCC members in my batch. He didn’t care an iota if the old members were already annoyed at him. What mattered to him was that he was on key when he sang, he wasn’t stepping on other people’s toes, and most of all, he was having fun.

We shared a lot of fun times, Nu and I.

Take for example, my almost 2-hour commute home. My daily trip from UP to Baclaran via EDSA would have been boring without him. He had an imposing figure so I always felt protected on the bus when I was with him. But don’t be fooled by his size. He usually sat near the window, never near the aisle, because he didn’t want to give up his seat to standing women. The trip down EDSA lane had never been dull with him. I honestly always felt suddenly lonely when he alighted the bus ahead in Malibay.

On tour, the first splurge he made from his $100 cash ‘givenchy’ was a Christian Dior black eyeliner, which was the only make-up the guys used. But he sweetly made me the custodian of the eyeliner. We shared that eyeliner until mapudpod na siya.

He was also my tour bus seatmate. I don’t exactly know why he chose me, but I chose him because he was like a big fluffy teddy bear. The long bus rides through Europe became bearable because he gave me his shoulders to sleep on. And in the morning when we woke up, he was like my talking mirror. “Hoy, Benilda, maghilamos ka dun, chaka ka pag bagong gising ka!”

Somewhere in Italy. Me, Nu, and old members Arnold, Agnes and Tom. At the background is Sir Rey and Leo.

We also shared the same plight as being the lowest rank on having raised the required quota money for the tour. In other words, kami ang pinaka-poor sa batch. Hayun, we were already on the last leg of the tour, but we still had 40 cassette tapes in our luggage. But he always made it a point to carry my suitcase. Hindi niya ako pinabayaan kahit kailan.

So when I see him enjoying all the blessings he now has, in Netherlands, with loving hubby Remy, and adorable son Datu, I just smile to myself and say, “You deserve everything you have, Nu!” 

Pa-share naman dyan ulit ng givenchy, o!

Happy birthday, my dear Nu. Ilabya!