Today, Aug. 8'08, I got a call from a friend ( Nena), about Tonette's death. " Have you heard the news?" ( she asked) Bessie is in town... "NO"... "Tonette died last Wed. of leukemia!" I almost fell off my chair.. Her next words seemed vague... I was screaming inside ... NOOOh.. not Tonette! Why now? I was planning a reunion... but not like this!
Call me psychic ( it's not the first time it happened), because 2 days ago, I dreamed about him. I just can't remember what it was all about... I just know Tonette was in it and I woke up with a good feeling. I also bumped into another friend of ours ( Bessie Badilla), who was in town, and we planned a get-together and I promised her that I'd call Tonette to join us, even if I didn't exactly know where to find him; I just knew I had to find him. We have lost touch... the last time I saw him was year 2000, before he left for Japan. He changed address when he got back, fell in love, and I never saw him again.
Our friendship goes a long long way back. I was only 18 then, and he was 20. We were members of a dance troup and had dreams of traveling the world through dance. He was the funniest person I have ever met and there was not a day that we didn't find comic relief! And yes, he was my first gay friend... my first exposure to Gayland!
We toured Japan, Hongkong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Indonesia, Brunei,Germany, Brussels, Holland, USA, United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, etc... The memories are so plentiful that it's hard to know where to begin in telling the story.
Because I was young and naive then, along with 2 other close girlfriends in the group( Bambi and Gene), he was protective of us; like a mother-hen to her chicks. When we had problems, like who was gonna do our laundry when the hotel where we stayed didn't include free laundry for the shows, he offered to wash our clothes ( and he did a great job with it too!)and returned it crease-free, white as white, and sweet-smelling! What an image to see him at work in his bathroom on the tub; at the Hilton hotel in Europe, full of our dirty clothes! Hilarious really... If only I had taken pictures of the things we did during our tours ....
Karaoke and the disco was a favorite! Oh how he can dance the night away and belt out a song. He was our comedian and can twist french, japanese, german to sound like Tagalog! Hahaha.. Just thinking about it now, makes me smile.... laugh even!
Though he was gay, he was never promiscuous. Like a Mother Superior he would reprimand if one of us became "wild" or boy crazy in love. " Mga babae kayo, hindi bakla" he would say.
Oh Tonette...Tonette... Thank you for being my friend. For watching over me ...You will be terribly missed by friends esp. me, and your family because you loved your mom and siblings so much that you took it upon yourself to be the breadwinner.
Until we meet again my friend. Take a bow on your last curtain call, and watch the angels applaud you for a standing ovation.... I love you.
