MEDIUM RARE
Jullie Y. Daza
On his 96th birthday last Thursday, novelist, essayist, social critic and commentator, bookstore owner Frankie Sionil Jose reported for work as usual, once a week, at his office atop the shop in Ermita.
How does he do it, looking the same today as he did 10, 20 years ago? ‘’Writing and reading’’ day in and day out? He has some good habits, too, like his beloved Tessie, who keeps him company wherever they go, to the mall to discover what’s to see and to a new restaurant to try what’s to eat, though “this lockdown has kept us indoors.” You could detect a note of frustration in his voice, or was it resignation?
Senior citizens like Frankie are super, superb, superior. Mind sharp as ever, memories intact without a blur, recalling names, conversations, and scandals worth repeating. Frankie’s standard greeting to me has always been, “Where’s your novel?” I’ve finally thought up a rejoinder to that, Frankie: When will you make a screenplay out of your favorite book, one out of so many?
Tony Pastor turned 92 last month. Days before the March lockdown, he received a doctorate in humanities, honoris causa, from National University for his dedication to music and the arts and his philanthropy. One year ago, he was named Batangas’ Most Eminent Person on the occasion of the province’s Foundation Day. When he’s not playing the piano – there are five in his house – Tony is quietly helping the needy or an aspiring musician, not only by buying tickets but also sponsoring their recitals.
Two words explain his joie de vivre: “No wife.”
Doring Halili wears splashy colors and flits from Manila to Talavera, like a woman half her age. She was a caregiver in the US for decades, so when she came back it was her daughters Elnora and Eloisa’s turn to spoil her. Her vacationist life was not to last, for soon she was back teaching teachers how to teach in English, in Bulacan. The lockdown put an end to her to-and-fro’s. Now, between weekdays in Eloisa Vistan’s newly renovated house in Nueva Ecija and weekends in Quezon City, she crochets pretty little doilies to cover drinking glasses, with pearls and mini-spoons and forks as accents. She’s 87, a super special senior!