Sharon Cuneta: "Memories just flooding my mind now..." (February 4, 2017)

On February 2, 2017, Sharon Cuneta wrote a letter for her father on his birthday:

My Dearest Daddy, 

You would have been 107 years old today. Happy Birthday. Hope you are having a good time in heaven with Mommy and all our other loved ones.

Daddy, I miss you so much. It's been almost 17 years since you left us, but it seems like it was only yesterday that you did. I wonder if you hear me when I talk to you sometimes, especially when I am crying and miss your protection and knowing that if I can't solve whatever it is, my Daddy sure can? Or at least that you would hug me and reassure me that everything would be alright. I miss you so much. The pain of not having you in my life anymore, especially to enjoy and get to know my precious children, is different now. But present still, nonetheless.

I knew when I lost you that my life would never be the same again, and I was right. I hate being an orphan. I hate not having you and Mommy to visit every weekend for lunch, and going to a new restaurant with you, and traveling with you...I miss everything we used to do together; our long talks just between us two, our secret smiles and you kicking me under the table whenever Mommy said something funny or kinda "made up." I miss having siesta with you, talking about the latest boxing bout, watching basketball on TV, watching kung fu and scary or funny movies with you. I love you so much my Duduy. You will always be my hero. You will forever be in my heart. I will forever be Daddy's little girl and be proud of being so.

Til we see each other again, my Duduy.

I love you so very much. Again, Happy Birthday.

Always,
your baby Shasha.

Pablo Pablo Cuneta Feb. 1910 - Sept. 2000


Today, feeling sick, memories of her father whom she has been missing a lot came rushing back to her:

Kuya KAKA!!! I wanna go home!!! Waaahhh... 

MEMORIES JUST FLOODING MY MIND NOW...

I was probably the only little girl in all of St. Paul Pasig who was crying, mourning the untimely death of Bruce Lee.

Catching dragonflies around our pool then letting them go...

"Mommy, where are you?" (Mama: "In the kitchen.") "Which one? Up or down?!" Mommy, downstairs kitchen, mga kawang malalaki on firewood: "Want to help me anak? I'm bringing all this food to Malibay then Maricaban (Pasay) later kasi kawawa ang mga tao bumagyo na naman." (Little Sha helps eagerly, tiny hands stirring hard til strained.)

"Kuya dali, I heard Daddy's busina na he's home!"
"Mommy, Daddy's home! We can eat na!"

"Duduy, here are your slippers. Duduy move over cos I want to sit beside you!"

Badminton on Paraiso Street with my next-door-neighbor Bettina G.

Tennis with Kuya in the DVA Clubhouse or Velayo's. Kuya Chet:

"You're so cute, my baby panda." (I used to carry around my panda stuffed toy with me even on tours abroad.)

"I love you, baby!" (I'm still his baby. I love my Kaka!)

Kuya Chet (while I am on the phone talking to my then boyfriend): "Sha, come with me to Daddy's room. Sabihin mo ikakasal na ako!" (Ngee!!!)

Kuya Chet to Daddy (after I punched our wayward Dasma house security guard in the face, umilag, so kinarate ko sa leeg. (Oo ginawa ko yon! Ngee. It's a really long story and I AM NOT PROUD OF IT. But let's just say he was turning my Mom's house into a motel and was missing-in-action always leaving-the-gate-and the front door OPEN while KC was home alone with her yaya and our household help and I was out shooting til late. Tapos pag-uwi ng mga magulang ko from the U.S. dadating na parang walang nangyari!): "Tapos akala niyo ako ang taran...o! Hehehe!" Never happened again. At least NOT YET. Nyaaaaa! Sorry po Lord! (DO NOT MAKE THIS GAYA. DO NOT DO THIS. IT WILL LEAVE YOU FEELING BAD ABOUT YOURSELF.)

(Mama: "Don't go to school today. We're having breakfast in Manila Hotel (or Taal Vista Lodge, or wherever.)."

(Mama: "I made patawag your cousins. We're going to Tali (or Baguio. Or wherever.)."
"Baguio AGAIN, Da? But I want to suka in the zigzag all the time!" 

Tokyo-HK. Tokyo-HK. Tokyo-HK.

In Northridge: Daddy: "Wala pang nakakatakot na tape diyan?"
Anna Zo: "Miswa, 'The Sentinel' was really scary!"
Me: "Kuya borrow 'The Sentinel' for Daddy!"
Daddy (and basically all of us, after watching): "Akala ko ba magandang nakakatakot?! Eh panget!"
Anna Zo: "It was scary when I saw it Miswa!" (Hahahahaha!)

Ali-Frazier Thrilla in Manila: "Daddy kanino po tayo?"
Daddy: "ALI!" Me: "Go Ali! Muhammad, Muhammad Ali. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee..." 

"Daddy Kung Fu na po!"
Dad: "Lika nood tayo."

Basketball: "Da kanino po tayo?" 
Daddy: "Toyota." Me: "Go Toyota! Go Jawo! Go Mon Fernandez, Arnaiz tayo!"

Daddy, in Hong Kong: "Binigyan kong pera si Jenny (Wong), pinakiusap ko i-shopping ka sa Armani at Chanel." (Me: Blagag. Nahimatay sa tuwa).)

Daddy, in Hong Kong, after winning in a Macau casino: "O, balato anak. Bilhin mo Chanel (buong store ulit Da?!!!)."

Daddy: "Maganda ba yang Hermés?" (Buti namimili na kami doon twenty-five years ago nung di pa mahal ang mga bag niya. Nyahaha!)

Yung Kee Roast Goose. "Da I'm craving for Beggar's Chicken!" Daddy. (I am 10 years old.): "Europe tayo, 45 days."
Me: "But Daddy, it's October! I will miss lots of school!" 
Daddy, making paalam to Sister Miriam Victoriano, SPCP Principal: "But she will get a kind of education while traveling that she will never get inside the classroom." (At totoo nga.)

Daddy: "Tatakbo kang Mayor."
(Me: Silence.)
Daddy: "That is not a request. That is a command."
After fifty years, me: "Daddy, ayoko po talaga."
(Daddy: Silence.)

Now Sen. Drilon in our dining room in Dasma years ago: "Eh Mayor si Sharon po ba di tatakbo?" 
Daddy (looks at me with a little smile after not talking to me for fifty years): "Eh ayaw niya eh..." 
Daddy a few months after: "Tatakbo kang Congresswoman." (Nanang ko po.)
"Daddy hintayin ko na lang maging Presidente." Nyahahahaha!
(Silent treatment ulit from him. Pero 1 year na lang.)

Daddy: "Akala mo kung sino, kung apihin ka. Eh di naman siya maganda o magaling!"
Me: "Ay magaling naman po siya at may itsura naman po."
Daddy: (Silence. Then:) "Mabait ka lang talagang bata ka."

Daddy, 1978: "Kahit may sakit ka, basta di ka pa namamatay, tuparin mo ang ipinangako mo, siputin mo ang pinangakuan mo. At tandaan mo, mas importante ang pinagtitiwalaang salita o handshake mo keysa sa kontrata."

Daddy: "Iba ang mabait sa tanga."

Daddy: "Akala niya naloloko niya ako. Di niya alam siya ang niloloko ko kasi hinahayaan ko siyang isipin na naloko niya ako eh nagpapaloko ako kunyari sa kanya!"

Daddy when I was really small, according to him: "Tingnan niyo ang labi ng anak ko, parang iginuhit ni Amorsolo..." (Kaya naloka ako sa mga paintings niya.)

Daddy what's your exercise na now?
Daddy: "Eto." (Puts hand in pocket, pulls it out, mimicking giving money away every single day! Hahaha!)

Daddy: "Ang ibong iniwan ng kasuyong ibon, di na babalikan dumating man ang hapon."

Daddy, 1987: "Noon ko pa gusto marinig yan. Marami akong alam matagal na na di ko lang masabi sa yo. Pag ikaw bumalik diyan, wala kang ama." (Me: Ay forever akong may ama.)

Daddy, same day in 1987: "Pag hindi ka dito umuwi at tinuloy mo yang pag-condo mo, wala kang ama."
Me: "Daddy, hindi po ako matututo pag di ko ginawa ngayon. Wala po akong ituturo sa apo ninyo kundi maging sampid."
Daddy: Silence.

Me: "I love you very much, Daddy. Tuloy na po ako. Balik po kami bukas."
And I embrace him tight. And I had the best, most loving Daddy until September 2000.


Be my genie! Grant my wish(es), please? See my list. Click on this.