BEYOND THE NORAMANIA.THE ATE GUY I KNEW

IT WAS UNUSUALLY CALMANDABNORMALLY QUIET THAT NOONTIME IN 1977 AT NORA AUNOR'S HOME IN VALENCIA. SHE HAD CALLED EARLIER WITH A LUNCH INVITATION.

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"Ate Babes, lunch with me here," it was Guy on a personal level not the Superstar that the public owns. The garage was empty and as I walked towards the humongous kitchen, her back was turned to me. She's cooking? "Wala silang lahat, eh, tayong dalawa lang." When I tried to help her prepare, she burst into laughter, "Naku, you don't know how to cook. Ate Babes, sit ka na lang dyan, ako naman ang magsisilbi sa iyo.

You have been so tired and stressed, always running to my rescue." Aba, may soup pa! The rice, still warm.

And dya dya dyaang, "Heto na, I cooked laing for you. Teka, do you like tapa? Wala, eh! Nagtanong pa." We were laughing.

How well do I know Bulilit (my term of endearment for The Superstar)? I learned of her untimely death an hour after she breathed her last. I could not process it. I was thousands of miles away from her how could I hug Bulilit for the last time?

Then my CP trembled, "Baby K!" he said. It's Bobot (Edgar Mortiz) who was filming in Japan. "The cinemat died today. Wala na si Ate Guy!" For a few seconds, we remained quiet.

The crippling news brought me to several places, countless episodes, untold stories.