By Erlinda Francia-Martin, M.D.
he
curtain rises: With sure stride, young men and women with
bright eyes, dreams, and a goal, file into the medical building.
Who are these darlings of the gods, the creme de la creme,
talented, intelligent, hopeful?
Some could have been future
real estate magnates or powerful and wealthy takeover geniuses.
Take Lud Aguillon. His Talent in dealing with members could
have made him millions had he chosen another path.
Some could have been big names
in celluloid, Lina Fernandez with her pouty lips and graceful
sensuality. As she passes, she streaks the air with her pheromone.
I wonder, does she bathe in perfume? Her scent always lingers.
Some could have graced the
society pages of the papers... The prince of a man, Joe Mapalad
with his dark good looks, so elegant and so reticent. From
what exotic island did he come? Did he play chess, the game
of kings? Did he ride horses and play polo in his spare time?
Who is this vision of loveliness,
fair skinned and comely? She conjures a picture of a white
arum lily in a black lacquered vase. The Lilly never wilts
and Josie Villafria never will for she is exquisite.
Enter Rene Orquiza and Conrado
Gonzalez with matching red turtlenecks and black jackets.
You could mistake them for two millionaire playboys hanging
around bars toasting their long stemmed glasses half-filled
with wine
*****
We became friends. We studied
together, ate together, laughed together, wept together.
It is three in the morning.
Are those Laudy Lahom and Benita Tiu working on their cardboard
and plastic models of the nervous system?
Is that Tony Toledo nodding
off at his kitchen table while across from him Jun Neri tries
to decipher the mystery of human biochemistry?
Are those Angie Ago and Ciony
Que on Angie's bedroom floor with all the charts of fungi
spread before them?
When all the world was sleeping,
replenishing its strength, we were up. When all the world
was dancing, celebrating a holiday or just going away for
a weekend, we were with our medical books which we had sworn
to love and cherish and for which we forsaked all others.
There were novels waiting
to be read, concerts to attend, movies to be watched, loved
ones with whom to enjoy life. These and more were our privations.
*****
The sharing of food became
a symbol of our caring for each other. During the school year,
lunch hours were the only times we could talk at length about
ourselves, our families, our friends. Thus, they became precious
moments during which we cemented our friendships.
Chanticleer restaurant on
Morayta Street. That's my friend Totoy Mallari sitting over
there. Having lunch with Totoy is a delicious experience.
He eats the simplest meals with gusto and he is very easy
to please. I like him. He is pure. He has no mean streak in
him.
The images keep coming...
Are those Rita Guevarra, Tessie Ilagan and Linda Ortiz buying
siopao from the night vendor? They are on call and are taking
a break. Malu Benavides and Jean Rabara are splitting a turon.
Ato Enriquez, Jane Peralta and Cora Sevilla are enjoying their
"baluts". These three will have to scrub later.
I saw the ambulance come in with three injured patients.
And what are Manny Rivero,
Willie Benardo and Jun Acosta up to? They're carrying food
enough to feed a battalion. It's for the interns on call.
Jun Acosta, the OD, has to see to it that everyone gets the
evening snack.
How refreshing it is for me
to with Linda Caliboso. Our mango eating sessions are filled
with much laughter and sharing of dreams. You got the three
darling boys of your dreams, didn't you Linda?
Welcome dear friends. Good-bye
dear friends. After Veri's "Aida", they all vanished.
This friends who put such joyful colors in our lives - where
did they all go? Would that we could bottle them up and uncork
the bottle when we need the comfort of their presence?
*****
When I think of Tony dela
Cruz and Roger Mahor, I think of a field of bright poppies
in a riot colors. They always bring a smile to my face. When
I saw Flory Reyes, I see sunflowers looking up to the sun.
Bobbot Yngente, that dear sweet presence, calls on images
of Queen Anne's lace dotting the countryside in the summer.
What a pleasant surprise to run into Mila Medina. It is so
much like driving through the plains of Kansas and coming
up on the Flint Hills. Suddenly, three is a gift of a symphony
of golden colors.
*****
Our grand occasions were few
and far between; but how we relished them. Have you filled
your dance card ladies? "It is the medical ball, that
once a year affair when we shed our uniforms and instead of
stethoscopes around our necks, we wear pearls".
What stunning women in their
gowns. Who would think that this bejeweled fingers are those
that hold a patient's hand to comfort him.
The men are dashing men are
dashing in their "barongs". Are they the same men
who put in long hours with patients in labor?
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MORE MEMORIES OF CLASS '69
During my rotation at Rizal
Provincial Hospital, because of exhaustion my fellow interns
could not wake me up when it was my turn to watch patients
in labor. Of course they became upset. - MIMI BORILLO-FOGATA,
M.D.
Spending my internship with
a wonderful bunch of classmates, including Cleopatra Manuel,
Severino Aparri, Manuel Hugo, Esmeraldo Discimulacion, Eduardo
Lu, Martin Rubiano and Erlinda Monserrate, is a wonderful
experience. - TONY GESTOSANI, M.D.
I was roughly awakened by
my co-intern, Lucio Co. He said, "Daniella had an accident".
Daniella went into coma for 2 months. But she graduated a
semester after us. - NICK JOAQUIN, M.D.
I cannot forget when Arturo
Abalos and I thought that an exam in Pediatrics was in the
afternoon when it was really in the morning. - ROGER MAHOR,
M.D.
I remember vividly my co-interns'
advice on how to hook a man. From Nick Joaquin, "Don't
act too smart, don't sound too smart, and don't look too smart."
From Rene Orquiza, "Tantalize a man by giving a little
but not too much." Linda did hook a man who became her
husband. She has both classmates to thank for. - LINDA FRANCIA-MARTIN
The night of the infamous
earthquake that led to the collapse of the Ruby Towers, I
remember being awakened by the movements of the bed at the
interns' quarter of FEU Hospital. With a group of interns,
we rushed to the ward to help the patients out. We passed
rolling oxygen tanks, wheelchairs and stretchers to find the
wards empty. Outside we found the patients waiting with their
IV hookups and ready to rescue us if necessary. - LINDA CALIBOSO-VILLORIA,
M.D.
I enjoyed giving Benita Tiu
a hard time because she always knew the answers. I also enjoyed
the post-exam activities when we all go out, eat and "pasyal".
I especially remember the nights when Jun Miclat and Jun Neri
would study at my place for the finals and would not let me
go to sleep. - TONY TOLEDO, M.D.
The memories of how simple
things made us happy, like mangoes and 'bagoong', going to
the movies after exams, working on lessons or projects together,
and sharing books are refreshing. What about "pancit"
or barbecue or "halo-halo" from Brown Derby or Little
Quiapo? How about when Florie Reyes and Ester Sales switched
places in Plastic Surgery Class... and they got away with
it? - VICY ALONSO, M.D.
I was the escort of Miss Medicine
in the annual medical ball held in Manila Hotel in two different
school years. - TOMMY LO, M.D.
A co-intern just delivered
a baby. After a few moments, the mother called that another
baby was coming and, surprise, she had twins! Luckily, the
second did not fall in the bucket. - SARAH GO CARDENO, M.D.
One day in Anatomy class,
Nap Abando jokingly started to pair me with Luisito and reserved
seats for us. Somehow, magically it worked because we fell
in love and married one another. - JOSIE GOZUM REYES, M.D
The room was noisy as
we waited for the next class. Out of the blue Roger Mahor
stood. He got into a argument with another classmate. All
of a sudden, the class became quiet. We felt the tension as
the verbal exchange went on. The seriousness of his face surprised
us and I knew then there was trouble. All eyes were focused
on him. Emotions built up. His eyes traveled around and slowly
a sign of a smile started to appear on his poker facial expression.
The he started laughing. The whole drama was a sham and a
premeditated one. Roger as far as I am concerned was a natural
comedian and still Sis. He made everybody laugh and still
does. How about Conrado Gonzalez? We used to call him speedy.
I envied his talent behind the piano keyboard. The way he
flipped his fingers as he accompanied himself was quite amazing.
I also spent nights at Tony Toledo's place not to sleep but
to cram for major exams. With a pot of coffee, I stayed awake.
Tony, on the other hand, would sleep most of the time but
always got good scores. - JUN NERI, M.D.
