Ernie is never
home.
Ernie is a
fine chap. That is why I hit it well with him since our acquaintances at J
Walter Thompson in the late 80's.
He is jolly
and whimsical but a deep sense of conviction and faith. Jolly as in playful
like Peter Pan. Conviction for what he believes is morally right. Deep faith
for his belief in God, his religiosity and subscription to Christian
principles.
He has a bag
full of tricks. The tricks are funny but not rib tickling. Because his jokes
are studied, lines memorized but nevertheless still funny.
Ernie has an
interest for the classical in music and in the opera. Vienna interests him for
the rich heritage. He owns a mini sound system and a car stereo so he can play
his soothing world sound.
He loves going
out; out of Metro Manila and out of his house. Once we went to La Union on a
weekend to oversee a project just to have a change of pace. Once from a night
out we went home late and bumped his Mitsubishi Mirage head on with a cab just
as we were reaching his homestretch at Project 4. Just to test how it was to be
frivolous I guessed.
As he moved
out of J Walter Thompson and eventually out of the Philippines, Ernie was never
home. Weekends I find myself checking at his home window to find out if he was
around. He wasn't at the basketball court, he wasn't at his bedroom. Most of
the time his schedule was booked. Calls to him phone would generate a reply,
"He is somewhere else."
On his two
important milestones, he wasn't home. On the eve of his wedding, he was in
Baguio while we and his J Walter Thompson friends were still in Manila. On his
death, we were early at the Sanctuario and couldn't wait for him. He still
wasn't home.
The one
surprise I got from Ernie was his immediate reply to my email sent forwarded to
Canada. Not in the form of a letter but in a call. To say he was home to face
his test.
Right now,
Ernie now feels the most at home from among all of us. And it is in the home
where one is most secure and in bliss. That I'm sure is where he is.
Chito Razon 11 May 2000
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