Reached by the Star

RIVERSIDE, California – Here I am, back on my half way home, the residence of Lourdes and Allan Gomez, the place where I always land first whatever my destination is in the U.S. We left Las Vegas earlier than planned because our very able driver, Christian Gomez, their youngest son, had an appointment with Mr. Sandman. We however had a quick visit to Wynn Hotel, where I have some good memories while attending really victorious Pacquiao bouts. What a change there has been since then! Everything has been refurbished – even the carpeting and the ceilings. And the flowers, real ones at that! There were huge balls of them hanging from the ceilings and banked along the aisles, so beautiful and pleasing to the eye.

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One of the most classy (and expensive, no doubt) areas was the place where Allan and Lourdes’ only daughter, Loureen, now Mrs. Jerred Pierucci, with a 3-year-old boy, Kathan, is the manager. We were so proud and happy to have her show us around the place. An engineer, she used to work at the Las Vegas airport, but she looks more at home in this place. Reluctantly, we said our goodbyes and started for Riverside, going through the dry plains, treeless hills, rocky drives and sad-looking cacti, and wondering when these areas, too, will be developed into colorful and prosperous cities like Las Vegas.

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As soon as we got back here, a phone call came from Atlanta, Georgia. It was Rene (Nono) Mejica, checking up. “How did you find out I was here?” I asked in surprise. Aha, he said, “Don’t you realize that the DAILY STAR is now international? Of course I read it from your column.” Oh, I said, “Governor Marañon has another word for it. He calls it global.” Well, Nono, who spruced up his house in Bacolod recently saying he was returning there, is back in Atlanta doing “apostolate” work, because he and Perla already have an “apo (grandchild)”.

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Next day I was fetched by Oging (Hugo) Villanueva, son of the late Bacolod lawyer Eugenio Villanueva, Jr. his mother-in-law Eng and his three rambunctious boys, Yogi, Georgi and Reagan, for our usual sortie whenever I am here. Oging and his wife Len Len live in Corona, which is quite near Riverside. Our ritual is: lunch at our favorite Chinese restaurant in L.A. then we go browsing at Chinatown, before going more miles to visit other relatives here.

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This time our target was Gretchen (daughter of my brother Pros) and her family, husband Pio Dumatol, and kids Mathieu and Maia, who have grown up so much since I saw them last year! Just imagine the raucous activities the five “hyper” kids created. By the way, Oging’s eldest boy Yogi who is only going into 7th grade, is such a concerned citizen of the world, he writes letters to heads of state like President Obama, and Queen Elizabeth and carries their replies, albeit sent by their staff, around. Now he wants to write to the president of China about the Scarborough affairs. But President Aquino has never replied, he said.

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By the way relatives and friends of former Celina Villasor Baja, widow of the late Emilio Dumatol, and an alumna of LCC Bacolod will be concerned to know that she has been very ill and has been in and out of the hospital recently, and needs their prayers. Celina is also a member of the Ramos clan and had joined a reunion years ago.*

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