benta

"Bakit ba ayaw matulog ng mga bata sa tanghali? alam ba nilang pag
natuto silang umibig e hindi na sila makakatulog kahit gusto nila?"

--bob ong

*

As April approaches, three people come to mind. Jonathan Brandis, Kurt Cobain, and June "Bangkay" Ramos.

1. Jonathan Brandis
We have the same birth date. I adored him back in high school and college.
He was the most famous Bastian of the Never Ending story. He was my Lucas Wolenczak of Sea Quest DSV. He was the reason I grew to love dolphins and more of the sea. He had blue eyes and always wore checkered long sleeved tops. He spoke like he had gum in his mouth even though there wasn't any. He filled my Thursday nights with sci-fi. I remember he had a Nissan Maxima and I wrote him a letter once.
I lost track. I got the shock when I heard he died of suicide at age 27, hanged himself. My age right now. He could have gone further. Maybe he called out to me. He could have waited for me to get back to him.

2. Kurt Cobain
I could have waited three more days and my son's birthday could have been the same as his (but that would have been totally overdue). April though is his death month.
I'd play a Nirvana tape and I'd knew exactly how many seconds I need to rewind to a track I'd like to hear over and over (without looking at my watch). I always listened to him with my eyes closed and I always sang with him as if he too was singing for me. I copied or bought magazines that had articles on Nirvana. I made a Nirvana collage. He was an addict like I was to him. He complained of nauseous pain. Then he died....with a gunshot wound in the head.
Back in high school, I decided his songs should play on my funeral, but he went before I was gone.
I knew every line of his supposed suicide note. (Yes, because news surfaced that he wasn't suicidal at all, even the Rome incident and that Courtney is manipulating everything, maybe that was why Dave Grohl didn't side with her. Poor Frances).
I welcomed his peace, love and empathy. I still want his songs playing at my funeral.

3. June "Bangkay" Ramos
My first memory of Bangkay was at KKK monument in Lawton. He was wearing this Girl (bitch) this t-shirt that I really wanted. He was this kind of kid who's all friends with everyone, even people he just met. He was the kind of person who is not difficult to love, he had charm. He was there when the hubby and I were starting out.
He was a really good skateboarder, winning competitions here and there. One day he had a motorcycle accident and that started his ordeal. He still skated though, this though guy, he really love the sport.
He was on his way to a demo/competition up North when we all lost him.
March was his birth month, and it will be his death anniversary in April. He is remembered for the good man that he is. Not very many knew his story but the people who knew him know how to pay tribute.