It is not surprising that almost 50% of all major TV news coverage these past few days have been devoted to Dolphy. He was a legend in the truest sense of the word and I guess the media outlets are just out there to satisfy the public's hunger for more news about his wake and impending burial and to hear more tributes from his peers and from his fans.
I was watching the news coverage today of Channels 2, 5 and 7 and everyone interviewed said that Dolphy was a kind man. I can also attest to that since I had a very short brush with the King of Comedy a long time ago.
It happened in the Glorietta mall when it was still the place to see and be seen, I think way back in 1998. I was watching a movie then and while I was in the lobby of the cinema floor, I saw Dolphy with some of his family, wearing an all white ensemble. I don't know if he was waiting for someone but he was standing in front of the Wendy's restaurant.
At that time, I was not very starstruck since I was working with several of ABS-CBN's artists but I made an exception to Dolphy because in my book, he was up there with Nora and Vilma as stars I should have a photo wiith. So I went near him and asked politely if I could have a photo with him. Medyo nakakahiya lang kasi he was with his family (I didn't recognize anyone famous among them) and it was really a public place - lobby ba naman ng cinema ng Glorietta! But he was very nice and asked one of the young people in his group to take our picture, baka one of his kids.
Yun lang, a very brief one or two minute encounter with him. I thanked him profusely saying that he was one of my all-time favorite movie idols - and he was really very gracious, walang yabang, walang smirk sa mukha,
Funny thing is, I don't have the picture anymore. Since nuong panahon kasi, you'd have to develop pictures and since Ondoy destroyed some of my photo albums, ayun, wiz na siya. Even then, the wonderful memory of how approachable he was considering his stature, was forever enmeshed in my memory.
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