RONNIE CARRASCO 3RDToday exactly marks the birthday of Boy Abunda, hailed as the Asia’s King of Talk no less.For many years, Kuya Boy — as I address him — won’t be here around which time when his close friends in the biz eagerly expect him to throw parties more lavish than his outfits. He prefers taking time off with long-time partner Pagcor executive Bong Quintana — who is now in New York — in some foreign land.Kuya Boy isn’t actually a party animal despite projecting a gregarious image and possessing such an impeccable savoir faire he’s known for.Let me just clear that this piece may sound a bit of sycophant pandering, but definitely it is not meant to poke “pang-ookray” (showbiz term for funny ridicule) at one of the very few showbiz characters whom I’ve treated with utmost respect if reverence.Rather this is about our friendship that has transcended work boundaries without having to spend as much time together as regular buddies would, or burning telephone lines in lieu of face-to-face encounters.It was in 1995 when Kuya Boy and I finally had a chance to work together. He was host of “Startalk” while I was one of its writers.Although I had known him before that as the moving force behind Backroom, Inc., it was in “Startalk” where I became more accepting of and more adjusted to some of his forgivable quirks.Age when asked seems to be a big deal for Kuya Boy as it does for most women. I remember having chanced upon a celebrities’ profiles boxed section in a glossy magazine published many years ago.“Classified info” is what was stated corresponding his age.On the contrary, says he, “It’s not the age, it’s the mileage.”The ability to do multi-tasking must have propelled Kuya Boy to achieve that mileage. Understandably a busy person who wants a lot of productive things accomplished in one fell swoop, this anecdote reveals just that.Back when radio talk programs hadn’t become televised as they are popularly now, once on his “The Boy Abunda Radio Show” on DZAR Angel Radyo, he came to the booth with a pedicurist in tow. While having his toenails done, a totally impervious Kuya Boy simply went on with his board work.Without hinting at the simultaneous business, he announced: “This is what I love about radio!”Not because he wasn’t seen by his daily listeners did Kuya Boy have a convenient excuse not to come in dressed to the nines. Lasting for more than a year, that radio experience was nothing less than a runway for Kuya Boy who donned his expensive signature get-up which he proudly does to this day.To Mr. Eugenio “Boy” Abunda, happy nth birthday!****GUESS WHO? Once this enigmatic actress (EA) was on the phone venting her grievances to a close friend. Without saying what exactly caused it, EA was between sniffles and snobs.The friend was compassionate enough to simply let EA pour out her feelings even if she wanted to butt in.But what startled the listening friend was the EA’s sudden shift of mood from lachrymose to cheerful, “Imagine, EA had been crying for all of eternity tapos biglang tawa nang tawa?”Uncomfortable, the friend simply stayed on the line and waited until EA hung up. She even wished that EA overcome whatever (unstated) problem she had.****A driver swore how tightwad this popular singer-actress (PSA) could be when once hired by the latter.“Nagkataon na rest day ng driver ni PSA, but she couldn’t afford to miss out on some important appointments that day,” the driver himself told Vignettes.As told, the driver showed up at PSA’s residence to pick her up at 10 in the morning en route to her first stop.“It was way past lunchtime when PSA got out of her meeting. Diretso raw muna kami sa supermarket for her week’s grocery,” our driver-source, who skipped his lunch, said.It was about mid-afternoon when PSA asked to be brought to another meeting which lasted until 5 p.m. Before the driver knew it, “Mag-e-Angelus na. I had to pick up my employer kasi yun naman ang usapan.”In short, PSA had to let go of him. But before she could step in back to her residence gate, PSA smilingly thanked the driver: “Sa uulitin, kuya!” just as she handed him his “service fee” of P100.
