Rolly Espina on his 75th

It is not common that a columnist features another columnist except when attacking him where one full column is not enough. I would like to be different and write about Rolando Lopez Espina, a grandson of Graciano Lopez Jaena, the country's writer hero. He celebrated his 75th birthday last Saturday, ahead of his actual birthday, taking advantage of the presence of all his eleven children, many on vacation from abroad.

It's rare that a 75-year-old columnist writes about another 75-yearold columnist. Ordinarily columnists die early, some shift to a better paying job, while others, having enough, enjoy their retirement.

Rolly and I are still at it. Until when, I don't know. But as long as we can tap our old manual typewriter, being computer illiterate, we hold on. Column writing is our therapy.

* * *

Our lives run parallel to each other. We used to be neighbors at Homesite, he living nearby at Capitol Heights.

We are both newspapermen and columnists. Our wives were called Doctora. His Des was a physician and my Fe was a dentist. His daughter a physician and my daughter is a dentist, both of us, past presidents of Negros Press Club and past presidents of our civic clubs. He with Lions and I with Rotary.

We are widowed, he seven and I four years ago.

* * *

Friends always compare us to each other. When asked, I always have a ready answer. Rolly is a better man. A better father and husband with his 11 children against my four, his 23 grandchildren against my five.

He is a better newspaperman, a better writer, a better columnist. And a better smoker. I don't know how to smoke and don't plan to learn. He is also more godly, devotes more space to topics about God. Less possibility of a mistake and nobody disputes him.

* * *

I also cannot compete with his seriousness. There is no topic that Rolly does not treat seriously. I have my own seriousness but I consider myself naughty. I just enjoy pulling the legs of friends. I pull your leg only if you are a friend.

I still have a complete set of original teeth. I cannot challenge Rolly to a biting match. I also cannot challenge him to a hair pulling match. He has a few, I have more hair to pull.

I also cannot challenge him to a 50-meter dash because I can still make it to 50 times four. I climbed the Great Wall in China last month.

And I will not accept a contest of what many people call "climbing pillows." I learned he is an expert on it. I am not.

That's Rolly Espina, the Fallen Angel. He has fallen but still an angel. Fallen Angel is the name seminarians give to those who enter the seminary but failed to get an ordination as priest.

Last Saturday Rolly had his birthday bash at Sugarland Hotel organized by his children, without the knowledge of Rolly until a day before. It is just like my own birthday June 19. My children did everything, including the invitation of guests. I knew it only a day before.

All of Rolly's 11 children and 23 grandchildren are all good singers and dancers. Music is the mark of the family. Nenen, the "ahijada" of Fe, has a voice quality of international standard. May, the physician is another "ahijada" of Fe.

Our Bambi is the ahijada of Des in confirmation. And our Sunshine is her ahijada in baptism.

The forte of my children and grandchildren are in public speaking. On my birthday, they all spoke well. Last Saturday the Espinas sang and danced well, too.

* * *

For all his brilliance, Rolly is no match to my naughtiness.

He was always using a walking cane. One time at the Negros Press Club, while having his cane, I told him, "Rolly, hide that cane, there are many girls."

He did and was always standing erect, stomach in breast out like a teenager. And I noted he is not using a cane now. The walking cane will just make you dependent on it, I told him.

When we were younger and there was a trip out of the province in press seminars, we always were roommates.

At night after the session when the boys would go for a night out, we preferred to go to sleep. Friends would ask me, "Are you sure that after you slept Rolly did not sneak out?"

I always said, I don't know. I knew, though, that when he committed a sin, the first thing he did the following morning was to go to confession. He didn't go to confession.

Rolly, let's make it in 2012 at 80th.*

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