goodbye to our childhood.

dear marionne,

i went to a burial midnight of November 8. it was the death of NU107. and i couldn't help but think you should've been here.

i found out about it's closing down a couple of weeks ago. that's why i emailed you.

i'm sorry if i'm writing you this but you were the best person to address this to because YOU were the one who got me hooked to listening to NU. and i THANK YOU SO MUCH for that.

you were the one who introduced me to pearl jam, wolfgang and all the other bands that you so passionately loved listening to. and somehow, by listening to NU107, it awakened a passion in me too.

remember that time i had a problem and we were talking about it on our way to the NU office in Ortigas at the Solidbank Building? we were still in our high school uniforms then and we went after class. and it's funny because i still remember it quite vividly. when we got there, you were talking about these two djs, john allen & pontri. and i think you were supposed to claim tickets that you won by calling the dj.

that time, you told me about pontri and how nice he was. and when we met him, i remember thinking that you're right. he wasn't like the other djs from the other station we talked about. well, i met him again yesterday. and he still is the same nice guy.we got introduced thru roxy that day (she was a dj in NU, i don't know if you still remember her), whom i met thru janna way back and has become a good friend ever since.

all throughout college, it was the station that provided our soundtracks. and way after, when we started working, it was still the same station we'd listen to. i realized that i've been a listener for half of my life already. and it's all because of you.

yesterday, roxy & pontri boarded one last time at 12 noon and said their farewells to NU and to their listeners. they reminisced a lot about the past djs and the past NU. a lot of former djs based elsewhere called in also to share their fondest memories of NU107. and bid their goodbyes as well.

the past week was emotional. everyday, a lot of bands guested in the shows to pay their respects. a lot of listeners visited the station. djs were crying. guest musicians were crying. it was like a wake, marionne. like somebody so well-loved unexpectedly died.

and i knew in my heart that if you were here, we'd go visit NU in its last days. we would've paid respects together. we could've visited everyday, if we could. but you're far away. so i paid respects by myself, met up with mcoy and his bandmate when they played one last time last monday morning. and then yesterday, with roxy & other friends.

we stayed 'til the last second of NU107's airing. the station's office is/was a few blocks behind robinson's galleria. you should've seen the crowd outside the station, marionne. it was amazing. it seemed like a rock concert was going on. there was a moment that we were unsure of going outside the station (i was in the booth since noon) because people just flocked. the dj's booth was jam-packed. 107 candles were lit outside. there was a huge white banner where people wrote their well-wishes and goodbyes. there was overflowing love & support.

by 6 pm, it was already so dreadful seeing the time. everyone wanted to stretch it and push 12 midnight away. and then the last hour came. the present djs, each, started to say goodbye and play their last song for NU. and then it was francis brew speaking and bidding farewell. and then 'cris cruise', the station manager bid adieu and called the sign off.

and then ang huling el bimbo by the eraserheads played. it was the last song and the crowd just started to sing. some were crying. some lit their lighters and candles. some were just raising their fists. some were raising a toast even.

grabe, marionne. the song had a whole new meaning that time. it was a heart-breaking goodbye. i forced myself to smile and think about all the memories i had that involved NU107. but tears were flowing down my cheeks while singing with the crowd. and all i could think about was you should've been here.

it was a death. a death of the institution that represented what we loved and believed in. and it's now up to everyone left behind to forge it's spirit, the spirit of rock & roll, to live on.

i miss you, dear friend. let's not allow our friendship die with the death of an era.