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Sari Lluch Dalena
ON GROWING UP WITH NICK JOAQUIN
I Remember Tito Nick As a new documentary on Philippine literature’s jolly good fellow Nick Joaquin opens this month, its creator recalls growing up in the presence of the beloved titan of letters who was more family to her than literary icon, more St. Nick than National Artist
M
y little terrorists” is what our Tito Nick would call us three sisters whenever he would visit the house. It wasn’t just us that he would heckle at; he would afectionately f call my dad, the artist Danny Dalena, “Bingengot,”” which means he’s hard of hearing. Tito Nick’s delightful booming voice would be accompanied with several P100 bills that he’d hand to each of us girls. To us he wasn’t Nick Joaquin, the National Artist. He was Santa Claus. “Daaahling, gimme a beer!” During those evening visits, the clink of San Miguel beer bottles would ill the air. And my sisters and I would “terrorize” him with our little sagas. Aba would present him her newly sculpted clay animals. My other sister Kiri, and our childhood friend Kris Lacaba, would bother him with a Humpty Dumpty stufed f toy, and I would push the buttons of my dad’s Wurlitzer jukebox, which
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was equipped with magically changing lights. Tito Nick’s voice would roar above Frank Sinatra’s crooning voice. Filipino writers present would turn boisterous revelers, among them Tito Pete Lacaba and his wife Tita Marra,Tito Ding Nolledo, Tito Greg Brillantes, Tito Recah Trinidad, Tito Erwin Castillo, Tito Jolico Cuadra, Tita Chiqui (Auggusta de Almeidda) and Tita Elena Roco.hey would down endless bottles of Pale Pilsen and belt out songs by Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Rodgers and Hart. hese sessions of drink and song would ill our house in Kamuning until the wee hours of the morning. My father served as Tito Nick’s editorial cartoonist—irst at the Free Presss and then at the Asia Philippines Leader. hose drunken evenings were a testament to what a tightly-knit bunch of journalists they were, together with Tito Pete and Tito Greg, who were with Tito Nick at the oice all day and after hours as well.
NICK OF TIME
Raymond Bagatsing—as Nick Joaquin of Dahling Nick—on the steps leading to the main lobby of the CCP, flanked by the author and her sister and co-writer Kiri Dalena. Inset: The real Nick wearing his National Artist medal.
Christmas time and birthday parties were unforgettable. My dad would set up a long table and wooden benches. Cases of beer would be stockpiled in the garage and soon imbibed and Tito Recah, the known sports writer, would bring pulutan. After many rounds of hilarity, Tito Nick
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