Pushing into the 60s, with me trailing behind at 59, we had to be special. Not content with “Les Girls,” Letty Constantino, senior “sister,” would not settle for anything less than “Women Plus,” recorded by Luning Ira as a mix of writers and professors, a painter, a pianist, a pharmaceutical manager, a traffic management executive, a gourmet cook—brought together by Gilda Cordero Fernando.
From 1991 to almost 20 years hence, we met in each other’s house every month, going through a kaleidoscope of heavy and light topics and activities, assigned a month before for the next meeting.
Ballroom dancing, yes; but Gilda preferred “free movement.” We dared go into dream analysis, retired husbands, answers like “frustrated” to “describe yourself as a mother,” or “once great” to “describe your sex life.” Cheloy Dans gave us painting lessons, materials free, and Letty regaled us with a piano concert capped with a continental dinner.
As in “show and tell,” we brought heirlooms, and oohed and aahed at how beautiful we were in pictures in our 20s. We talked of “clutteritis,” “worry,” family, books, music. But we never gossiped, nor exchanged recipes. No one but Pepsi Aro, our latest recruit, cooked. The farthest we ventured out was a day at our small farmhouse in Laguna, the trip lyrically described by Luning; “a fine rain sprayed all day, as we winded through Laguna mountain roads where everything was green and incredibly fresh.”
Sylvia Ventura often sent the most imaginative invitations to the “Gorgeous Members of Women Plus” and called our meetings, tertulias, so sacred, we’d sacrifice other events but never our “monthlies.”
Only four of us remain now: Nona Esquivel, Cheloy Dans, Pet Arcinas and myself. I wouldn’t be surprised if Gilda is getting the eight of them together again settling the questions she has raised about being and reality. Make no mistake. Besides Gilda’s visible multitalents, she was a serious metaphysical searcher. She may finally be getting the answers. With Gilda, nothing is impossible. —CONTRIBUTED
