Nelz: This One’s For You

At the christening of my niece, one of the ninongs was Aeus. So during the merienda afterwards, I had a chat with him. Another ninang, a friend of his, was with us.

Me: “Ay, kilala mo si Nelson, di ba?” He had a puzzled look, like he knew more than one Nelson and was trying to figure out which one I was referring to, so to help him further, I said: “Nelson Agustin?”

At last, recognition. “A, oo!”

Me: “Alam mo ba nasa Canada na siya?”

Aeus: “Talaga?”

I was enjoying my warm-up. Me: “At kasal na siya.”

Without missing a beat and not looking up from his food, he asked very innocently, “Talaga? May girlfriend ba siya?”

I thoroughly savored my split-second pause before I replied: “Lalake po ang asawa niya.”

Aeus looked up. Nelz, you should have been there to see the expression on his face. Ika nga ng MasterCard commercial: Priceless.

Ano daw ang reaction niya? “Ha? Puwede pala ang ganoon (gay marriage) sa Canada?”

In total fairness, mabilis naka-recover ang mama.