“Fourteen years ago, I had everything—a good husband, daughter who was still my baby [KC], and a coming daughter [Frankie], and what I wanted for a career.
“I thought I was at the top of the world [and] my father [former Pasay City Mayor Pablo Cuneta] left me with all these other things I was grateful for,” pagsisimula ng eulogy ni Sharon Cuneta sa necrological service para sa kanyang yumaong ina na si Elaine Gamboa-Cuneta.
Ginanap ang necrological service Lunes ng gabi, November 10, sa Santuario de San Antonio, Makati City, kung saan nakaburol ang mga labi ng ina ng Megastar.
Pumanaw ang ina ni Sharon noong November 5, Miyerkules.
Pagpapatuloy niya, “Fourteen years later, we’re all here today, my mother is in a box.
"And the day she died, sabi ko, I was kind of afraid of becoming an orphan today. I cannot not be someone’s baby anymore.
"And it’s almost Christmas and I don’t know how to spend Christmas without my mom, kasi dalawa lang kami ni Kuya [Chet] na magkapatid.”
Ipagdiriwang sana ni Mommy Elaine ang kanyang ika-80 kaarawan sa December 31.
“Christmas was really our season,” sambit pa ni Sharon sa kanyang eulogy.
Ito raw ang panahon na nagtitipon-tipon silang magkakamag-anak at nagsisilbing reunion din nila.
Kuwento pa ni Sharon, sa tuwing may pagtitipon sa kanila, mismong ang kanyang ina ang nagluluto dahil mahusay itong magluto.
Maging ang iba pang nagbigay ng kanilang eulogy, laging pinupuri ang husay sa pagluluto at pagiging generous ni Mommy Elaine.
Ani Sharon sa kanyang speech, “Yung food sa amin, love 'yon, na parang, 'Kumain ka na?'
“Most of us, siguro [dahil] we’re Pinoys, 'pag may bisita tayo, ‘Kumain na po kayo?’ Kahit late na late na.
"Up to now, it’s just habit."
Dagdag pa ng Megastar, “Si Mommy, 'pag meron akong shooting, lahat ng nakasama ko sa pelikula, sa TV shows ko, lahat ng director, lahat ng artista, lahat ng action stars, lahat ng dramatic actors at actresses na nakapiling ko sa pelikula, lahat ‘yan na-experience yung busog na busog sila 'pag dadalaw si Mommy.
“Parang laging last supper, laging fiesta sa kanya talaga.
“Yun ang pagpapakita niya ng pagmamahal.”
KC AND HER MAMITA. Binanggit din ni Sharon ang pagiging malapit ng kanyang panganay na anak na si KC Concepcion at ng kanyang "Mamita," tawag ni KC kay Mommy Elaine.
“When KC came along, I really didn’t mind being dethroned na prinsesa.
“Na-dethrone ako nung dumating si Kristina. My dad and mom were crazy about her.
“'Pag nanay ka, siyempre, that’s your happiness na yung anak mo mahalin talaga ng mga magulang mo.”
Sa kanyang lola nga raw namana ni KC ang hilig nito sa pananamit.
“Minsan may sinabi siya sa akin. 'Di ko alam kung ano magiging reaksyon ko,” pagpapatuloy ni Sharon sa relasyon nila ng kanyang Mommy Elaine.
“Gusto ko siya i-take na positive ngayon. I’ll take it positive.
“KC said na she [Mamita] was so proud of me pala.
“She would tell me, but feeling ko, baka she was just trying to make me feel good.
"Kasi, feeling ko, parang I always had to prove myself to her. I was never that daughter she wanted.
“And then KC came.
“So, I’m so grateful that she had that with KC, because of their closeness I never experienced and their closeness I never experienced with her, I never experienced with KC.”
Sabi pa ng Megastar, “Akala ko, hindi ako masyadong love ni Mommy.
“Akala naman pala ni Mommy, hindi ko siya masyadong love.
“Mali siya do'n. Kasi mahal na mahal na mahal ko si Mommy.
"Iba na siguro yung pagpapakita niya [ng pagmamahal] dahil sa dinaanan niya."
Pinasalamatan pa ni Sharon si KC “for making Mita happy the way I couldn’t."
Dagdag niya, "But I know that my Mommy knows that there are also things that only I could give her and I’m happy to say I was able to."
IN DENIAL. Inamin din ni Sharon na hindi pa niya tuluyang natatanggap na wala na ang kanyang ina.
Aniya, “Part of me is still in denial, and so my husband [Secretary Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan] had the very hard job of trying to balance things that way.”
Si Kiko raw kasi ang umasikaso habang nasa ospital si Mommy Elaine dahil nahihirapan si Sharon na makita ang ina habang nasa ospital ito.
“I just want to thank all our titas and titos who came, who understood that we really haven’t faced the fact that she has left.
“I really don’t want to be here. I have not wanted to come since Mommy died.
“The day that she passed away, my plan was to fly somewhere.
"And my amazing husband, who was the one who talked to all the doctors, I don’t know how he did it kasi po binabalanse niya 'yon."
Muntik na nga raw hindi makarating si Sharon sa necrological service kagabi dahil biglang tumaas ang kanyang blood pressure sanhi ng kanyang pinagdadaanan.
Sabi pa ni Sharon, ayaw nga niyang basahin ang mga pakikiramay ng mga tao sa kanyang cell phone dahil baka nagkamali lang ang mga ito at buhay pa ang kanyang ina.
Ilang beses ding naging emosyonal si Sharon habang nagbibigay ng kanyang eulogy, ngunit may pagkakataong nagpapatawa rin siya.
“I have one million things that I can say.
“She was at the ICU for two months.
"I’m very sure she didn’t expect to die when she did, but I’m also very sure that she and Papa are together na and happy, and with Lolo and Lola and all their friends, and two children I lost.
“I hope to see them all again, but I hope not very soon because my children are very small pa, but I know one day we’ll all be together."
Nagpasalamat din si Sharon sa mga taong dumalo at mga nagmamahal sa kanyang ina, lalo na ang kanyang asawa at mga anak.
Pinasalamatan din ni Sharon ang kanyang Tita Helen Gamboa, kapatid ni Mommy Elaine, at si Senator Tito Sotto, asawa ni Helen, para sa pagtanggap nito sa mga nais makiramay.
“I couldn’t because I didn’t want to, 'coz all I want was to have my Mommy, and I can’t do that anymore, so thank you.
“I pray that you don’t forget the kind of woman she was and how big her heart was. And how wonderful that feeling that we all inherited from her.
“Thank you everyone for joining us tonight in honouring my mother.
“I love you, my Mommy.
“Napakarami mo mang tinawag na anak, tinawag na apo, ako ang anak ni Elaine na kaisa-isang babae and I will die very proud of that.”