OF AYALA, PIA, AND YOU

Pia Zadora, she who made heads turn when she attended one Oscar evening painted in gold to resemble the giveaway statuette, once ventured into the field of singing and acting – most notably (and forgettably) in the Stacey Keach starrer, “Butterfly”.

In that movie, she sang the theme song, “It’s Wrong For Me To Stay and Love You”, the lyrics of which goes this way:


Fate led you straight to me
You came and suddenly
I was weak beyond control
I had given you my soul
My life was no longer mine

I love you more than life itself
I never loved anyone else
I tried to stop myself so many times
It hurts me
A love like ours where can it go
I must be strong ‘cause now I know
It’s wrong for me stay and love you


Once upon a time, I so embraced the song and was so emotionally moved by the words which was apt to the state of my heart during that period.

While onboard an FX this morning, I heard the familiar song again after a very long time – how surprising that the lyrics just resurfaced out of the banks of my memory as clearly as if it was just yesterday’s top hit – and a flood of reminiscence came along with it.

I remember walking along the old traffic-less Ayala Avenue and in one serendipitous moment, I saw YOU and our eyes met, and we smiled, and the next thing we know, we were having coffee at the then Rizal Theater before getting inside the cinema to watch Pia Zadora. YOU were not a stranger. YOU were the object of my high school affection. YOU were the very first person who caused my very first sleepless nights. YOU were the distant dream in my countless daydreaming. And YOU and I held hands all throughout the movie!

Funny how one song can trigger an escape into yesteryears when one was young, careless, and foolishly in love.