Travel Agent

For teenagers, there is no such thing as a silly argument or a silly discussion as every argument or opinion is a matter of great importance and must only be treated with an equally great intelligence as if the fate of the universe depends solely on it.

When we were in high school, at the peak of Eraserheads band’s popularity, my classmates and I got into a heated discussion over what really hit Paraluman in a dark alley on one of the Eraserheads’ hit “Ang Huling El Bimbo.” If you would recall, the song ended with the lines “at isang gabi’y nasagasaan sa isang madilim na eskinita.”

How could someone get hit by a speeding vehicle in an alley?

Eskinita is alley in English, in case you don’t know and Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines alley as a narrow street; especially : a thoroughfare through the middle of a block giving access to the rear of lots or buildings.

I can no longer remember how the debate ended but as far as my pride matters, I won the argument because Rowena Basco, the girl who played the grown-up Paraluman in the the song’s MTV which earned them the prestigious Moon Man for Viewer’s Choice Award for Asia at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1997, was our neighbor.

Simple as that.

Anyway, the Eraserheads eventually got themselves disbanded (courtesy of a text message sent by Ely Buendia to the group, that according to rumors) without giving a clear answer to that one question that may change the course of the entire mankind — Anong nakasagasa kay Paraluman sa isang madilim na eskinita?

Years later, Ely Buendia got reunited (in a way) with Jessica Zafra, one of the band’s previous managers, and on her blog, Jessica Rules the Universe, Ely finally answered the most bugging question of that generation.

Drum rolls, please…

Q: Ano ang nakasagasa sa babaing nasa kantang “Huling El Bimbo” doon sa maliit na iskinita?

Ely Buendia: pizza delivery