The Niel I Knew
Maita P. de Jesus, special to The Journalese
Editor's Note: With the late Sir Niel Lim's birthday set this Friday, August 17, The Journalese brings you a work made by James Cartmire's "soulmate", in remembrance of her beloved friend.
The Niel I knew wrote "don't be a pig!" on my college blouse in our senior year. He also thought it was fair for him to eat the cake and have me get all the icing – I didn't think so. He also thought it was fair to think of me as his secretary, going as far as trying to pirate me from my work so I could work for him. I knew that would be the end of our friendship if that ever happened.
The first text he sent me was asking me if he could propose something to me and if we could meet. I laughed and joked that maybe he was proposing marriage. Thankfully, it was just a joint project between our two courses (he was president of the Journalism Society while I was president of the Legal Management Society then) and that was the start of our friendship.
I don't remember him ever saying my name – whenever we'd greet each other, we'd immediately go into a conversation or plainly nod our head to acknowledge each other's presence. I don't think we ever hugged, and the only time he'd hold my hand was when he'd want to drag me to go a certain way, which he swore was always faster. He loved animated movies – it was how he marked his birthdays in order to make the day extra special.
I always presumed that he wanted to spend his birthday with me. For the past few years we didn't get to, but thankfully last 2011, we did. We both came from work and settled into watching a Cinemalaya film. He never went into a movie house without popcorn (even if we were running late) and he'd always be so loud that in one movie, he was actually reprimanded due to being so noisy. We played Michael Bublé songs as we went home, and as usual, we just nodded our heads in goodbye.
He was a source of strength for me, giving love advice even when he has never had a girlfriend (to my knowledge). It would still amaze me sometimes on how alike we were – he was into history, politics, and cold weather. He didn't like the beach and was a certified workaholic. He was a closet romantic.
I don't know what I miss about him the most. He had a way of letting me know that he truly loved me. We fell short from ever saying anything to that sort – we just knew. I never asked for him to profess anything, say anything. But through how he was with me, how relaxed he was, how we'd erupt into belly laughs, how he'd smile, how he'd follow me around with every silly request I made, I knew he loved me. No words needed. We settled into being best friends, knowing how much we meant to each other, never needing to prove anything.
That's something I always admired about him. He was always himself. He was never pretentious, never afraid of what others might say about him, didn't care if people thought of him to be weird (which he was). He was just who he was.
I miss him sometimes. I miss him when I see an animated movie he would have loved to watch, and I still have him on my speed dial. I feel like I'm still in denial, thinking it's just one of those busy months when I don’t get to see him. I don't think it's sunk in yet.
Or maybe it’s something else. Maybe in my thoughts, that favorite line of ours holds true. We watched the movie "Blue Moon" separately but thought of the same thing. We saw each other in the main characters, and believed their words to be true. "Tunay na pag-ibig ang hindi nawawala."
And that's how I feel. Maybe that's why I don't miss him as much as I thought I would. He'll always be with me through the memories we shared and all the years we spent together. We're connected by something greater that not even his passing away can break. He's one of my soulmates. And I'm sure that wherever he may be, he'll laugh at me, say I'm too mushy, but in his heart, he knows it to be real.
I love you, Niel. You'll always be with me. J
Ms. Maita P. de Jesus is a 2005 AB Legal Management graduate and is a former President of the UST Legal Management Society. She was the best friend of the late journalism professor Mr. Niel Niño J. Lim.
Editor's Note: With the late Sir Niel Lim's birthday set this Friday, August 17, The Journalese brings you a work made by James Cartmire's "soulmate", in remembrance of her beloved friend.
The Niel I knew wrote "don't be a pig!" on my college blouse in our senior year. He also thought it was fair for him to eat the cake and have me get all the icing – I didn't think so. He also thought it was fair to think of me as his secretary, going as far as trying to pirate me from my work so I could work for him. I knew that would be the end of our friendship if that ever happened.
The first text he sent me was asking me if he could propose something to me and if we could meet. I laughed and joked that maybe he was proposing marriage. Thankfully, it was just a joint project between our two courses (he was president of the Journalism Society while I was president of the Legal Management Society then) and that was the start of our friendship.
I don't remember him ever saying my name – whenever we'd greet each other, we'd immediately go into a conversation or plainly nod our head to acknowledge each other's presence. I don't think we ever hugged, and the only time he'd hold my hand was when he'd want to drag me to go a certain way, which he swore was always faster. He loved animated movies – it was how he marked his birthdays in order to make the day extra special.
I always presumed that he wanted to spend his birthday with me. For the past few years we didn't get to, but thankfully last 2011, we did. We both came from work and settled into watching a Cinemalaya film. He never went into a movie house without popcorn (even if we were running late) and he'd always be so loud that in one movie, he was actually reprimanded due to being so noisy. We played Michael Bublé songs as we went home, and as usual, we just nodded our heads in goodbye.
He was a source of strength for me, giving love advice even when he has never had a girlfriend (to my knowledge). It would still amaze me sometimes on how alike we were – he was into history, politics, and cold weather. He didn't like the beach and was a certified workaholic. He was a closet romantic.
I don't know what I miss about him the most. He had a way of letting me know that he truly loved me. We fell short from ever saying anything to that sort – we just knew. I never asked for him to profess anything, say anything. But through how he was with me, how relaxed he was, how we'd erupt into belly laughs, how he'd smile, how he'd follow me around with every silly request I made, I knew he loved me. No words needed. We settled into being best friends, knowing how much we meant to each other, never needing to prove anything.
That's something I always admired about him. He was always himself. He was never pretentious, never afraid of what others might say about him, didn't care if people thought of him to be weird (which he was). He was just who he was.
I miss him sometimes. I miss him when I see an animated movie he would have loved to watch, and I still have him on my speed dial. I feel like I'm still in denial, thinking it's just one of those busy months when I don’t get to see him. I don't think it's sunk in yet.
Or maybe it’s something else. Maybe in my thoughts, that favorite line of ours holds true. We watched the movie "Blue Moon" separately but thought of the same thing. We saw each other in the main characters, and believed their words to be true. "Tunay na pag-ibig ang hindi nawawala."
And that's how I feel. Maybe that's why I don't miss him as much as I thought I would. He'll always be with me through the memories we shared and all the years we spent together. We're connected by something greater that not even his passing away can break. He's one of my soulmates. And I'm sure that wherever he may be, he'll laugh at me, say I'm too mushy, but in his heart, he knows it to be real.
I love you, Niel. You'll always be with me. J
Ms. Maita P. de Jesus is a 2005 AB Legal Management graduate and is a former President of the UST Legal Management Society. She was the best friend of the late journalism professor Mr. Niel Niño J. Lim.