Francis Magalona, fourteen years after his death, has never ceased to amaze me. The brilliant performer and songwriter is considered as an influential artist in the hip hop genre of music and is one of the country’s original Pilipino music (OPM) icons. His music may be modern for an old mind like me but the meanings in every line and phrase are like ant bites that sting.
Sadly, in his hit song Kaleidoscope World, the fifth and sixth line says “Others grieve while others curse and others mourn behind a big black hearse”. Too bad he had to take his bow early and succumbed to leukaemia at a very young age of 44 and we all mourned the death of a modern artist.
The grief may have left as his young family moved on with life without him but in a very interesting twist of fate barely fifteen years after his passing, Francis M. rocked and made the country curse again this time with the revelation of another woman in his life whom he had a daughter. Abegail Rait, a former flight attendant and her daughter Gaile Francesca came out into the limelight and declared that they have kept their silence for more than a decade but they cannot forever keep it that they exist. The real life drama unfolded after the mother and daughter appeared in a YouTube episode of “Pinoy Pawnstars” by Boss Toyo where they sold for a million pesos a jersey Francis M gave Abegail with the late Master Rapper’s photo and a note that says “I love You” and was bought at P500,000.00
As usual the netizens, the Philippines’ most literate pride made their points and presence felt as if the life of Francis M and his loved ones are a part of theirs and as if they knew every detail of the story from the rapper himself. It’s easy to say that the public has the right to know because Francis M was a public figure. It’s just that whatever happened inside the bedroom for me is never a part of what’s public with the rapper.
Be that as it may, somebody commented that cheating is cheating. I couldn’t agree more. It’s like the W letter in basketball. A win is a win regardless of the margin. But, was it really cheating? Do we know the story behind or do we stand a chance to know the two sides of the coin since the other party is long dead already? What will we get if we continue to investigate or spread our opinion on the matter?
I don’t want to be tagged as killjoy but things do happen for a reason. Should I cheat, (which I don’t want to say I haven’t since it would make a saint out of me and I don’t like it) I will never allow myself to be photographed willingly and I will never send love notes. Cheating means you want to deny it. Francis actually did the opposite.
Meantime, I believe it’s best for us to stop feasting on the assumptions and biases that we have on the revelation of Abegail. If part of her healing is by telling the truth that they exist, let’s respect that. In the case of Pia and the children of Francis M, definitely it will hurt especially if they really do not have an iota of knowledge about Abegail and her daughter. Yet, they and we cannot undo what’s done. There is more to life than being bitter until the end. It may be easier said than done but there is no other way.
“Wag takasan ang pagkukulang, kasalanan ay panagutan
Magmalinis ay iwasan, nakakainis, marumi rin naman
Ang magkaaway, ipagbati
Gumitna ka at ‘wag kumampi
Lahat tayo’y magkakapatid, ano mang mali ay ituwid
Magdasal sa Diyos Maykapal, maging banal at ‘wag hangal”, says the lyrics of one of the rapper’s hit song ‘Mga Kababayan.’
“Magmalinis ay iwasan.” The Catholic Bible said “Let the dead past bury their dead”. I don’t want to appear religious here but what good will it bring us to feast on other people’s private past? Or perhaps, it’s all about sounding intelligent and getting more engagements.
