Loy’s Harem

To all my readers who have read my columns for years, known that I live happily alone just writing, teaching, knitting and making jewelry and lately learning how to sing but still living very alone and being in bed reading at 9 p.m., would you die of shock when I tell you that I am an active member of a harem?

 Once I worked at Avellana & Associates and I have old friends there that I see a few times a year. Once I told my Avellana friends that I was taking singing lessons. Leps Suzara said that he had a friend in my neighborhood, a lawyer who liked to sing.  He said people got together in his flat and just sang. That didn’t move me until one day, close to the end of July, Leps invited me to join them. Okay, I said somewhat half-heartedly.

 I went and met Loy Ventura, the only man except for Leps who walked in with me. Loy was white-haired, dapper, widower, a semi-retired humanitarian lawyer, a gracious host who loves to sing and sings like Tony Bennett.  That first time I think I met Tina Vecin, Marilou Pellicer, Chay Rodriguez, who I had met once before, Maricris Heras, May Ayache and Marrielle, Loy’s oldest daughter.

 I’m an introvert at heart and I admit I was shy at that first meeting. Loy was hospitable but non-intrusive. He asked me to sing. I didn’t want to.  But we had raclette and wine and that was enough for me. We went home at 11 p.m. because I pulled Leps out of there.

 After that, Chay called and invited me. Marrielle picked me up as I was on her way to her father’s house.  Sometimes the group would grow bigger, but the people I always saw there were Marrielle, Chay, Marilou, Maricris, May and Loy. Marilou ordered earrings from me. One night, Loy bought jewelry from me for everyone. I noticed I was staying later and later.

 The turning point was Halloween. I volunteered my home as the site for a party. Chay said we all had to wear black.  Loy appeared looking like Don Corleone of The Godfather. Early in the afternoon Noy, Loy’s driver-cook-right-hand-man, came to install his karaoke. It was pot luck. We ate out of paper plates and cups because I have no domestic help and I refuse to wash dishes. Strangely, we didn’t sing that much that night. We talked and got to know each other better. That’s the night we decided to call ourselves Loy’s Harem. Loy is the centerpiece of this harem, as you can see in the picture. 

 That night, Chay decided to set up a Viber group which we call GOATs for Greatest Of All Time. And guess what?  We are all seniors except for Marrielle. We get together at least once a week at Club Lee, that’s what they call Loy’s place.  We enjoy ourselves like a bunch of teenagers. We do nothing but get together, eat, sing, talk and laugh a lot.  As of now, Chay and I share the most outrageous sense of humor and the loudest laughter, meaning that I now feel totally at home with this group.

 One Sunday, I asked Loy to help me get a karaoke. Can you believe it? I used to hate karaoke but now I realize I can practice singing with a karaoke so I wanted to buy one. He picked me up in his BMW sportscar with the top down.  I almost slapped myself. How many 72-year-old women get picked up by a man in a snazzy convertible? I asked myself. None.  Only you! That impressed me with myself, a rare event.  My confidence flew sky high.

 What has finding this group of friends taught me? That life does not end when you’re 60 or 70. In fact this is the age when you are free to do anything you want. Loy’s big thing in life up to this point was just to sing lovely old songs like Tender is the Night, What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life, How Do You Keep the Music Playing being the most modern and that song is minimally 30 years old, then to get other people to sing with him. I also love old songs and now I can sing I’m In the Mood for Love in a bedroom voice. Progress, right? But is the magic only in the singing?

No. The singing is the start. It leads to friendship and the laughter. That leads to a merging of different personalities, making us enjoy life more, giving us new meaning and now we will probably work together and succeed.  Just watch where this group will take you.

 So now, I’m the newest member of Loy’s Harem. No, we don’t sleep together. We just have fun. You know what they say. Harems just wanna have fun.

 * * *

Please text your comments to 0998-9912287.